Bellefontaine’s Gracie Hood continued her impressive run at the 2026 Junior Gold Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota, climbing into second place overall after three blocks of qualifying in the 18U girls’ division.
Hood turned in another consistent performance Wednesday, rolling games of 237, 223, 224, and 167 for an 851 series. Despite encountering a difficult pair of lanes in the final game, she averaged 212.75 for the four-game block.
Through 12 qualifying games, Hood has knocked down 2,525 pins for an overall average of 210.42. She now sits in second place in the standings, trailing only tournament leader Taylor Kretz of Erie, Pennsylvania, by 83 pins.
The Junior Gold Championships feature many of the nation’s top youth bowlers, with competitors bowling 16 qualifying games over four days. At the conclusion of qualifying, only the top 52 bowlers in the 18U girls’ division will advance to the next stage of the tournament.
Hood has one qualifying block remaining before the field is cut:
Thursday, July 16 – 7:00 a.m. at Cedarvale Lanes
With just four qualifying games left, Hood is on the verge of clinching her spot to advance to the championship rounds and will look to finish strong as she continues her pursuit of a Junior Gold title.
