USBC awards five youth members Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship in 2026
March 06, 2026
ARLINGTON, Texas – Five United States Bowling Congress Youth members were selected to receive an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship in 2026 in recognition of their academic achievements and contributions to their communities.
Recipients were selected by USBC from submitted applications, and each will receive a $5,000 scholarship. The scholarship, which is part of USBC’s Scholarship Management and Account Reporting for Tenpins (SMART) program, is named in honor of the legendary hall of famer who was dedicated to helping youth bowlers.
The five recipients of an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship are:
* Connor Burns, Loveland, Ohio
* Abigail Copperthite, Fairfield, Connecticut
* William Crader, Jonesboro, Arkansas
* Ava Doucet, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Danielle Tank, New London, Wisconsin
Burns is a senior at Loveland High School where he’s maintained straight A’s and established a 4.323 weighted GPA while taking on a course load chock full of honors and AP classes. Those efforts have allowed Burns to remain in the top 40 in his graduating class of 330 students, a feat that is made even more impressive when considering the fact that Burns also has already earned college credit from multiple institutions of higher learning.
Outside the classroom, Burns has dedicated time and effort to helping groups such as GE Aerospace, Ohio Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Council, Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council, Young Life, Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and many others.
While bowling for Loveland High, Burns was a two-time honoree in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, earning Second Team all-conference status during the 2024-2025 season after being an honorable mention the year before. His 505 two-game series was the second-highest mark authored in the ECC in 2024. Burns currently has a high game of 266 and personal best three-game series of 654.
Copperthite, a junior at Fairfield Warde High School, has compiled quite the academic resume, posting straight A’s and a weighted GPA of 4.5 up to this point during her high school career. Her success has not come as a result of taking it easy, however, as Copperthite’s schedule has featured challenging classes such as AP Statistics, U.S. History Honors, Pre Calculus Honors and Physics Honors to name a few.
Copperthite is impressive outside the classroom as well, taking part in several clubs and extracurricular activities, including Jewish Student Union, Better Education, Class of 2027 Club, Computer Literacy Education Outreach (CLEO), Muse Acapella, orchestra and choir.
Despite all of those demands on her time, Copperthite still finds time for bowling, competing as a member of the Nutmeg Bowl Junior Program, participating in Doughboy Junior Bowling Tour (DJBT) tournaments and serving as captain of the Fairfield Co-Op High School bowling team during the 2025-2026 season. Presently, Copperthite has a high game of 228 and a high three-game series of 610.
Crader currently is completing his senior year at Valley View High School where he is ranked ninth in his class of 243 students thanks to having earned straight A’s throughout his high school career. That’s just the beginning, however, as Crader also recorded an ACT composite score of 35 – a perfect score is 36 – to place himself in the top one percent nationally on the exam. Crader also earned status as a National Merit Commended Student, an honor reserved for the top three to four percent of students across the country.
That does not, however, mean that all of Crader’s time is spent hitting the books. When not working on his studies, Crader has participated in quiz bowl, Rotary Interact Club, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), Boy Scouts, Cathedral Baptist Church Food Pantry and Clothes Closet and Cathedral Baptist Church Youth Group among many other organizations and activities.
Still, one of Crader’s biggest passions is bowling. He has been a starter on the Valley View bowling team throughout his high school career, serving as co-captain during his junior year and captain as a senior. The Blazers qualified for the Arkansas High School Bowling 5A State Team Championships during each of Crader’s four seasons with the program. Off the high school lanes, Crader holds a high game of 274, and his best three-game series to date is 653.
Doucet is a senior and academic standout at St. Joseph’s Academy where she has put together a 4.395 weighted GPA while challenging herself with high-level classes such as AP Chemistry, AP English Language Composition, AP U.S. History and Calculus Honors. Her prowess in the classroom led to Doucet’s recognition by the National College Board and her induction into the National Honors Society.
But for as remarkable as Doucet’s academic resume is, her track record of involvement in clubs, extracurricular activities and community organizations is equally stellar. Throughout her high school career, Doucet has served nearly two dozen organizations, including Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honors Society, Youth and Government, My Sister’s Keeper, Spanish Club, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Pat’s Coats for Kids and Ollie Steele Nursing Home.
Meanwhile, Doucet also has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the lanes, winning the Louisiana Youth Scratch Match Tournament in July and recording top five finishes at Road to Junior Gold Tournament Series events and the Louisiana State Tournament. During high school competition, Doucet was named St. Joseph’s Academy MVP in 2025 as well as earning Louisiana High School Athletic Association First Team All-District honors that same season. Presently, Doucet holds a high game of 276 and a high three-game series of 735.
Tank is in the process of completing her senior year at New London High School where she has maintained straight A’s and holds the distinction of being ranked No. 1 in her graduating class of nearly 200 students, which is no small achievement considering the fact that Tank has taken on elite-level courses such as AP U.S. History, AP Chemistry, AP Literature and Composition and AP Calculus.
However, Tank’s impact has extended well beyond the classroom as she also has contributed to organizations like Future Farmers of America (FFA), National Honors Society, Spanish Honor Society, Feeding America, Salvation Army, Wreaths Across America and many others.
As a bowler, Tank has a high game of 268 and a personal-best three-game series of 664. She’s recorded top five finishes at the Weston Winter Classic (2024), Midwest Bowlfest Singles Tournament (2023) and the Wisconsin USBC Youth State Tournament (2025) and was a 2025 Junior Gold Championships national finals qualifier. While competing for New London, Tank earned a 39th-place finish as an individual at the 2025 state tournament and was a member of the District 8 All-Star Team.
In addition to being a USBC Youth member, applicants for the Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship must have been a junior or senior in high school or a college student and have a record of strong community involvement and academic achievements as well as financial need. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
CLICK HERE to view a list of past Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship winners.
