West Michigan will host over 4,000 of America’s top youth bowlers for the 2022 Junior Gold Championships.
The event, hosted by the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC), will be a first for the region and will see bowlers ages 20 and younger competing for the national championship in a 13-day event from July 11-23 at eight bowling centers across central and West Michigan.
Bowlers will compete in four age-based divisions for boys and girls, 12 and under (U12), 15 and under (U15), 18 and under (U18) and 20 and under (U20).
This is only the second region of Michigan to host Junior Gold, with the event taking place in Detroit most recently in 2019.
“We are thrilled to host this prestigious national youth bowling championship that will bring thousands of young bowlers and their families to our region,” said Mike Guswiler, president of the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) who bid on and won this event. “The bowlers will spend only a few hours each day in competition, giving them a lot of time with their families to enjoy all that West Michigan has to offer while patronizing our local businesses.”
This year’s championship will draw registered athletes from 50 states (including 315 from Michigan), Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and where American youth are stationed with the U.S. Armed Forces in Germany, Italy, France and the U.K. The Junior Gold Championships is one of the largest events hosted by the WMSC in terms of number of venues and number of consecutive days, outside of multisport state games.
The tournament takes place at eight bowling centers, listed below:
- Royal Scot Golf & Bowl, 4722 W. Grand River Ave., Lansing (U18 B)
- Spare Time Entertainment Center, 3101 E. Grand River Road, Lansing (U18 G)
- AMF Eastbrook Lanes, 3500 Lake Eastbrook Blvd. SE, Grand Rapids (U18 G)
- Fairlanes Bowling Center, 3335 Fairlanes Ave. SW, Grandville (U20 G, U15 G, U12 B)
- Spectrum Entertainment Complex, 5656 Clyde Park Ave. SW, Wyoming (U15 G, U12 B)
- Westgate Bowl, 4486 Alpine Ave. NW, Comstock Park (U18 B)
- Northway Lanes, 1751 Evanston Ave., Muskegon (U15 B, U12 G)
- Sherman Bowling Center, 1531 West Sherman Blvd., Muskegon (U20 B, U15 B, U12 G
The Junior Gold Trade Show will be held from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, July 15, and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, July 16, at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.
Athletes also are invited to Party in the Park from 2-7 p.m. Sunday, July 17, at Millennium Park Grant Pavilion,1400 Maynard Ave. SW in Grand Rapids, featuring a State Athlete Walk at 6 p.m., where two athletes from each state and/or territory will participate.
The 2022 championship is expected to generate $7,361,967 in economic impact, with 10,000 hotel nights booked at more than 30 hotel properties throughout Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Lansing, with the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Grand Rapids as the host hotel.
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