The shoes said it all for Brent Bowers (pictured left).

The Junior Team USA member was about to bowl his final six-game block on Wednesday afternoon at the United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships presented by Brunswick. In 138th place after two days of qualifying, he knew he needed a big day at Woodland Bowl.

Before each shot Bowers would remind himself of his task with a simple look at the top of his shoes. The left one read "You can do this!"; the right had "Stay slow." (pictured)

Bowers, from Mulvane, Kan., said he sometimes uses messages for motivation. He responded with a 1,297 block and his 3,653 total pushed him through to Thursday's semifinals. The top 150 boys after three days of qualifying (18 total games) advanced.

Bowers wasn't the only Junior Team USA member making a big move on Wednesday. Andrew Koff of Miami, in 16th place to start the day, shot 1,384 (231 average) on the tough conditions to lead the morning squad at Woodland Bowl while Paul Hogan of Manteca, Calif., had 1,304 to finish third in the squad. Koff is at 3,899 and Hogan is at 3,812.

Second-round leader Chris Bardol of Robert Morris College, the 2009 USBC Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award winner, continued his strong showing with 1,263 to finish fifth in the morning squad and is at 3,904 overall.

While Bowers had the second-best total of the afternoon squad, T.J. Baral (pictured left), 18, of Palm City, Fla., made a big leap with his 1,335 to lead the squad. A Florida high school state champion, Baral will attend Webber International in the fall.

"Experience definitely helps," said Baral, who is making his third Junior Gold appearance and is at 3,928. "The shot is a lot harder this year than it was last year. The year before I think I averaged like 200 but I really didn't know what I was doing."

Shane Tetterton of Kenhorst, Pa., tied for second overall entering Wednesday's action, was fourth in the afternoon squad with a 1,276 and stands at 3,910.

"I took this year a little differently," said Tetterton, 21, who attends Penn State-Berks and is making his fifth Junior Gold appearance. "The last four years I've just been coming out for experience. This is my last year of doing this so I'm trying to go out big."

The Junior Gold Championships are being contested at Woodland Bowl, Western Bowl and Expo Bowl. Semifinal competition will take place Thursday, consisting of two six-game blocks. The top 16 males and top 16 females will earn spots in Friday's match-play finals.

 

Hamilton shines in girls division

Brittni Hamilton of Webster, N.Y., who teamed with Christine Bator (l-r) to capture the doubles title at the 2009 Pan American Bowling Confederation Youth Championships in Bogota, Colombia, last week, had a 268 game en route to a 1,352 block at Western Bowl on Wednesday.

Hamilton, who started the day in eighth place, is at 3,760 for the tournament. The leaders, meanwhile, backed up a little. Second-round leader Liz Seibel of Hellertown, Pa., fired a 1,148 (3,649 total), Josie Earnest of Vandalia, Ill., rolled a 1,202 (3,694) and Kim Yioulos of Rochester, N.Y., had a 1,218 (3,699).

Earnest was coming off a big day at Expo Bowl on Tuesday, where she averaged 221 for her six-game block.

"I was fortunate enough to hit the short pattern (at Expo Bowl) pretty well to get me up (to second place)," Earnest said. "But it was a dogfight the other few days for me."

The top 78 females advanced to the Thursday's semifinals, which will be two six-game blocks. The top 16 females after the semifinals advance to Friday's match-play finals.

 

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