February 28, 2026 Nolan Hughes

The next generation of bowling prowess was on full display at Bowlero Lakeside and Bowlero St. Peters outside of St. Louis, Mo.

The best youth bowlers in the country convened for the 2025-26 PBA Junior National Championships.

Players in each of the U15 Mixed, U18 Girls and U18 Boys divisions each bowled eight games of qualifying. The top eight players per division then competed in eight games of round-robin match play to determine the five stepladder finalists.

The opening three matches, as well as all qualifying and match play rounds, were held at Bowlero Lakeside. The championship matches were held on Saturday evening at Bowlero St. Peters, the host of the PBA Pete Weber Classic.

All rounds were livestreamed on BowlTV and are available to rewatch in the BowlTV archives.

U15 Mixed: Kristofer Wagner

Kristofer Wagner was a man on a mission. He finished runner-up in this division a year ago and avenged that defeat on Saturday.

Wagner qualified third in the division and rose to second after match play. He defeated Ryan Campbell in the semifinal match, setting up a title match bout with Abram Monosmith.

In the championship, Wagner stepped up in the 10th frame needing three strikes to shut out Monosmith. The DeLand, Fla. native came through to clinch the title and the $5,000 SMART scholarship.

U18 Girls: Anna Antony

In a battle between two-handed girls, Anna Antony prevailed over Bella Love Castillo to take home her second consecutive national title. 

Antony, who is from Farmington, Conn., became the second repeat champion in PBA Junior history and earned a $10,000 SMART scholarship for her efforts.

Jillian Martin won back-to-back girls division titles in the first two years of the PBA Junior program.

U18 Boys: Kaeden White

Jake Bockstie dominated the U18 Boys field. He led qualifying by 49 pins, then extended his lead to more than 260 pins after match play. The two-handed lefty added a 300 in the penultimate game of match play for good measure.

But on the receiving end of that perfect game was Kaeden White. You can bet that game was on his mind after he clinched a berth in the championship, setting up a rematch against Bockstie.

Both players converted a spare in the first frame, then were off to the races. Bockstie blinked once while White never let up until the final ball, allowing White to clinch the title with a 289-269 victory.

On top of the national title, the native of Lee's Summit, Mo. earned a $10,000 SMART scholarship.

All rounds will be livestreamed on BowlTV and all competition will be contested on the 44-foot EJ Tackett oil pattern.

Follow the PBA Tour Instagram and PBA Junior Facebook page for live updates throughout the tournament.

The 2026 PBA Junior schedule will be released next week.

Learn more about PBA Junior membership options here.

Past National Champions

2026 — U18 Girls: Anna Antony; U18 Boys: Kaeden White; U15 Mixed: Kristofer Wagner
2025 — U18 Girls: Anna Antony; U18 Boys: Griffin Jordan; U15 Mixed: Jackson Dyess
2024 — Girls: Kayla Starr and Boys: Ernesto Reynoso
2023 — Girls: Kaitlyn Stull and Boys: Jacob Robertson
2022 — Girls: Jillian Martin and Boys: Landin Jordan
2021 — Girls: Jillian Martin and Boys: Spencer Robarge