ARLINGTON, Texas – Sarah Legoo of Rockford, Illinois, and Gavin Connell of Islip, New York, have been chosen by the United States Bowling Congress as the 2026 USBC Youth Ambassadors of the Year.

The annual award recognizes one female and one male USBC Youth bowler for exemplary academic accomplishments, community involvement and contributions to the sport of bowling outside of league or tournament play.

Winners are chosen from submitted applications, and each will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

Legoo, 17, is a standout student-athlete and leader who exemplifies the qualities of the USBC Youth Ambassador of the Year through her dedication to bowling, service and mentorship.

A senior at Guilford High School, Legoo has built an impressive résumé both on and off the lanes, combining elite performance with a passion for helping others grow in the sport.

“I couldn’t believe I was chosen,” Legoo said when asked about her reaction to being named the award recipient. “When you apply for the award, you know you’re qualified, but you also know there are lots of other very qualified and deserving athletes. I’m honored and blessed to have been chosen.”

Legoo doesn’t take lightly what the term ambassador means and intends to continue to embody the spirit of the award.

“I want to continue to influence young bowlers to never give up and also help spread knowledge about the SMART program and help promote that program to its full potential,” Legoo said. “I want to make known how the benefits of that program can help middle and high school bowlers.”

Legoo stands out in the classroom where she enjoys subjects such as Psychology, Trigonometry and Algebra II.  
“I’ve been a student ambassador for three years – helping the school community, helping others, volunteering to help at school activities,” Legoo said. “I also made National Honor Society this year. We just had the induction recently, and it was such an honor to be part of that.”
 
Legoo has made a lasting impact through leadership and service. From 2021 to 2024, she volunteered with the Don Carter Special Needs Therapeutic Bowling League, working with athletes with a wide range of disabilities. She demonstrated creativity and compassion by helping design adaptive tools, including a tactile “touch board” and guide rail system that significantly improved a visually impaired bowler’s performance and confidence.

Legoo currently serves as an IESA-certified volunteer coach at Eisenhower Middle School (where her dad and mom also coach) and helps manage a program of more than 50 student-athletes while recruiting additional volunteers to support the team. She also is a Class A Special Olympics coach with Team10Bowling where she mentors athletes and fosters meaningful relationships that encourage participation and growth.

“I’ve also recently started working with Athletes for Hope,” Legoo said. “It’s a non-profit organization that educates and connects professional athletes with causes, encouraging them to use their time and influence to make a positive impact in the community. I’m excited to see what impact I can have while working with them as well.”

Legoo’s influence has helped expand youth bowling participation in her community, inspiring younger athletes to join leagues and compete. Known for her leadership, compassion and commitment to excellence, Legoo continues to shape the future of the sport while preparing for the next chapter of her academic and bowling career.

Legoo’s bowling journey started when she first hit the lanes around the age of 5 or 6 years old.

“Sarah’s older brother (Dylan) has autism,” noted Robert Legoo (Sarah’s father). “So, the family started bowling together as a fun, therapeutic activity, but then Sarah started getting good right around seventh grade. She was competitive even against high schoolers, so that’s when it started to get more serious.” 

Fast forward a few years, and Legoo has become a dominant force in high school bowling, competing at the varsity level since her freshman year. She earned NIC-10 All-Conference honors early in her career and has continued to elevate her performance.

Legoo is a four-time individual high school state and national qualifier, has qualified for the Junior Gold Championships national finals five times (including 2026) and has participated in tournaments across multiple states since middle school. Her consistency and competitive drive have established her as one of the top bowlers in her region.

She is currently the Rockford USBC Youth 18 Girls Bowler of the Year and recently received the “Inspired Award” from her local bowling association (NIBPAF) for her volunteer work and success over the past four years.

Legoo strives to be the best in her sport, and her family has dedicated a great deal of time and effort into helping her succeed, including her dad earning his coaching certifications (he was able to coach Sarah for a year during her high school career).

“I want to thank my dad and mom for all their support,” said Legoo. “It’s been fantastic for my family to be right there with me this entire time. I’d also like to recognize my high school head coach (Kailey Simiers) and assistant coach (Chris Hoppe) for everything they’ve done for me.”

Legoo intends to be a business major in college where she also will continue her bowling career. She will be attending Sacred Heart University (NCAA – Division I) this fall.

Legoo summarized everything by explaining what winning the award means to her.

“It means a lot because of the work I put into the sport, into promoting the sport and also into helping others,” she said. “School, bowling and volunteer work have been what I’ve concentrated on the last five years, so this is just amazing.”

Connell, 17, has emerged as a dedicated leader, student and ambassador for the sport of bowling through his commitment to service, leadership and perseverance.

Connell was honored to learn he had been named as a Youth Ambassador of the Year, but it wasn’t without a little trepidation as well.

