02/09/2026
ANC26 RECAP: Ultimate Tenpin Cup Junior
Julian Dinham began his ANC 2026 campaign in the Junior Division. It was both his first appearance in the competition and his last, as he aged out of the division this year.
Julian made an immediate impact, opening with seven consecutive strikes on his way to a 267 game. He maintained that form throughout the nine-game qualifying round, posting mostly mid-200 scores and a near-perfect high game of 290. He finished with an average of 238.8 to win Squad B, securing a place in the Top 10 and automatic entry into the Matchplay round.
Julian began Matchplay with a win, but a run of five alternating wins and losses made it difficult for him to stay inside the Top 5. Despite producing several strong games, including a 265, he struggled to convert his scores into wins. After 15 matches, he remained on the edge of the cut-off.
With four matches remaining, Julian knew he needed to win at least three to secure a Top 5 finish. On Day 2, he went one better, winning all four matches to seal his place and advance to the Stepladder finals as the third seed.
In the one-game knockout format, there was little room for error. Julian battled pin carry early, and a missed 7-pin in the fourth frame compounded the challenge. His opponent opened in the fifth, giving Julian an opportunity, and he responded with three consecutive strikes to close the gap. However, a bad break in the eighth frame prevented him from capitalising, and another ex*****on error in the tenth ultimately decided the match.
Despite finishing fourth, Julian produced an outstanding campaign in the Ultimate Tenpin Cup Junior. Across 28 games, he recorded the tournament’s highest average of 238.9 and was the only competitor to bowl a perfect game. A huge congratulations to Julian on an exceptional performance!
Regional Renegades Team member
