onefrombills
07-19-2009, 04:04 AM
INDIANAPOLIS -
A couple of Junior Team USA members might have lost in Friday's finals of the United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships presented by Brunswick. But they also gained two teammates who showed calm under fire.
Maggie Zakrzewski of Palatine, Ill., overtook Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., to capture the girls' title while Mike Conn of Crestwood, Ky., finished off his big day with a victory over Andrew Koff of Miami in the final, position-round games at Woodland Bowl.
"It's pretty amazing; I'm not going to lie," said Conn, who had a large contingent of fans in red shirts cheering him on throughout the day. "It is definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced."
Zakrzewski was equally amazed after taking down Earnest, who had three splits in the final match. Zakrzewski took full advantage of Earnest's struggles to post a 191-168 victory. Match-play victories came with a 20-pin bonus and that would be the difference.
"Josie and I have bowled each other before and she is very intimidating," said Zakrzewski, who won by 10 pins. "I just wanted to focus on me and the lanes. She's done a lot with her career so bowling her is a privilege to me."
Friday's finals concluded five days of competition. Nearly 2,000 athletes participated in the Junior Gold Championships, which awarded $145,000 in scholarships.
For boys' final standings, click here. For girls' final standings, click here.
Before heading into her junior season at Wichita State, Zakrzewski wanted to take one last shot at Junior Gold.
"I have made the cut before but I wanted to make it to the last round," said Zakrzewski. "I just wanted to bowl like I knew how I could because I came here in the past and made a few mistakes. I wanted to leave here with no regrets. So no regrets, I guess."
Their victories also earned Conn, who had the only perfect game of the tournament, and Zakrzewski a spot on Junior Team USA next season. The top four male and top four female finishers after match-play competition automatically qualified for Junior Team USA 2010.
Also earning spots on the girls' team were Cassie Leuthold of Black Hawk, S.D., and Brittni Hamilton of Webster, N.Y., who led going into the finals but finished fourth. Third-place finisher Erik Gulbrandson of Superior, Wis., and Chris Bardol of Brockport, N.Y., also earned spots on the boys' team.
"It's amazing," said Gulbrandson, who attends Wichita State, on making Team USA. "I didn't bowl as well as I had hoped on the second block but I came through at the end. It hasn't sunk in. It is going to take a little while for this one to take effect."
The National Selection Committee awarded four at-large spots from the pool of athletes that reached the match-play finals - Kristie Petravich of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Kim Yioulos of Rochester, N.Y.; Jacob Peters of Decatur, Ill.; and T.J. Baral of Palm City, Fla.
Of the at-large selections, only Baral has not previously been on Junior Team USA.
"When Jacob was picked, I was like, 'Oh, no' because I though they would pick someone who was a little higher up (in the final standings)," Baral said. "I bowled well all week so I was hoping that would be a factor. It worked out."
For Conn, who made the first cut last year, his goal this year was to "do better and I did. I did a lot better." That started in the first block on Friday.
Conn began the day in third place but moved past Bardol, the semifinals leader who would finish fourth, and Gulbrandson during the morning block at Woodland Lanes.
Koff also made his move. He dropped his first three matches of the morning but rolled a 270 game to win his fourth match then reeled off four more victories to move from fifth to third.
"I fought through all the ups and downs of the whole week so I'm pleased with how I did at the end of the day," said Koff, who makes Junior Team USA for a second consecutive year. "This tournament is so hard; just to make it to the top 16 is an accomplishment itself. To make it on the team two years in a row is a really good feeling."
Petravich, the defending girls' champion, made a big push in the morning, too. She jumped from No. 12 to fifth in the morning then reached as high as No. 2 during the afternoon matches before settling back at sixth.
Sportsmanship awards
Liz Seibel of Hellertown, Pa., and Brent Bowers of Mulvane, Kan., were awarded the David Dahms Sportsmanship award following the competition. The award is named for Dahms, who was an instrumental leader in the creation of what is now known as the USBC Junior Gold program.
