By the time most youth bowlers make it to their first USBC Junior Gold Championships presented by Brunswick, they have enjoyed some success on the lanes and feel prepared for a major tournament.

But a few athletes who made their Junior Gold debuts on Monday did confess to having opening-day jitters.

"The first couple of games I was kind of nervous but after that I calmed down and it was easier," said Alyssa Pierson of Waukesha, Wis., who shot 1,092 for the six-game block. "I think it will be better after today."

Alyssa is quite familiar with Junior Gold and high-level competition. Her brother, Chris, is a 2009 Junior Team USA member. She was struggling during one game and Chris helped her out as she shot a 230.

Ashley Chiaramonte, 15, of Jackson, N.J. had one word to describe her first day of competition: "hard."

Chiaramonte said bowling next to college players and seeing Junior Team USA bowlers in the event was "a little scary" but she was enjoying the experience and the opportunity to meet new people.

The Junior Gold tournament is being held at Woodland Bowl, Western Bowl and Expo Bowl in Indianapolis. The competition continues with another six-game qualifying block on Tuesday and a final six-game qualifying block on Wednesday.

After 18 games of qualifying, the top 150 males and 78 females will advance to the semifinals. Semifinal competition will take place Thursday, consisting of two six-game blocks. The top 16 males and top 16 females will earn spots in the match-play finals, which will take place Friday, July 17.

 

Almost perfect

The opening day of qualifying proved to be pretty tough for most competitors. Charles Goulet (pictured left) of Antioch, Calif., did manage to get on a roll early at Expo Bowl, and started the fourth game with 10 strikes.

"I went 200 even, 210, 228, and then I went and got lucky and threw the front 10 for a 287," said Goulet, who is making his second appearance at Junior Gold.

 

Gender gap

Monday at Woodland Bowl, the girls had the center to themselves. Girls were put into their own squads for the first time at Junior Gold, and not having the boys around was a change for some competitors.

"I'm used to adjusting to how the guys break down the lanes as opposed to how the girls do it," said Kayln Washburn of Tucson, Ariz.

Liz Seibel of Hellertown, Pa., agreed it was "definitely different" because of the way the lanes broke down but said it was a lot like college bowling for her because she is used to bowling with women.

Deanna Carillo of Montebello, Calif., misses the boys because they set the bar for her. "The boys always made me fight for it," Carillo said. "The girls do, too, but the guys always bumped me up. I'm used to bowling with boys."

 

The younger crowd

Tyler Perry, left, 12, of Acoshnet, Mass., and Ross Whitehead, right, 13, of Montgomery, N.Y., stand out from the rest of the competitors because they look … well, young. Both players said they are used to bowling against older competition so Junior Gold was not too different.

Perry got off to a good start but said the lane pattern was the most difficult he had played. Whitehead said it took time to adjust.

"The first four games I struggled a little but the last two I did pretty good," Whitehead said.