With two of four qualifying blocks complete at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships in Minneapolis, several bowlers from Salem and Mt. Vernon remain in contention for coveted spots in the Advancers Round.
Leading the way for Salem is recent graduate Dylan Kuhns, who moved into 124th place in the Boys U18 division after an impressive 834 series on Tuesday. With the top 131 bowlers advancing, Kuhns currently sits inside the cut line heading into the final two days of qualifying.
In the Boys U16 division, Nicholi Marhanka has also positioned himself well. Marhanka rolled an 810 block, averaging 202 for the day, and sits 72nd overall. The top 101 bowlers will advance, giving the Salem standout a solid opportunity if he can continue his strong play.
Also in the U16 division, Kellen Nix remains within striking distance of the cut despite sitting 132nd after a 759 block. Carter Shanafelt is also still in the hunt at 161st following a 741 series, with two qualifying blocks remaining.
Mt. Vernon also has bowlers chasing advancement. In the U14 Boys division, Jaesun Mann sits 75th, just outside the top 55 who will move on, while teammate Charles Rutherford is 252nd. In the U14 Girls division, Mollie Joe McGraw is 139th with two days left to improve her standing.
Several other Southern Illinois bowlers are also enjoying strong tournaments. In the U16 Boys division, Blake Lane of Columbia is 38th, Dalton Wheeler of Harrisburg surged to 42nd after a stellar 913 block, and Tobias Kirchner of Waterloo is 53rd, with all three currently in position to advance.
The Girls U18 division has a pair of local bowlers knocking on the door of the cut line as Briley Dent of Bonnie is 57th and Macy Jones of Vandalia is 58th, just outside the top 52. Miranda Duff of Smithton remains within range in 92nd.
The U14 Girls division has produced some of the area’s best performances through two days. Reese Renth of Aviston is 5th, less than 100 pins behind the tournament leader, while Sophia Walter of Belleville is safely inside the projected cut in 15th.
With two qualifying days remaining, every game becomes increasingly important as bowlers battle to earn a place in the Advancers Round and keep their Junior Gold championship hopes alive.
Local Standings After Day 2
Girls U18 (Top 52 Advance)
- Briley Dent (Bonnie) – 57th
- Macy Jones (Vandalia) – 58th
- Miranda Duff (Smithton) – 92nd
- Abigail Parry (Taylorville) – 119th
- Isabella Skipper (Belleville) – 228th
Boys U18 (Top 131 Advance)
- Dylan Kuhns (Salem) – 124th
- Travin Elliott – 231st
- Cameron Shufelt (Waterloo) – 231st
- Ethan Zirkelbach (Marion) – 324th
- Trace Elliott – 351st
- Korbyn Breeze (Bonnie) – 365th
- Raymond Andrews (Opdyke) – 492nd
- Sam Breitwiser (Waterloo) – 519th (tie)
- Thomas Whitmore (Mascoutah) – 519th (tie)
- Travis Young Jr. (Belleville) – 512th
- Jermaine Ferguson (Shiloh) – 568th
- Parker Schmidt (Belleville) – 598th
- Aaron Hughes (Jerseyville) – 600th
- Weston Huff (Mascoutah) – 638th
- Garrett Pryor (Highland) – 662nd
- Brody Elliott – 670th
- Sam Klimek – 727th
- Marcellus Goodknecht (Belleville) – 736th
- Matthew Eller (Waterloo) – 810th
Girls U16 (Top 47 Advance)
- Jillian Dwiggins (Alton) – 8th
- Taylor Rose (Columbia) – 152nd
- Kelsie Hampton (Fairview Heights) – 226th
- Peyton Darnstaedt (Belleville) – 278th
- Teiryn Andrews (Opdyke) – 319th
Boys U16 (Top 101 Advance)
- Blake Lane (Columbia) – 38th
- Dalton Wheeler (Harrisburg) – 42nd
- Tobias Kirchner (Waterloo) – 53rd
- Nicholi Marhanka (Salem) – 72nd
- Tyler Babcock (O’Fallon) – 118th
- Kellen Nix (Salem) – 132nd
- Carter Shanafelt (Salem) – 161st
- Ryan Lotz (O’Fallon) – 280th
- Brenden Phillips (Breese) – 331st
- Hudson Dulle (Bartelso) – 376th
- Colton McKee (Carbondale) – 377th
- Sam Beck (Waterloo) – 379th
- Alex Loughary (Waterloo) – 431st
- Khalil Sutton (Metropolis) – 435th
- Brody Zotz (New Baden) – 527th
- Kolby Eugea (Cahokia) – 551st
- Drew Millen (O’Fallon) – 601st
- Jackson Robbins (Mascoutah) – 604th
- Aviston’s Zach Ritter – 662nd
- Brayden Drevicki (Smithton) – 674th
- Gabe Gartzke (Columbia) – 683rd
- Cooper Bradley (Harrisburg) – 707th
Girls U14 (Top 26 Advance)
- Reese Renth (Aviston) – 5th
- Sophia Walter (Belleville) – 15th
- Kaylee Bertoletti (East Alton) – 25th
- Alexis Bellemey (Aviston) – 33rd
- Izabel Andrews (Opdyke) – 93rd
- Sophie Orris (O’Fallon) – 94th
- Rachel Eller (Waterloo) – 99th
- Hadleigh Johnson (Bonnie) – 135th
- Quinn Collier (O’Fallon) – 136th
- Mollie Joe McGraw (Mt. Vernon) – 139th
Boys U14 (Top 55 Advance)
- Lukas Pilkey (Shiloh) – 32nd
- Jaesun Mann (Mt. Vernon) – 75th
- Lance Brem (Fairview Heights) – 78th
- Charles Rutherford (Mt. Vernon) – 252nd
Boys U12 (Top 34 Advance)
- Camden Howard (Collinsville) – 110th
