DETROIT—Vanderbilt’s Maria Bulanova‘s bid to win the World Youth Championship came to an end Friday morning when a 10-pin failed to fall in the deciding match against Korea’s Hyeonji Son.
Bidding to become the first Russian to ever medal at the World Youth, Bulanova won the first game in the best of three, 216-180. But she began her second game with an open after a split, her first in four games, and was beaten, 245-184.
That brought the quarterfinal match down to a third game, one that Bulanova was positioned to win with a first-ball strike in the 10th frame.
“There was a very fine difference between a ball that was a touch soft, which often resulted in a strike, and a ball that was a bit too hard, which usually left a pin or two,” said Vanderbilt Coach John Williamson. “Maria threw a good ball but perhaps a hair too hard and the 10 pin was left standing.”
The disappointing ending could not dampen the otherwise excellent tournament by the rising Vanderbilt junior. In making the quarterfinal round, Bulanova became the first Russian to ever reach the final eight at this championship, which drew elite junior bowlers from 37 nations around the globe.
