The Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup, a fresh addition to the junior calendar in 2024, paid tribute to Louise Eady’s legacy. Eady was known for her dedication to coaching junior and youth teams and advocating for inclusion within the sport. Tournament Director Warren Stewart shared, “Louise provided unparalleled dedication with an everlasting impact on Tenpin Bowling in Victoria. We are honored to celebrate her contributions this way and ensure her legacy continues to inspire future generations of bowlers.”

Emily Hart Dominates to Claim Girls Championship

Fresh off a successful campaign at the Asian Junior Championship, where she secured two bronze medals (girls doubles and masters), Emily Hart quickly reminded everyone why she is the highest-ranked female junior bowler in the country. Emily started the tournament strongly, posting a high game of 265 and finishing her first block of six qualification games with a score of 1,237.

Despite a small dip in performance in her second block, Hart still held a commanding lead, finishing with a twelve-game qualification total of 2,377 and an average of 198.1. She entered stage 2 with a significant but not unsurmountable 121-pin lead over her closest competitor, Jessica Chi from New South Wales.

Hart remained steadfast as the top bowler heading into the final stage with a 783 four game series with Queenslander Bella Westlake moving up to become the closest challenger to the leader sitting behind by 223 pins after a strong performance in stage two.

In the final matchplay stage, Emily secured six wins out of seven matches in the final round, amassing 180 bonus points to couple with 4,514 total pins for an overall winning total of 4,694. A dominant performance that saw her nearest challenger 346 pins behind and the perfect conclusion to one of the top junior bowlers of all time in her final year before aging out as a youth.

Julian Dinham Secures Boys Title with Stellar Performance

Despite a slow start with a 168 game, 16-year-old Julian Dinham showcased his talent once again by quickly regathering his composure to lead all qualifiers after twelve games. Dinham quickly found his rhythm, posting a standout 280 game in the third game and an impressive five game stretch to end the first block +169 before returning in the second appearance to score +137 for a combined tally of 2,706 in his twelve-game qualification. The strong performance providing a 121 pin advantage heading to stage two.

A mighty 943 four game series in stage 2 extended his lead to 156 pins over nearest challenger South Australian Liam Cochrane.

In the final matchplay rounds, Julian secured his title by winning four of his matches, earning 120 bonus points. His total pinfall plus bonus points amounted to a winning score of 5,230 and his second junior national title for 2024 (Queensland Junior Cup Champion).

Looking Ahead: A Thrilling Finish to the Junior Season

The Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup was the final scheduled junior division event for 2024 but that doesn’t necessarily mean the junior rankings are finalised for the year with an Open, Women’s and two Youth division events still left on the schedule to help settle the final points with performances qualifying as their best other event submission.

The Junior Division ranking point totals are calculated on the following basis: [Insert details on how ranking points are calculated]

So, with that understanding, let’s look at how the TBA Junior Division rankings landscape looks now after the final scheduled Junior event has concluded.

With the best other event element the only variable to the final calculations, bowlers have the Open and Women’s division event– the TBA Australian Masters, followed by the TBA21 National Masters and finally the Grand National Youth Eliminator in November as possible events to improve their best other event score thus improving their final ranking points for the year.

Three events and three opportunities for movement in the rankings for an exciting finish to the year.

Emily Hart’s Stellar Season

Heading into the final junior event of the year, Emily Hart led the rankings and secured yet another title with her victory at the Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup. Emily remains the favourite to take out her third rankings title in the junior division (2021 & 2023) but anything can happen with the last few ranked events of the year.

Hart’s 2024 season has been nothing short of a fairytale, wrapping up her already illustrious junior career on a high note. After claiming two bronze medals (Girl’s Doubles and Masters) at the recent Asian Junior Championships, Hart continued her stellar performance on the national circuit, showcasing her consistent excellence across multiple events.

Here’s a snapshot of Emily Hart’s national rankings resume in 2024:

• **[Insert details on Emily Hart's ranking points] **

An impressive submission for the rankings, and it’s still possible to extend the lead if achieving better than 3rd at one of the remaining events, but still, it’s not guaranteed with one Queenslander still within the hunt.

That bowler is Bella Westlake. The Queenslander currently sits on 262 points after winning her first ranked event at the Queensland Junior Cup, a 3rd place finish at the Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup, a runner-up finish at the TBA Junior Australian Masters and a current best other event with 17 points from a 23rd place finish at the Suncity Women’s Open. A first place and maximum points of 100 in the remaining events would tie Bella with Emily’s current point tally of 345.

In addition, with three events in play to be used as the best other event for ranking calculations, there are several positions that can be shuffled around before the end of the season. Still, Emily Hart remains favourite and what a way to cap off a phenomenal junior bowling career.

The Dinham Brothers: A Tight Race for the Top Spot

The Dinham brothers, Justin and Julian, have been two dominate bowlers on the junior bowling scene in 2024, showcasing their exceptional talent and strong performances throughout the year.

Both brothers made their debuts for Australia this year, securing gold and bronze medals in team events and competing impressively in ranked events, even in the older divisions. Despite their stellar seasons, neither brother is guaranteed the junior rankings title, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.

Both Justin and Julian missed the TBA Junior Australian Masters this year, a key ingredient to the calculations of the rankings. This means their ranking points will be calculated solely from their best two junior events and their best youth or open event. This unique situation leaves the door open for other top bowlers to challenge for the junior rankings title.

Now a two-time national junior event champion, Julian Dinham has moved into the top spot of the male junior rankings. Following his triumphant achievements winning the Queensland Junior Cup, and Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup, an impressive runner-up finish at the Australian Open sees the 16-year-old sit in the lead on 280 points.

Right behind him sits older brother Justin on 265 points.

Winner of the Sydney Junior Cup, 3rd place at the Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup, and an incredible title clinching Kegel Queensland Open victory, Justin sits capped on 265 points as no result can top an open division event win like he had in Caboolture earlier this year.

Two bowlers remain in the hunt to leapfrog the Dinham brothers and they include:

• Nic Rajkovic: [Insert details about Nic Rajkovic's ranking points]

• Liam Cochrane: [Insert details about Liam Cochrane's ranking points]

With Justin Dinham capped at 265 points, the junior rankings race narrows down to Julian Dinham, Nic Rajkovic, and Liam Cochrane as potential ranking winners. Julian, with an impressive 280 points, will need to secure a win to further solidify his lead. Meanwhile, both Nic Rajkovic and Liam Cochrane are still in contention and will need a second-place finish or better in upcoming events to overtake Julian for the title.

A Bright Future for Australian Tenpin Bowling

The excitement and talent displayed by a long spread of bowlers ensures a thrilling conclusion to the junior bowling season. It’s been a great year for the Junior division with 78 males and 56 females bowling ranked events this year in the division. Plenty of bowlers have given their all and entered the tournament scene for the first time. Coupled with the highly successful junior Australian team earlier in the year, the future remains bright for Australian tenpin bowling with so many athletes on the horizon to continue their development in 2025.

The inaugural Louise Eady Melbourne Junior Cup was a fitting tribute to Louise Eady’s legacy, celebrating her contributions to the sport while showcasing the incredible talent of junior bowlers across Australia. Tenpin Bowling Australia extends its congratulations to Emily Hart and Julian Dinham for their outstanding victories and to all the participants for making the event a success. As the year draws to a close, we look forward to an exciting finish to the junior division and the promising future of Australian tenpin bowling.