By Chilah Brown Mille Lacs Band Member
Two Chiminising youth, Jordan Sayers and Alex Pendegayosh, represented Isle Bowl and Pizza youth bowling league and qualified to advance to the 2019 Take MN by STORM and Pepsi Youth Bowling Championship.
Jordan, 10, a fourth-grader at Nyquist Elementary, placed second in the Pepsi Championship U10 with a total score of 292. She also placed third in the U10 Take MN by Storm Youth Bowling Championships.
Alex, 14, attends Isle High School and competed with the Storm boys U15. Alex scored a 604 and 266 in the Pepsi Youth Bowling Championships.
So what does it mean for youth bowlers to qualify and compete at the district level? It means that bowlers are one step away from the 2019 State Finals. In order for youth bowlers to compete in the State Finals, contestants must be a part of a local youth bowling league, be a member of the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), and qualify to participate in the Pepsi Youth Bowling Championship and/or the 2019 Take Minnesota By STORM Youth Bowling Championships.
In each tournament, one out of five bowlers from each division in each district earns a right to advance to the State Finals held in South St. Paul May 4-5.
Benefits of bowling
Bowling is beneficial for youth and adults in many ways, and anyone can compete, not just the big, strong, or fast. Bowlers feel a sense of accomplishment and enjoy the satisfaction of mastering a new game.
Bowling can help with balance and coordination, muscle building, and hand-eye coordination while burning calories. Social health is also a benefit as bowlers make new friends or bond with family in a fun and rewarding environment. Bowling can also help with emotional health by relieving stress. Bowling can strengthen the heart muscles and increase longevity.
Being a part of the USBC youth membership is an opportunity to earn scholarships for youth to pursue their dreams. More than $6 million in annual scholarships are awarded to youth bowlers each season based on academics, leadership, and lane performance.
Although they didn't make the State Finals this year, Jordan and Alex made their families proud while representing their community and schools, and we look forward to seeing them compete again next year. Great job, Jordan and Alex!
For more information about the USBC or scholarship inquiries see www.bowl.com/scholarships/.