Thursday, June 20, 2019


JUNIOR GOLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO HAVE RECORD FIELD FOR NINTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
ARLINGTON, Texas – For the ninth consecutive season, the Junior Gold Championships will set a record for the largest field in the history of the youth bowling event and the Junior Gold program also established a new mark for number of members.
The 2019 Junior Gold Championships presented by the Brands of Ebonite International will take place in the metro Detroit area from July 13-20. The event brings together the top youth bowlers in the country to compete for national titles in four divisions – 12-and-under, 15-and-under, 17-and-under, and 20-and-under – plus spots on Junior Team USA.
CBS Sports Network will televise the stepladder finals of every division. BowlTV.com will provide livestream coverage from selected centers throughout the week.
The 2019 Junior Gold Championships, hosted by the city of Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission, has sold more than 4,700 spots to again establish a record for participants. Eight centers will be used during the competition with the stepladder finals in all divisions to take place at Thunderbowl Lanes.  
Last year’s event in the Dallas area had more than 3,800 entries and a scholarship fund of more than $350,000, both tournament records.
The 2018-2019 season also has set a record for Junior Gold membership, as more than 7,700 youth bowlers joined the program.
“Junior Gold provides an avenue for youth bowlers to compete at a high level as they continue to learn and grow, and it’s exciting to see continued growth in this great event,” said Gary Brown, the International Bowling Campus (IBC) Youth Development Managing Director. “We appreciate the support of the volunteers who run the qualifying leagues and tournaments throughout the season, and thank the bowlers who will be part of the event in Detroit.”
Athlete registration and the annual trade show will kick off the Junior Gold Championships on Saturday, July 13, at the Suburban Collection Showplace convention center. The trade show, in addition to vendors, autograph stations and more, will feature several informative seminars including United States Bowling Congress Gold coach Del Warren discussing lane patterns and how to build an arsenal. Also, Nick Hoagland, a consultant for USBC on pattern development, will host a seminar to explain how to read an oil pattern graph and Stephen Padilla, USBC Director of Coaching Certification and a USBC Gold coach, will have a seminar for two-handed bowlers.
The Ebonite International team will have two special programs for youth bowlers. On July 12, the EBI Demo Day and Bowl with the Pro event will take place at Super Bowl Lanes, and on Sunday, July 14, the EBI team will host Game Day at Eastern Michigan University’s Rynearson Stadium, featuring games, prizes, and more, from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Athletes need to register online for the seminars and EBI events.
Competition at the 2019 Junior Gold Championships starts Monday, July 15, with first of four days of qualifying. The U12 stepladder finals for both boys and girls will take place July 19 while the U15, U17 and U20 finals will be held Saturday, July 20.
In addition to the Junior Gold Championships, Detroit also will host two additional major youth events – the USA Bowling National Championships presented by Sixlets and the bowling.com Youth Open Championships.
The USA Bowling National Championships, featuring 16 U15 teams and 16 U12 teams that qualified through regional competitions, will have qualifying on Thursday, July 11, and match-play rounds on Friday, July 12, both at Astro Lanes. The finals in both divisions, on Friday, July 19, at Thunderbowl Lanes, will be taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The Youth Open Championships, a non-qualifying tournament open to all USBC Youth bowlers, will be held July 11-12, 19-21, and 27-28 at Sterling Lanes. The event has competition in singles, doubles and four-person team.
Visit BOWL.com/Youth for more information on all youth bowling events.
About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 69 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; IBC Youth Development; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

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