Youth bowlers advance to Junior Gold Championship Tournament

Three local youth ten-pin bowlers have earned spots at the the Junior Gold Championship, which is considered the most prestigious youth bowling tournament in North America.

Chatham’s Luca Formosa (U18), Braydon Daniels (U14) and Ella McIllvenna (U12), will be part of the 14 member Canadian team at the tournament, which will take place July 11-16 in Minneapolis.

Last year, Formosa took part in the 2025 Junior Gold Championship tournament held in Green Bay, WI.

This past season, Formosa set a Chatham youth average record of 221.This earned him youth Bowler of the Year Honors for Windsor/Essex/Chatham-Kent. This average also places him top three in Canada.

In August Luca will be heading to Waldorf University in Iowa on a bowling scholarship. He is a recent graduate of John McGregor Secondary School.

Ella McIllvenna is 12 years-old and in only her second year of competitive bowling. It’s believed that she is the youngest femal in southwestern Ontario to ever earn a spot in the Junior Gold Championship tournament.

To prepare for the tournament, the bowlers are fundraising in the next few weeks, looking for local sponsors.

A fundraising pasta dinner is scheduled for Monday June 29 at the Moose Lodge on Richmond Street from 5-7 p.m. Adults are $20 and kids are $10.