The 55^th TBA Junior Australian Masters has found its champions. After two days of qualifying, another twelve games across two reset stages, and a Finals Day that produced five deciders across eight matches, Elouise Cocks (VIC) and Zane Rahim (NSW) have been crowned the 2026 champions at Suncity Tenpin, Alexandra Headland.

Neither was a top seed heading into the bracket. Neither took the easy road. Elouise Cocks scraped in through the Stage 2 express pass by 11 pins, and outlasted qualifying leader Emily Starkey in three games to claim the Girls title. Rahim was 12 years old, seeded sixth, and won three consecutive 2-1 deciders from the quarterfinals through to the Grand Final – a performance that belongs in the conversation about the great junior bowling days this event has produced in its five-decade history.

From forty finalists to one champion in each division – this is how it unfolded.

Finalists

After 3 stages, we were down to 8 bowlers in the girls’ division and 8 bowlers in the boys’ division for the concluding Stage 4 elimination bracket.

Girls – Stage 4 Finalists

Pos	Bowler	State	Route
1	Brianna Walsh	NSW	Express Pass
2	Bella Westlake	SQ	Express Pass
3	Emily Starkey	NQ	Express Pass
4	Elouise Cocks	VIC	Express Pass
5	Stephanie Jarrott	VIC	Stage 3 Qualifier
6	Summah Bennett	VIC	Stage 3 Qualifier
7	Brooke Buckingham	QLD	Stage 3 Qualifier
8	Aleisha McGarry	NSW	Stage 3 Qualfier

Boys – Stage 4 Finalists

Pos	Bowler	State	Route
1	Luca McPherson	NSW	Express Pass
2	William Zaccaria	VIC	Express Pass
3	Zayne Pirlo		Express Pass
4	Hayden Miller	NQ	Express Pass
5	Maverick Gordon	NSW	Stage 3 Qualfier
6	Zane Rahim	NSW	Stage 3 Qualifier
7	Tyler Clarkson	SQ	Stage 3 Qualifier
8	Flynn Slade	VIC	Stage 3 Qualifier

Quarter-Finals

Girls

• QF1 – Brianna Walsh (1) NSW defeated Aleisha McGarry (8) NSW: 2-0 (184-183, 196-167)
• QF2 – Bella Westlake (2) SQ defeated Brooke Buckingham (7) QLD: 2-0 (206-146, 215-181)
• QF3 – Emily Starkey (3) NQ defeated Summah Bennett (6) VIC: 2-0 (191-187, 201-191)
• QF4 – Elouise Cocks (4) VIC defeated Stephanie Jarrott (5) VIC: 2-0 (200-136, 216-152)

The top four seeds delivered a clean sweep of the Girls quarterfinals, with all four advancing via 2-0 scorelines – but the margins told a more complicated story.

Brianna Walsh (1) opened her Finals Day account with the narrowest win of the Girls draw, edging Aleisha McGarry (8) by a single pin in Game 1 – 184 to 183 – before pulling clear in Game 2 to advance 2-0. A reminder that in matchplay, one frame can decide everything.

Bella Westlake (2) was commanding throughout, defeating Brooke Buckingham (7) 2-0 with scores of 206 and 215. Buckingham, who had fought back from missing the Stage 2 express pass by just 11 pins, couldn’t quite produce the upset in bracket play.

Emily Starkey (3) survived the tightest contest of the Girls draw, defeating Summah Bennett (6) 2-0 but winning Game 1 by just four pins (191-187) and Game 2 by ten (201-191). Bennett pushed her hard across both games and was desperately unlucky to leave without a win.

Elouise Cocks (4) produced the most dominant performance of the Girls quarterfinals, dismissing Stephanie Jarrott (5) 2-0 with scores of 200 and 216. Stephanie, who topped Stage 3 to earn her spot, had no answer for Elouise across either game.

Boys

• QF1 – Luca McPherson (1) NSW defeated Flynn Slade (8) VIC: 2-0 (212-154, 205-172)
• QF2 – Tyler Clarkson (7) SQ defeated William Zaccaria (2) VIC: 2-1 (218-257, 222-161, 269-197)
• QF3 – Zane Rahim (6) NSW defeated Zayne Pirlo (3) NSW: 2-1 (180-189, 220-194, 209-198)
• QF4- Hayden Miller (4) NQ defeated Maverick Gordon (5) NSW:2-0 (210-183, 157-157 – Won on 9^th and 10^th frame roll-off 39-28)

The Boys bracket produced the drama the draw promised – highlighted by 2-1 deciders and a roll-off finish.

Luca McPherson (1) was composed and efficient against Flynn Slade (8), winning 2-0 with games of 212 and 205. The Stage 2 leader looked every bit the top seed heading into the semi-finals.

The match everyone had circled delivered in full. Tyler Clarkson (7) defeated defending champion William Zaccaria (2) in a gripping 2-1 contest: 218-257, 222-161, 269-197. Zaccaria looked to be in control after taking Game 1 with a 257, but Clarkson responded with 222 to level the match before producing a stunning 269 in the decider to end the title defence. The bowler who topped qualifying, fell to 15^th in Stage 2, fought back through Stage 3, and had now eliminated the defending champion.

Zane Rahim (6) continued his impressive run through the bracket, defeating Zayne Pirlo (3) 2-1 in another three-game contest. Pirlo took Game 1 189-180, before Rahim levelled with 220-194 and closed it out 209-198 in the decider.

