Cummins, Thesier Selected for Junior Team USA

Vandy teammates chosen after performances at Junior Gold Championships

INDIANAPOLIS — Vanderbilt stalwarts Mabel Cummins and Caroline Thesier are repeat selections on the Junior Team USA based on their outstanding performances at the Junior Gold Championships.

Cummins, a rising junior, earned the No. 1 seed in the Under-20 bracket based on her cumulative scores over 26 games and six challenging lane patterns while Thesier, a sophomore, was not far behind in third place among the 61 bowlers. The top four qualifiers plus the two finalists in the bracket play were chosen for the honor team.

Cummins was chosen for the fifth time by the USBC and has won more gold medals in international play that any current Junior Team USA member. She earned second-team All-America honors during the last NCAA season while leading the Commodores into the national semi-finals.

”I’m proud of how I performed in qualifying,” Cummins said, noting that she had also been high qualifier at the Intercollegiate Sectional Championship a few months ago. “Anything can happen in two games in the bracket so I put my focus on the qualifying which was very consistent.”

Thesier, who was one of three Commodores last season to earn All-Freshman honors from the National Ten Pin Coaches Association, was also pleased with her play at Indy.

“Making Junior Team USA the first time was a dream come true and the second time feels just the same – it’s amazing,” Thesier said.

The Junior Gold Championships are using a different scheduling format this year and the younger age group competitors start Monday. Four current or incoming Vanderbilt bowlers will be among the hundreds bowling, including Jennifer Loredo, the 2017 U15 champion and Amanda Naujokas, the 2015 U12 champion.

Incoming freshmen Kailee Channel of Morris Chapel and Kaylee Hitt of Cold Spring, Kentucky, will also be in action.

More information can be found at bowl.com.