onefrombills
09-16-2008, 03:41 AM
With a relatively inexperienced crop of Junior Team USA bowlers representing the United States at the 2008 Pan American Bowling Confederation Youth Championships, Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., is convinced communication will determine the team's fate.
Earnest leads a group of four girls who will be joined by four boys as Junior Team USA will take on other youth bowlers from across the American Zone in San Salvador, El Salvador, from Sept. 21-26.
Relying on her experience as a three-time Junior Team USA member and her two years as a collegiate bowler at Vanderbilt, Earnest will help guide Junior Team USA newcomers Kristie Petravich of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Christine Bator of Warren, Mich., as well as 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Jenny Brown of DeLand, Fla.
"I think it will be important for me to take a leadership role because of my experience not only with Team USA but also with college bowling," said Earnest, who helped lead Vanderbilt to the NCAA championship as a freshman in 2007. "These tournaments are very much team oriented and it is key to be able to communicate with one another. After being on this team for three years and being in college bowling for two years now, you learn very quickly how to communicate with people. I think that will be the key for us."
In order to comply with age restrictions for the event, four bowlers who earned spots on Junior Team USA 2009 will compete. Petravich, Bator, Daniel Spink of Florissant, Mo., and Brent Bowers of Mulvane, Kan., were all selected to compete in El Salvador following their performances at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships in suburban Detroit in July.
Spink and Bowers are joined on the boys side by Junior Team USA 2008 members Geoffrey Young of Denton, Texas, and John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, N.Y.
The PABCON Youth Championships (formerly American Zone Youth Championships) consist of competition in singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters. Junior Team USA will look to improve upon its performance at the 2006 PABCON Youth Championships in which it took home gold medals in boys singles, boys team, boys all-events and girls doubles en route to eight medals overall.
Earnest leads a group of four girls who will be joined by four boys as Junior Team USA will take on other youth bowlers from across the American Zone in San Salvador, El Salvador, from Sept. 21-26.
Relying on her experience as a three-time Junior Team USA member and her two years as a collegiate bowler at Vanderbilt, Earnest will help guide Junior Team USA newcomers Kristie Petravich of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Christine Bator of Warren, Mich., as well as 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Jenny Brown of DeLand, Fla.
"I think it will be important for me to take a leadership role because of my experience not only with Team USA but also with college bowling," said Earnest, who helped lead Vanderbilt to the NCAA championship as a freshman in 2007. "These tournaments are very much team oriented and it is key to be able to communicate with one another. After being on this team for three years and being in college bowling for two years now, you learn very quickly how to communicate with people. I think that will be the key for us."
In order to comply with age restrictions for the event, four bowlers who earned spots on Junior Team USA 2009 will compete. Petravich, Bator, Daniel Spink of Florissant, Mo., and Brent Bowers of Mulvane, Kan., were all selected to compete in El Salvador following their performances at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships in suburban Detroit in July.
Spink and Bowers are joined on the boys side by Junior Team USA 2008 members Geoffrey Young of Denton, Texas, and John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, N.Y.
The PABCON Youth Championships (formerly American Zone Youth Championships) consist of competition in singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters. Junior Team USA will look to improve upon its performance at the 2006 PABCON Youth Championships in which it took home gold medals in boys singles, boys team, boys all-events and girls doubles en route to eight medals overall.