The match of the quarterfinals for sheer drama was Hayden Miller (4) versus Maverick Gordon (5). Miller won 2-0 on paper, but Game 2 was tied at 157-157 – sending the match to a 9^th and 10^th frame roll-off, which Miller won to advance. Gordon, who had been one of the in-form bowlers of Stage 3 with a 1,255 series, exited in circumstances that couldn’t have been much tighter.

Semi-Finals

Girls

• SF1 – Elouise Cocks (4) VIC defeated Brianna Walsh (1) NSW: 2-0 (226-177, 210-180)
• SF2 – Emily Starkey (3) NQ defeated Bella Westlake (2) SQ: 2-0 (204-204, 198-171 – won first game on 9^th and 10^th frame roll-off 39-37)

The Girls semi-finals produced the upsets Finals Day had been waiting for – and neither top seed made it through.

Elouise Cocks (4) was the story of the Girls semi-finals, defeating top seed Brianna Walsh (1) in convincing fashion – 226-177, 210-180. Walsh was the top seed, topping Stage 2 with 1,230 and had navigated a nervy one-pin win over Aleisha McGarry in the quarterfinals. Elouise Cocks allowed her no such margin here, bowling back-to-back 200+ games to advance to the Grand Final with authority.

The other semifinal was even more dramatic. Emily Starkey (3) defeated Bella Westlake (2) 2-0 – but Game 1 ended in a 204-204 tie, sending it to a 9^th and 10^th frame roll-off that Starkey won before closing out the match with 198-171 in Game 2.

The Girls Grand Final was set – Elouise Cocks (4) VIC v Emily Starkey (3) NQ. Neither the top seed nor the second seed made it through, and a new Masters champion is guaranteed.

Boys

• SF1 – Hayden Miller (4) NQ defeated Luca McPherson (1) NSW: 2-1 (180-155, 180-199, 246-149)
• SF2 – Zane Rahim (6) NSW defeated Tyler Clarkson (7) SQ: 2-1 (204-203, 231-245, 234-191)

If the Girls semifinals produced upsets, the Boys delivered something even more compelling – two 2-1 deciders, two top seeds eliminated, and a Grand Final nobody predicted at the start of the day.

Hayden Miller (4) defeated top seed Luca McPherson (1) in a match that swung dramatically across three games. McPherson took Game 2 to level the contest 1-1, but Miller’s response in Game 3 was extraordinary – a 246 against McPherson’s 149, one of the most dominant decider performances of the day.  The NQ bowler who needed a 9^th and 10^th frame roll-off just to get past Maverick Gordon in the quarter finals had now dismantled the Stage 2 leader on the way to the Grand Final.

The second semifinal was one of the matches of Finals Day. Zane Rahim (6) defeated Tyler Clarkson (7) in a three-game thriller that had everything – 204-203 in Game 1, Clarkson roaring back with a 245-231 to level in Game 2, before Rahim steadied to close it out 234-191 in the decider. Clarkson finally met his end in the semis. Rahim, who has quietly been one of the most consistent performers across the entire bracket, was into the Grand Final.

The Boys Grand Final was set – Hayden Miller (4) NQ v Zane Rahim (6) NSW. Neither was supposed to be here according to the pre-day narrative, yet now, one of junior bowling’s best kept secrets of the day was about to become a champion.

Grand Final

Emily Starkey (3) is 17 years old and bowls out of NQ Tenpin Atherton – competing in her final National Junior Championship. Elouise Cocks (4) is 14 years old from Zone Bowling Watergardens, Victoria, with years still ahead of her in the junior game.

• GF –  Elouise Cocks (4) VIC defeated Emily Starkey (3) NQ: 2-1 (209-229, 223-211, 190-180)

Emily Starkey (3) looked to be on track for a fairytale finish to her time at a National Junior Championship, taking Game 1 229-209 and putting Elouise Cocks under early pressure. But Elouise Cocks (4) is not a bowler who folds – she levelled with 223-21 in Game 2 to force a decider, then held her nerve when it mattered most, closing out Game 3 190-180 to claim the title. The 14-year-old from Zone Bowling Watergardens in Victoria becomes the 2026 TBA Junior Australian Masters Girls champion. A bowler who scraped through with the Stage 2 express pass by 11 pins, and saved her best bowling for the biggest moments. For Starkey, her run to the Grand Final was a performance she should be very proud to couple with her TBA Junior Classic Cup trophy.

Boys

Hayden Miller (4) is 15 years old and bowls out of Townsville Tenpin & Fun Centre. His opponent, Zane Rahim (6), is just 12 years old – the youngest finalist of the day – bowling out of Shellharbour Tenpin Bowl in New South Wales.

• GF – Zane Rahim (6) NSW defeated Hayden Miller (4) NQ: 2-1 (192-214, 199-181, 224-184)

Hayden Miller (4) took Game 1 214-192 and looked set to complete one of the more amazing champion stories of the day. Then Zane Rahim (6) did what he has done all day – he responded. The 12-year-old from Shellharbour Tenpin Bowl levelled with 199-181 in Game 2 before producing his best when it mattered most, closing out the decider 224-184 to become the 2026 TBA Junior Australian Masters Boys champion. Rahim is 12 years old. He posted a 275 in Stage 3. He won three consecutive 2-1 matches to claim the title. He is the youngest finalist of the day and, in all likelihood, one of the youngest champions in the 55-year history of this event. Remember the name.

Congratulations to Elouise Cocks and Zane Rahim, your 2026 TBA Junior Australian Master Champions.

The 52^nd President’s Junior Shield begins tomorrow as the final event of the 2026 National Junior Championships. Stay across everything on our website and hub at www.tenpin.org.au/njc