Youngstown, Ohio — Incoming Youngstown State bowlers Malayna Calo and Taylor Lietha will be among a large field of youth bowlers competing at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships in the U18 Division this week. The week-long event is being held near Minneapolis.

Four rounds of qualifying for the future Penguins will begin Monday at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan, Minn., and the competition for the U18 Division will rotate between that center and Lucky Strike Eden Prairie in Eden Prairie, Minn., through Thursday. Calo, a native of Riverview, Fla., will bowl in Squad 15 during qualifying, and Lietha, a Minnesotan from Winona, will bowl in Squad 35. BowlTV will serve as the official streaming provider of the Junior Gold Championships.

Practice sessions at the two centers will be held on Saturday and Sunday, and opening ceremonies will be Sunday. Calo's first round of qualifying will be at 11:30 a.m. Central on Monday, and Lietha's first round will be at 8:30 p.m. Central.

All bowlers will bowl in four four-game blocks from Monday through Thursday, and the total pinfall across the 16 games will determine who advances past the first cut. There will be a second cut to a maximum of 64 bowlers on Friday morning for the final advancers round, and the top 16 bowlers after 26 games of qualifying will advance to match play. Match play will be double elimination with each round consisting of two games.

In addition to prizes and prestige, bowlers will be competing for a chance to earn one of six spots on Junior Team USA. The top four female bowlers after 26 games of qualifying and the champions and co-champions in each division earn spots on Junior Team USA. If the champion or co-champion already earned one of the four spots available in qualifying, the next athlete based on the qualifying standings after 26 games will qualify.

At the 2025 Junior Gold Championships, Youngstown State had three incoming freshmen qualify for the final advancers round. Leyna Kratzer was the top-finishing future Penguin in 17th place, just nine pins shy of advancing to match play. Gianna Varano finished 28th overall, and Amber Mason placed one spot behind her in 29th.