March 22, 2024 Nolan Hughes

The PBA Jr. National Championships are set to air Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on FS1.

Gianna Brandolino of Channahon, Ill. and Kayla Starr of Crofton, Md. will meet in the finals of the girls division, while Denver’s Dmitri Richardson will face Ernesto Reynoso of Folsom, Calif. in the boys division.

The four finalists each advanced from a PBA Jr. Regional Qualifier held last summer, then dominated during the PBA Jr. National Championship finals held at Bowlero Northrock in January.

Players competed on the 44-foot Tackett oil pattern, which produced high scores across both divisions — none higher than Brandolino’s 237.80 average during the 10 games of round-robin match play. 

The girls division title features two of the nation’s most accomplished young women in Brandolino and Starr.

Top-seeded Brandolino has made her presence felt in almost every major national youth tournament, including last year’s U18G Junior Gold Championships title. Her résumé includes 20 titles on the Elite Youth Tour, a tournament series run by USBC Hall of Famer Diandra Asbaty, and seven wins in the USBC Youth Open Championships.

A PBA Jr. National Championship would put a bow on an impressive youth career, which will continue for at least another year before Brandolino heads to Jacksonville State University (along with last year’s PBA Jr. National Championships winner, Kaitlyn Stull).

Brandolino will be met by 17-year-old Maryland star (pun absolutely intended) Kayla Starr. 

Starr finished as the runner-up in this event two years ago, falling to her future teammate at the University of Nebraska, Jillian Martin. The uber-talented righty has been knocking on the door of an elusive national title.

The boys division includes perhaps less heralded, but no less talented players. 

Colorado’s Dmitri Richardson averaged 235.60 and compiled a 7-3 match play record to lead the 10 first-time PBA Jr. National Championship finalists. Richardson defeated Keegan Alexander in the position round to lock up the top seed by just 11 pins.

Reynoso, qualified third with a 228 average, then bested Elias O’Hollaren and Alexander to meet Richardson in the televised finals. The 2023 U15B Junior Gold champion showed tremendous excitement about returning to national television, but his jubilation had little to do with facing Richardson.

"I'm just excited about the doubles," Reynoso admitted.

After the single-game championship matches, the PBA Jr. players will team up with PBA and PWBA pros in baker doubles matches.

Brandolino and Lindsay Boomershine, who won this month’s Go Bowling PBA NASCAR Invitational at Phoenix Raceway and the 2023 USBC Queens, will face Starr and Valerie Bercier, the 2019 PWBA Rookie of the Year

Reynoso will be teaming up with reigning PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett to take on Richardson and AJ Johnson.

The matches will each be five frames with the winning teams then facing off in a full-game match.

The PBA Jr. National Championships winners will each receive $7,500 in SMART scholarship, with the runner-ups adding $3,750 to their college funds.