The TBA Junior Classic Cup brought Cup Finals Day at the 2026 National Junior Championships to a close this afternoon at Suncity Tenpin on the Sunshine Coast, and it delivered two champions who proved throughout eight games of scratch bowling that they were simply the best in the field.

Emily Starkey and Lachlan Spencer are your 2026 TBA Junior Classic Cup Champions.

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TBA Junior Classic Cup

Where the Restricted Cup levels the playing field through handicap, the Classic Cup is a straight scratch contest – the highest pinfall wins, full stop. Open to bowlers averaging Boys 189 and under and Girls 179 and under, it is one of the most prestigious scratch titles a junior bowler below the Open grade can claim.

As with the Restricted Cup, qualifying was drawn from the best three-game singles or doubles scratch series bowled across the weekend. The top 20 boys and top 20 girls advanced to the final, where the same eight-game block format applies – two games at a time, lane rotation after each break – with the highest scratch pinfall at the end of eight games deciding the champions.

Girls – Emily Starkey Converts the Top Seed

Emily Starkey came into the Classic Cup final as the top qualifier, and she left it as champion – delivering one of the more dominant performances the Classic Cup has seen. The North Queensland bowler posted 1,607 across eight games for an average of nearly 201, never giving the rest of the field a sniff. Her winning margin over runner-up Emma Musolino was 168 pins.

Musolino’s day was one of the afternoon’s standout stories. The South Australian sat fifth after six games on 813 – outside the top three – before producing a stunning finish with games of 226 and 192 on the final block to surge past Hannah Starkey and Lilly Lock and claim second place with 1,439. This is great progress for the young South Australian who won the TBA Junior Restricted Cup in 2019.

Lilly Lock held on for third with a 1,424, while Hannah Starkey, Emily’s sister – finished fourth with 1,422, just two pins behind Lock.

Top qualifier Emily Starkey led the field after six games with 1,189, and the final two games of 208 and 210 confirmed what had looked likely for much of the afternoon. She joins a distinguished roll of honour that includes some of Australian junior bowling’s finest bowlers.

Emily’s victory is the second consecutive year a bowler from North Queensland has won the female Classic Cup title following Emily Hinspeter’s victory last year.

Boys – Lachlan Spencer Controls from the Front

In the Boys division, Lachlan Spencer produced a composed, clinical performance to claim the Classic Cup title. The South Australian had entered the final as the second highest qualifier making a case for why he belonged at the top – finishing with 1,641 pins at an average of 205, a comfortable 73 pins ahead of runner-up Zane Rahim.

Spencer’s game scores told the story of a bowler in full control: 221, 235, 154, 237, 213, 169, 222, 190. Outside of one off-game, he was relentless, with his 235 and 237 in games two and four providing the platform his final total was built on.

Zane Rahim finished second with 1,568 after a strong and consistent eight games, while Blayden Herewini – who had sat third after six games – held his position to claim third place with 1,564, just four pins behind Rahim. This is a great milestone for Zane Rahim who won the 2024 Under 12 Australian Junior Masters. Zeb Holt rounded out the top four with 1,506.

Top qualifier Caleb Nish was unable to find his qualifying form in the final, finishing 13^th with 1,359.

Lachlan becomes the first South Australian male to win the Classic Cup since 2004 when Paul Streatfield won his title. Lachlan is now the second South Australian to win the boys Classic Cup title.

Past Champions – TBA Junior Classic Cup

The Classic Cup has produced some of Australian junior bowling’s finest scratch performances since its inception in 2000. The roll of honour below reflects a competition that has consistently elevated ambitious junior bowlers and pointed them toward the next level.

Cup Finals Day is done and dusted at the 2026 National Junior Championships, with four new champions added to the record books. Attention now turns to the Australian Junior Masters, which gets underway tomorrow, Tuesday 14 April. Stay across tenpin.org.au/njc for results and coverage throughout the week.