From wire reports
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Qualifying concluded at the 2025 Junior Gold Championships on Thursday and the Advancer Rounds begin Friday morning as the nation’s top youth bowlers continue their hunt for a national championship.
Here are the division updates plus Ohioans who remain alive in the respective fields:
U18 BOYS
Riley Speer of Beech Grove, Ind., closed out qualifying in a big way with games of 279, 202, 236 and 256 for a block total of 973 and overall total of 3,662 to take the lead. Dawson Unrath of Bismarck, N.D., is close behind in second with 3,647, while Kaeden White of Lees Summit, Mo. (3,628), Chance McLane of Chesapeake Beach, Md. (3,625), and Nicolas Trentler of Phoenix, Md. (3,588), round out the top five.
The U18 Boys division took 193 to the first Advancer Round after Amherst’s and Brady Smith was one of two who ied for the final spot at 3,178. Those 193 will head to The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley.
Other Ohioans remaining in the field include: Ashland’s Max Oeken (ninth, 3,517); Columbus’ Elliott Gordon (16th, 3,478); Kettering’s Brenden Staton (30th, 3,424); Uniontown’s Zachary Abbott (31st, 3,422); Dayton’s Joseph Hoelscher (59th, 3,347); Quinn Dean (60th, 3,344); Lancaster’s Bobby Bennett (71st, 3,324); North Ridgeville’s Jakob Holland (86th, 3,297); Marion’s Nolan Ludwig (100th, 3,277); Marion’s Tucke Ludwig (170th, 3,201); Ashland’s Brantyn Long (178th, 3,198); and Prospect’s Bryan Brandt (189th, 3,183).
Ewan Oester of Portland, Ore., also shot his third career 300, making it nine perfect games thrown during qualifying this week, including U15 competitor Ryan Campbell also on Thursday.
U18 GIRLS
Bellefountaine’s Kyndallynn Hood took the lead after the final round of qualifying and sits at 3,307 overall, with Haley Swindle of Newnan, Ga., not far behind Hood with 3,303.
Kaitlyn Stull of Raleigh, N.C. (3,265), Ashlin Teves of Machesney Park, Ill. (3,232), and Bella Castillo of Odessa, Texas (3,186), sit in places third through fifth heading into Friday’s first Advancer Round. The final cut spot for the Advancer Round was at 2,851.
Joining Hood in advancing among Ohioans are Painesville’s Mackenzie Pilny (23rd, 3,039); Bay Village’s Dorothy Sayles (29th, 3,001); Whitehall’s Taylor Stace (41st, 2,946); and Troy’s Baylie Massingill (53rd, 2,907);
The top 79 U18 Girls continued bowling at 8:30 a.m. at Revs Bowl Bar & Grill.
U15 BOYS
Kristofer Wagner of Deland, Fla., heads into the first Advancer Round as the leader after a final qualifying block of 975, finishing with 3,583 overall. Lucas Drisdel of Chicago is second at 3,571 and Dalton Wheeler of Harrisburg, Ill., is third with 3,525.
Dawson Kohl of Dyersville, Iowa, shot 999 to jump from 13th to fourth overall at 3,520 while Zachary Mayne of Parma is fifth at 3,444. The final spot in 92nd place in the Advancer Round was at 3,006.
Other Ohioans joining Mayne include Columbus’ Christopher Hoyte (21st, 3,244); Beavercreek’s Isaiah Durflinger (28th, 3,225); Sunbury’s Mason Woodward (35th, 3,210); and Coldwater’s Brayton Brown (89th, 3,019).
The top 93 U15 Boys began bowling at Sabre Lanes at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
U15 GIRLS
Anna Antony of Farmington, Conn., finished qualifying strong, shooting a block total of 835 to hold the lead for the third straight day at 3,191. Autumn Strode of Munster, Ind., ended qualifying in second with 3,082 while Jayna Larson of Three Rivers, Mich. (3,050), is third.
Last year’s U12 Girls champion, Alyssa Randisi of Brooklyn, N.Y. (3,035), and Ava Mazza of Utica, Mich. (3,027), close out the top five. The cut spot was at 2,724.
Columbus’ Lydia Gordon (15th, 2,869) is the lone Ohioan among the top 43, who will head to Rolling Thunder Lanes for the first Advancer Round and five additional games.
U12 BOYS
Nehemiah Keefer out of Bellwood, Ill., held on to the lead after the final round of qualifying, finishing with an overall total of 3,229, with Columbus’s Aaron Cabiness (3,171), and Gleason Garske of Spokane, Wash. (3,161), not far behind in second and third.
Brennan Brandel of Saginaw, Mich. (3,073), and Noah Ausderau of Virginia Beach, Va. (3,065), ended qualifying in fourth and fifth. The final qualifying spot in 33rd place was at 2,705.
Cabiness was the lone Ohioan among the top 33, who will head to Riviera Lanes for the Final Advancer round, where the top eight after will continue on to match play.
U12 GIRLS
Stevie Newton of Hanover, Pa., heads into the Final Advancer Round as the leader with 2,852 while Isabella Jones of Edinburgh, Ind., is second at 2,762.
Cadence Oakes of Martinsville, Va. (2,701), Caitlin Stahl of Mankato, Minn. (2,696), and Kailynn Melvin of Tonganoxie, Kan. (2,690), round out the top five. The final cut spot in 16th place was at 2,520. No Ohioans made the cut.
Like the U12 Boys, the top 16 will make their way to Riviera Lanes for the Final Advancer Round before making a cut to the top eight for match play.
CAMPBELL HITS 300 IN FINAL ROUND
Time was winding down in the U15 Boys division to make the top 93 for the first Advancer Round. One person with his eyes on the prize was the 2023 U12 Boys champion and Clinton, S.C., native Ryan Campbell.
In the last round of qualifying, Campbell exceeded his previous three blocks, shooting a 971 that included a 300, joining fellow U15 competitors Eason Taylor and Parma’s Zachary Mayne as the 3rd player in the division to shoot the coveted perfect game. After the block, Campbell, a member of 2025’s Junior Team USA Developmental Team, talked about Thursday’s success.
After a roller-coaster first three days, shooting 891, 741 and 725, Campbell explained how he came back better for Day 4.
“The first block started out pretty well the first three games (246, 256, 247), then I shot 140, which really disappointed me. Then the next two blocks were very unfortunate,” Campbell said.
Regarding Thursday’s block, “It was very nice to have a big block… I would say it was definitely the best ball reaction I’ve had in the tournament,” he added.
For Campbell, Day 4 felt crucial as he was already in prime position to make the first cut; however, that wasn’t enough for the former champ.
“I probably would have made the first cut, but it would be nice to be closer to the match-play cut (the top 16). So, I would say it felt like a make-or-break block.”
He attributed his success to staying in the moment, and “focusing more on making the best shot possible and putting up the big score.”
Campbell’s approach to the perfect game sounded very Team USA-esque after recently coming back from Developmental Team camp. He also shared his deeper understanding of when and where to use surface, as well as reading patterns more efficiently in practice as a huge part of his successful block.
After a great day, there was only one way Campbell would be celebrating.
“I’m going to get a pepperoni and sausage pizza,” he said with a chuckle.
One thing is for certain: Campbell has his eyes set on making it back to a familiar championship setting, seeking his second Junior Gold title and third top-three finish in the last four years.
He has elevated himself into a competitive position to make the first and second Advancer Round, but will need his no-quit attitude to keep himself in contention for the top 16 as he and 94 others aim to do the same at Sabre Lanes..
See complete Junior Gold results here: https://bowl.com/youth/youth-tournaments/junior-gold-championships/2025-results