INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Vanderbilt bowlers represented one-third of the top 10 at the Junior Gold Championship after the fourth round of qualifying for Junior Team USA was completed Thursday.
After the dust had cleared from 588 competitors knocking down pins, Victoria Varano’s steady 842 score over four games left the Vanderbilt sophomore solidly in sixth place, 152 pins over the standard of a 200-game average.
Haley Lindley had people buzzing; the South Carolina product, who had earlier in the week appeared to be in danger of missing Friday’s cut to 84, absolutely scorched the lanes with games of 199-276-226-245 for a whopping 946 total (+146), the best score of the day. That finish catapulted the incoming freshman into eighth place.
Natalie Kent remained in ninth place, finishing the day at +4 after a closing 164 put a damper on three bright games.
Katelyn Abiginia of San Diego, California, leads the entire field after a strong day left her at +259.
Friday’s play will continue to whittle down the field. There will be two Advancers Rounds, followed by the top 16 starting match play, which will conclude Saturday with the crowning of the 2023 age group champions.
The top four age-eligible finishers based on ranking points will earn automatic roster berths on Junior Team USA for the upcoming year. A select USBC committee will also add two at-large members for the roster.