Pocket Preview: 2024 Under 18 Tenpin Bowling Australia Junior Masters
By Matt Stevens
Anticipation Peaks for the Climactic Final Day of the Under 18 Tenpin Bowling Australia Junior Masters
As we approach the climactic final day of the 53rd edition of the Under 18 Tenpin Bowling Australia Junior Masters, excitement is at an all-time high. This prestigious event, a cornerstone of the 2024 TBA National Junior Championships since 1971, has drawn intense participation this year with 51 male and 41 female competitors battling fiercely in the qualification rounds.
The competition demands excellence, as bowlers have completed their best two attempts to achieve the highest six-game totals. In the female division, Emily Hart, the 2021 Junior Masters champion from South Australia, has led the qualifiers with a remarkable score of 1,443. With individual game scores including 268, 266, and 277, Emily is a formidable contender eyeing her second junior master’s title.
In the male division, North Queenslander Blayde Christensen topped the charts with an impressive 1,504 total, averaging 250.7. The TPL Next Gen star continues to dazzle, asserting his dominance in this showcase event.
Yesterday’s Round 2 intensified the competition, as the top 20 bowlers from each gender vied for a spot in the top 8, progressing to today’s matchplay finals. Highlights included Logan Young’s near-perfect 298 and Jake Donnelly’s thrilling 299, both of which electrified the atmosphere with anticipation.
The leaderboard remains tight. Emily Hart maintains a 111-pin lead over Bella Westlake, while Jasmine Walker made a significant leap from 10th to 3rd. Unfortunately, defending champion Shanae Key concluded her journey in 12th place. In the male category, Blayde Christensen leads by 48 pins over Lachlan Howse and Liam Cochrane. The competition is so close that only 159 pins separate the top-ranked from the 8th-ranked bowler.
With bonus pins on the line today—30 for a win, 15 for a tie, and none for a loss—the final outcomes are anyone’s guess. The stakes are high, and the excitement is building as we head into 7 games of Matchplay where every pin will count.
Tenpin Bowling Australia extends its congratulations to all finalists competing in today’s finals of the Under 18 Tenpin Bowling Australia Junior Masters. Good luck and high scoring to all participants!
U18 TENPIN BOWLING AUSTRALIA JUNIOR MASTERS
PAST CHAMPIONS
Who will add their name to this list by the end of the day?
| Year | Boys | Girls |
| 1971 | Brian Hamer (Qld) | Jeanette Baker (Vic) |
| 1972 | Peter van Kempen (NSW) | G Maloney (NSW) |
| 1973 | Peter van Kempen (NSW) | Christine Lovelace (NSW) |
| 1974 | Gary Kee (NSW) | Rhonda Zitlaff (Vic) |
| 1975 | Fred Allsopp (NSW) | Margaret Gilmour (Qld) |
| 1976 | Peter Manzo (NSW) | Trish Weir (Qld) |
| 1977 | Charlie Fenech (NSW) | Trish Weir (Qld) |
| 1978 | Craig Bollenhagen (SA) | Kristine Sommers (SA) |
| 1979 | Shane Woods (NSW) | Sue Cassell (NSW) |
| 1980 | Warren Hutt (ACT) | Judy Smythe (Qld) |
| 1981 | Robert Biviano (NSW) | Brenda Hanlon (Tas) |
| 1982 | Stephen Wimbridge (WA) | Karen Yow (NT) |
| 1983 | Jamie Carroll (SA) | Jo-Ellen Day (Qld) |
| 1984 | David Lindley (ACT) | Carol Gianotti (WA) |
| 1985 | Damien Shea (SA) | Karen Graham (SA) |
| 1986 | Russell Hinton (ACT) | Alison Woods (Qld) |
| 1987 | Andrew Drew (Qld) | Jeni Hertrick (Qld) |
| 1988 | Darren Honeysett (NSW) | Julie Jubb (MR) |
| 1989 | Peter McKinnon (SA) | Sharon McLeish (NSW) |
| 1990 | Scott Dickson (ACT) | Danielle McAdam (NSW) |
| 1991 | Anthony Foxford (NSW) | Christine Graham (NSW) |
| 1992 | David Brooker (NSW) | Cherone Gosper (NSW) |
| 1993 | David Brooker (NSW) | Rebecca O’Byrne (NSW) |
| 1994 | Jeremy Sonnenfeld | Maxine Nable (NSW) |
| 1995 | Matthew Riley (Tas) | Bianca Richards (Vic) |
| 1996 | Allan Sutton (Qld) | Joy Hayman (NSW) |
| 1997 | Jason Walsh (NSW) | Stacey Wooler (Qld) |
| 1998 | Brandon Qualischefski (Qld) | Rebecca Simpson (Qld) |
| 1999 | Christopher Warner (NSW) | Jayde Flanagan (Qld) |
| 2000 | Jason Belmonte (NSW) | Tammy Foat (Qld) |
| 2001 | Patrick Egan (NSW) | Kara Proudfoot (Qld) |
| 2002 | Matthew Sing (NSW) | Jayde Flanagan (Qld) |
| 2003 | Ben Coupland (Qld) | Bianca Flanagan (Qld) |
| 2004 | Michael McDonald (NSW) | Tracey Madden (Vic) |
| 2005 | Stephen Cowland (NSW) | Krystal King (Qld) |
| 2006 | Michael Craig (ACT) | Rachelle Flynn (Vic) |
| 2007 | Scott Johnston (NSW) | Rebecca Whiting (Vic) |
| 2008 | Scott Johnston (NSW) | Jessica Garioch (Vic) |
| 2009 | Keryn Delaney (NSW) | Sarah Heath (NSW) |
| 2010 | Adam Svensson (WA) | Chelsea Oliver (WA) |
| 2011 | Tristan Foo (NSW) | Jessica Nicholas (Tas) |
| 2012 | Jake Cromie (NSW) | Katrina Carr (Qld) |
| 2013 | Jake Otago (Qld) | Katey Furze (Qld) |
| 2014 | Elliott Batiste (Vic) | Shanita Clark (NSW) |
| 2015 | Blayne Fletcher (Qld) | Tegan Ihnativ (NSW) |
| 2016 | Jackson Botham (NSW) | Rebekah Commane (Vic) |
| 2017 | Kyle Annetts (QLD) | Rebekah Commane (Vic) |
| 2018 | Jordan Dinham (NSW) | Nikaylah Spofforth (Vic) |
| 2019 | Tarkyn Percy (SA) | Grace Fahy (VIC) |
| 2021 | Jack Colmer (QLD) | Emily Hart (SA) |
| 2022 | Ben Pettit (NZ) | Jessica Marginson (NZ) |
| 2023 | Sam Coombs (NSW) | Shanae Key (VIC) |
| 2024 | ? | ? |
