Vandy Freshmen Continue Strong Run at Junior Gold

Ballard, Varano inside top 20 of national event

by Rod Williamson

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Victoria Varano and Alyssa Ballard are both in the top 20 after two days of qualifying at the U18 Junior Gold Championship.

Both incoming Vanderbilt freshmen went through four games Tuesday with consistent scores that hovered in the 200 range. Varano is in 14th position in the massive field of 569 competitors from across the country while Ballard follows closely in 20th.

The leader is Melina Mitskavich of DuBois, Pennsylvania, who had a career day capped with a closing 300 game.

The bowlers have two more days of qualifying over various lanes in the area before the field gets cut to 82 for the Advancers Round. Complete results are on bowl.com.