CLICK HERE to Visit BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers.
Recipients were selected by USBC from submitted applications, and each will receive a $5,000 scholarship. The scholarship, which is part of USBC’s Scholarship Management and Account Reporting for Tenpins (SMART) program, is named in honor of the legendary hall of famer who was dedicated to helping youth bowlers.
The five recipients of an Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship are:
* Connor Burns, Loveland, Ohio
* Abigail Copperthite, Fairfield, Connecticut
* William Crader, Jonesboro, Arkansas
* Ava Doucet, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Danielle Tank, New London, Wisconsin
Burns is a senior at Loveland High School where he’s maintained straight A’s and established a 4.323 weighted GPA while taking on a course load chock full of honors and AP classes. Those efforts have allowed Burns to remain in the top 40 in his graduating class of 330 students, a feat that is made even more impressive when considering the fact that Burns also has already earned college credit from multiple institutions of higher learning.
Outside the classroom, Burns has dedicated time and effort to helping groups such as GE Aerospace, Ohio Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Council, Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council, Young Life, Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and many others.
While bowling for Loveland High, Burns was a two-time honoree in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, earning Second Team all-conference status during the 2024-2025 season after being an honorable mention the year before. His 505 two-game series was the second-highest mark authored in the ECC in 2024. Burns currently has a high game of 266 and personal best three-game series of 654.
Copperthite, a junior at Fairfield Warde High School, has compiled quite the academic resume, posting straight A’s and a weighted GPA of 4.5 up to this point during her high school career. Her success has not come as a result of taking it easy, however, as Copperthite’s schedule has featured challenging classes such as AP Statistics, U.S. History Honors, Pre Calculus Honors and Physics Honors to name a few.
Copperthite is impressive outside the classroom as well, taking part in several clubs and extracurricular activities, including Jewish Student Union, Better Education, Class of 2027 Club, Computer Literacy Education Outreach (CLEO), Muse Acapella, orchestra and choir.
Despite all of those demands on her time, Copperthite still finds time for bowling, competing as a member of the Nutmeg Bowl Junior Program, participating in Doughboy Junior Bowling Tour (DJBT) tournaments and serving as captain of the Fairfield Co-Op High School bowling team during the 2025-2026 season. Presently, Copperthite has a high game of 228 and a high three-game series of 610.
Crader currently is completing his senior year at Valley View High School where he is ranked ninth in his class of 243 students thanks to having earned straight A’s throughout his high school career. That’s just the beginning, however, as Crader also recorded an ACT composite score of 35 – a perfect score is 36 – to place himself in the top one percent nationally on the exam. Crader also earned status as a National Merit Commended Student, an honor reserved for the top three to four percent of students across the country.
That does not, however, mean that all of Crader’s time is spent hitting the books. When not working on his studies, Crader has participated in quiz bowl, Rotary Interact Club, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), Boy Scouts, Cathedral Baptist Church Food Pantry and Clothes Closet and Cathedral Baptist Church Youth Group among many other organizations and activities.
Still, one of Crader’s biggest passions is bowling. He has been a starter on the Valley View bowling team throughout his high school career, serving as co-captain during his junior year and captain as a senior. The Blazers qualified for the Arkansas High School Bowling 5A State Team Championships during each of Crader’s four seasons with the program. Off the high school lanes, Crader holds a high game of 274, and his best three-game series to date is 653.
Doucet is a senior and academic standout at St. Joseph’s Academy where she has put together a 4.395 weighted GPA while challenging herself with high-level classes such as AP Chemistry, AP English Language Composition, AP U.S. History and Calculus Honors. Her prowess in the classroom led to Doucet’s recognition by the National College Board and her induction into the National Honors Society.
But for as remarkable as Doucet’s academic resume is, her track record of involvement in clubs, extracurricular activities and community organizations is equally stellar. Throughout her high school career, Doucet has served nearly two dozen organizations, including Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honors Society, Youth and Government, My Sister’s Keeper, Spanish Club, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Pat’s Coats for Kids and Ollie Steele Nursing Home.
Meanwhile, Doucet also has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the lanes, winning the Louisiana Youth Scratch Match Tournament in July and recording top five finishes at Road to Junior Gold Tournament Series events and the Louisiana State Tournament. During high school competition, Doucet was named St. Joseph’s Academy MVP in 2025 as well as earning Louisiana High School Athletic Association First Team All-District honors that same season. Presently, Doucet holds a high game of 276 and a high three-game series of 735.
Tank is in the process of completing her senior year at New London High School where she has maintained straight A’s and holds the distinction of being ranked No. 1 in her graduating class of nearly 200 students, which is no small achievement considering the fact that Tank has taken on elite-level courses such as AP U.S. History, AP Chemistry, AP Literature and Composition and AP Calculus.
However, Tank’s impact has extended well beyond the classroom as she also has contributed to organizations like Future Farmers of America (FFA), National Honors Society, Spanish Honor Society, Feeding America, Salvation Army, Wreaths Across America and many others.
As a bowler, Tank has a high game of 268 and a personal-best three-game series of 664. She’s recorded top five finishes at the Weston Winter Classic (2024), Midwest Bowlfest Singles Tournament (2023) and the Wisconsin USBC Youth State Tournament (2025) and was a 2025 Junior Gold Championships national finals qualifier. While competing for New London, Tank earned a 39th-place finish as an individual at the 2025 state tournament and was a member of the District 8 All-Star Team.
In addition to being a USBC Youth member, applicants for the Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship must have been a junior or senior in high school or a college student and have a record of strong community involvement and academic achievements as well as financial need. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
CLICK HERE to view a list of past Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship winners.
CLICK HERE to Visit BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers.