Finals Wrap-Up: Australians Compete in Open Masters Finals at the 25th MILO Storm U22 International

The Open Masters Finals concluded over the weekend at Sunway Mega Lanes, bringing an exciting end to the 25^th MILO Storm U22 International Junior All-Stars event. Australian bowlers featured prominently across both the Boys and Girls divisions, with several strong performances across the two rounds of finals action.

Bowlers contested up to 20 games across two days under demanding lane conditions, testing both physical and mental endurance.

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Girls Open Masters Finals

Round 1 – Saturday

Three Australians took to the lanes in the Girls Open Masters Finals, with one progressing through to Sunday’s second round.

• Emily Starkey advanced to Round 2 after finishing 11^th in Round 1, safely inside the Top 12 cut line. Emily averaged 198 across her 10 games, highlighted by a 245 high game in her ninth game.
• Jasmine Walker finished in 22^nd place, while Vanessa Hannigan placed 24^th

Congratulations to these three girls who qualified for the Open Masters Finals and representing Australia on the international stage.

Round 2 – Sunday

Emily Starkey was the sole Australian representative in the second round of the Girls Open Masters Finals.

• The Northern Queensland (Atherton) bowler started strongly, opening with two games over 200.
• A challenging middle section saw Emily struggle to find momentum in games three to five, with scores not exceeding 164 during that stretch.
• Emily completed the round in 20^th place, finishing on a total of 1,840, averaging 184 across the 10 games.

An amazing result for the young 17-year-old from North Queensland. Huge experience gained that should provide further opportunities in the future. Congratulations Emily!

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Boys Open Masters Finals

Round 1 – Saturday

Australia had a strong showing in the opening round of the Boys Open Masters Finals, with three bowlers advancing to Sunday.

• Seth Gray was outstanding, finishing 4^th with an average of 221.60 over 10 games, including a superb 279 in Game 4
• Joshua Buttigieg secured 9^th place, averaging 215.30, comfortably inside the Top 18 cut line.
• Connor Raines claimed the final qualifying spot for Australia, finishing 17^th with an average of 205.40
• Fellow North Queenslander Kohan Davis narrowly missed progression finishing 28^th and exiting after Round 1

The three qualifiers would join Jake Sayer in advancing to Round 2 on Sunday.

Round 2 – Sunday

• Seth Gray delivered another elite performance, opening with a 255 to set the tone, Seth finished on 2,194, averaging 219.40 across the 10 games.
  • His 4^th-placed finish saw him squeeze into the stepladder finals cut line by just three pins, keeping Australian medal hopes alive.
• Jake Sayer finished as the next best Australian in 14^th place on 2,066
• Connor Raines placed 18^th with 2,042, while Joshua Buttigieg completed his campaign in 26^th on 1,933

An incredible result for the Aussies – Four boys qualifying and reach Round 2 of this prestigious tournament is fantastic. Congratulations to all four for their outstanding consistent performances throughout the weekend.

Boys Open Masters Stepladder Final

Malaysia’s Shaqueem Izwan The Bin Sha qualified as the top seed and awaited his opponent following the seed 2-4 roll-off.

• The roll-off featured Seth Gray (Australia), Kim Soo Han (Korea), and Han Seong Min (Korea), with the highest single game advancing to the championship final.
• Seth posted 183, finishing behind Han Seong Min (195) and Kim Soo Han, who topped the roll-off with 219 to advance.
• In the championship final, Kim Soo Han claimed the title, winning the opening game 211-201 before sealing victory 201-171 in the second game.

Congratulations to Seth Gray for his outstanding performance in the finals of the Open Boys Masters Final.

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Thank you!

The Open Masters Finals capped off a strong international campaign for Australia’s Youth High Performance Squad, with valuable experienced gained against world-class competition and several standout individual performances across the weekend.

Tenpin Bowling Australia would like to sincerely thank all those who contributed to a successful Australian campaign at the 25^th MILO Storm U22 International Junior All-Stars.

A heartfelt thank you to the athletes, who represented Australia with professionalism, resilience, and pride throughout the week, both on and off the lanes. Many bowling overseas for the first time took on the challenge like professionals, dealing with long days and nights at the bowl due to the nature of the tournament.

We also acknowledge and thank the coaches, team officials, and support staff, whose preparation, guidance, and tireless work behind the scenes played a vital role across the Championship.

Thank you to the families and supporters back home and on the ground, whose encouragement and belief continue to underpin the success of our young athletes on the international stage.

Tenpin Bowling Australia extends its appreciation to the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) and the International Bowling Federation (IBF) for their ongoing support and sanctioning of international competition pathways that provide invaluable development opportunities for emerging athletes.

Finally, thank you to Sunway Resort Hotel and the event organisers in Malaysia for their hospitality and assistance in supporting Team Australia throughout the Championships.

We are proud of the experiences gained and look forward to building on these performances as our youth athletes continue their international development journey.