The inaugural All Stars Youth Series concluded Sunday at BNC Bowling in Bratislava after bringing together 59 young bowlers from 12 countries across Europe.
Czech bowlers Jan Otec and Filip Seifert won the U14 and U17 boys’ titles, while Slovakia’s Šimon Jaroš triumphed in the U21 division. Greece’s Artemis Manthou claimed the title in the combined girls’ category.
Every player began with two five-game qualification blocks. One was played on Pattern A and the other on Pattern B, with the ten-game total deciding who advanced. The competition was divided into U14 boys, U17 boys, U21 boys and a combined girls’ category.
Up to 16 players in each category moved into Final Step 1, where three games reduced the field to eight. They added three more games in Final Step 2, with the pinfall carried forward and the top four reaching the stepladder.
From there, the fourth seed faced the third, the winner met the second seed and the last remaining challenger took on the top seed for the title.
Otec, Seifert and Jaroš Win the Boys’ Titles
Jan Otec entered the U14 championship match as the top seed after leading Final Step 2 with 1,243. Jakub Doležal reached the title match by defeating Samuel Caruso 236-213 and Mikhail Mallia 216-191, but Otec stopped his run with a 225-161 victory.
The closest final came in the U17 division.
Fourth-seeded Jef Reusens worked his way through the entire stepladder, beating Luka Mežnar 212-205 and Nicolai Mallia 255-173. Seifert, who had climbed to the top seed during Final Step 2, held him off by only two pins in the title match, 218-216.
Jaroš delivered a title for the host country in the U21 category. Paul Mahon reached the final after victories over Matúš Hrušovský and Samuel Krupicer, but the top seed controlled the deciding game. Jaroš won 228-156 to secure the U21 title for Slovakia.
Manthou Wins Three Straight Matches
Artemis Manthou took the longest possible route to the girls’ title from the third seed. She first edged Kateřina Haxová by a single pin, 198-197, then defeated Laura Šulková 213-174 to earn a place in the championship match.
Top seed Marie Reusens was waiting in the final, but Manthou completed her stepladder run with a 210-197 victory and became the first girls’ champion in All Stars Youth Series history.
The four-day tournament was organized by BYC Slovakia and was open to players up to the age of 21. Organizers have already confirmed that the All Stars Youth Series will return in July 2027, with the exact dates still to be announced. They recently partnered with BowlingGP tournaments in France, creating even more international opportunities for young bowlers across Europe.
Your Weekly Bowling Digest
The latest bowling news, tips, and gear reviews—all wrapped up in a quick 3-minute read delivered straight to your inbox.