A couple of Junior Team USA members might have lost in Friday's finals of the United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships presented by Brunswick. But they also gained two teammates who showed calm under fire.
Maggie Zakrzewski of Palatine, Ill., overtook Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., to capture the girls' title while Mike Conn of Crestwood, Ky., finished off his big day with a victory over Andrew Koff of Miami in the final, position-round games at Woodland Bowl.
"It's pretty amazing; I'm not going to lie," said Conn, who had a large contingent of fans in red shirts cheering him on throughout the day. "It is definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced."
Zakrzewski was equally amazed after taking down Earnest, who had three splits in the final match. Zakrzewski took full advantage of Earnest's struggles to post a 191-168 victory. Match-play victories came with a 20-pin bonus and that would be the difference.
"Josie and I have bowled each other before and she is very intimidating," said Zakrzewski, who won by 10 pins. "I just wanted to focus on me and the lanes. She's done a lot with her career so bowling her is a privilege to me."
Friday's finals concluded five days of competition. Nearly 2,000 athletes participated in the Junior Gold Championships, which awarded $145,000 in scholarships.
For boys' final standings, click here. For girls' final standings, click here.
Before heading into her junior season at Wichita State, Zakrzewski wanted to take one last shot at Junior Gold.
"I have made the cut before but I wanted to make it to the last round," said Zakrzewski. "I just wanted to bowl like I knew how I could because I came here in the past and made a few mistakes. I wanted to leave here with no regrets. So no regrets, I guess."
Their victories also earned Conn, who had the only perfect game of the tournament, and Zakrzewski a spot on Junior Team USA next season. The top four male and top four female finishers after match-play competition automatically qualified for Junior Team USA 2010.
Also earning spots on the girls' team were Cassie Leuthold of Black Hawk, S.D., and Brittni Hamilton of Webster, N.Y., who led going into the finals but finished fourth. Third-place finisher Erik Gulbrandson of Superior, Wis., and Chris Bardol of Brockport, N.Y., also earned spots on the boys' team.
"It's amazing," said Gulbrandson, who attends Wichita State, on making Team USA. "I didn't bowl as well as I had hoped on the second block but I came through at the end. It hasn't sunk in. It is going to take a little while for this one to take effect."
The National Selection Committee awarded four at-large spots from the pool of athletes that reached the match-play finals - Kristie Petravich of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Kim Yioulos of Rochester, N.Y.; Jacob Peters of Decatur, Ill.; and T.J. Baral of Palm City, Fla.
Of the at-large selections, only Baral has not previously been on Junior Team USA.
"When Jacob was picked, I was like, 'Oh, no' because I though they would pick someone who was a little higher up (in the final standings)," Baral said. "I bowled well all week so I was hoping that would be a factor. It worked out."
For Conn, who made the first cut last year, his goal this year was to "do better and I did. I did a lot better." That started in the first block on Friday.
Conn began the day in third place but moved past Bardol, the semifinals leader who would finish fourth, and Gulbrandson during the morning block at Woodland Lanes.
Koff also made his move. He dropped his first three matches of the morning but rolled a 270 game to win his fourth match then reeled off four more victories to move from fifth to third.
"I fought through all the ups and downs of the whole week so I'm pleased with how I did at the end of the day," said Koff, who makes Junior Team USA for a second consecutive year. "This tournament is so hard; just to make it to the top 16 is an accomplishment itself. To make it on the team two years in a row is a really good feeling."
Petravich, the defending girls' champion, made a big push in the morning, too. She jumped from No. 12 to fifth in the morning then reached as high as No. 2 during the afternoon matches before settling back at sixth.
Sportsmanship awards
Liz Seibel of Hellertown, Pa., and Brent Bowers of Mulvane, Kan., were awarded the David Dahms Sportsmanship award following the competition. The award is named for Dahms, who was an instrumental leader in the creation of what is now known as the USBC Junior Gold program.