“I was in the kitchen talking to a friend of mine when I got the call about the award, so I had to hang up on him to take the call,” said Connell. “I was really excited when I got the news but also kind of nervous when I was told I would be giving a speech because I’ve never given a speech before.”

When asked what winning the award meant to him, Connell said, “It means a lot because it showcases what I do in the community, not just my bowling, and it makes all the hard work and effort worth it.”

Connell is completing his senior year at Islip High School while maintaining strong academic standing, earning a 4.0 GPA and membership in the National Honor Society. He cites history as his favorite subject.

Beyond the classroom, Connell has demonstrated exceptional leadership within the bowling community. A six-year member of the Long Island USBC Youth Leaders program, he has taken on increasing responsibility, serving as treasurer before becoming the organization’s current president. In this role, he has led fundraising efforts, consistently ranking among the group’s top contributors while mentoring younger bowlers and youth leaders. The experience has given Connell a sneak peek into the administrative side of the sport.

“With the Youth Leaders program, I organize meetings and tournaments, support fundraising and assist with scholarships,” said Connell. “We even organized a food drive during the holiday season for people in need.”

Connell’s impact extends beyond bowling through his commitment to community service. His service began at a young age, organizing donations of essential baby items during the COVID-19 pandemic and contributing to relief efforts for hurricane victims in Haiti. He also has supported initiatives such as a sock drive for veterans, reinforcing his dedication to helping others.

For the collection of essential baby items, Connell’s mom – Ilene Davidson – was volunteering at Fountainhead Congregation in Northport, New York, during COVID, and the church would do weekly or monthly drives to help people in need. Connell would go with his mom and help volunteer.

“At the time, we were watching a show called Extreme Couponing, and I got the idea to use coupons and rebates from the stores to help get the cost of items down,” Connell said. “I was then able to purchase items they needed to donate to the drive at the church.”

Connell also talked about his relief efforts for the Haitian hurricane victims.

“I heard they got hit hard with two hurricanes back-to-back, and I just wanted to help,” Connell said. “So, I went around the neighborhood and collected clothes, toys, money donations – anything I thought would help – to send over there.”

On the lanes, Connell has built an impressive résumé through steady improvement and competitive success.

He started bowling when he was 3, and by the time he was 5, he was in a league.

“My sister (Adyna Morreale) bowled in league when I was 3, but I obviously wasn’t old enough to join her,” said Connell. “But as soon as I was old enough, I wanted to join. I got serious about it around 2018 when I bowled my first 200, and I started bowling on the school team in seventh grade. I was really just trying to chase my sister and beat her. It just kind of picked up from there.”

He has competed in numerous leagues, tournaments, high school events and regional competitions. His achievements include multiple 300 games, high school averages exceeding 220 and honors such as the Suffolk County Bowling Coaches Association All League Award, the Islip School District Coach’s Award, All-Long Island recognition and being named one of Newsday’s Top 10 Bowlers on Long Island.

Connell has qualified multiple times for the Junior Gold Championships, beginning with the U12 division in 2021 and including the 2026 event this year in Minneapolis. Connell’s mom noted it was that first Junior Gold event in Indianapolis that made a lasting impact because “it pushed him to get better and to get more focused. He liked being with the best of the best, and that’s when his interest really took off.”

He gives a lot of credit to coach Bill Papandrea, who has provided valuable guidance to Connell, especially in preparing him for that first Junior Gold event.

“Bill helped me with my form, with my equipment, with my control, just everything,” Connell said. “He really spent a lot of time and energy with me.”

He also noted that Jeff Lopez has been a great help when it comes to the selection and drilling of his bowling balls, often at the last moment.

Connell’s dedication to the sport really showed during the COVID-19 pandemic when all the bowling centers were closed. During that time, he and his mom built a mini bowling lane out of plywood with Connell nailing 2 x 4s to the sides. According to his mom, Gavin “dragged the entire thing out into the yard so that he and his sister had a place to go and practice.”

Connell also embraces mentoring, regularly offering guidance to newer bowlers while volunteering at tournaments and youth events. His personal experiences have shaped his resilience and compassion, motivating him to give back and uplift others.

“That’s the part of bowling that I enjoy the most,” Connell said. “Meeting all the people, making new friends, always trying to improve and helping other people improve as well.”

Connell is preparing for a college career with a major in an area such as business or finance.

“Both my parents worked in the banking industry, so it seems like that’s kind of in my blood,” Connell said.

Additionally, Connell is looking for a school with a good bowling program because he intends to continue bowling while in college.

Legoo and Connell will be recognized later this month at the 2026 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting at Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada.

For a list of past USBC Youth Ambassador winners, click here.

Learn more about awards for adult youth leaders and scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers by clicking here.