Junior Worlds Update: Leaders Emerge as Competitors Reach Midpoint

The sun is shining bright again at the 2025 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships, but the competition is heating up on the course. With three rounds down, the field has narrowed significantly, and leaders are starting to emerge in each division.

In MJ18, Caleb Tucker expanded his lead with an impressive -8 round (unofficial 1002 rating), bringing him one throw ahead of the pack. Meanwhile, Gracen Lomelino stole the show with a blistering -10 round (unofficial 1018 rating), catapulting him to a tie for second alongside Zeb Kaylor and Bennett Doemland. Each competitor on the lead card is averaging over 1000-rated golf, making this division one to watch.

In FJ18, Ann Deputy's -8 round propelled her into solo third place, shrinking Virginia Polkinghorne's lead to just five strokes. Shelby Cowen and Tomoka Aranami each shot -7 rounds, putting them in contention for a spot on the lead card.

Finn Etter, MJ15, continued his hot streak with another impressive performance at Jones East, adding two strokes to his tally and reclaiming the top spot from Colton Lawless. Nikolai Wotan Heel of Austria joined Finn at the top of the leaderboard, tied for third alongside Holt Whitted.

The FJ15 division saw a three-way tie for the hot round between Alison Tweedie, Eden Fletcher, and MJ Gager. Alison's walk-off ace sealed her spot as leader, while Eden and Brooklyn O'Krafka moved up two spots to tie for second with Hailey Huber.

In MJ12, Marcelino Cisneros shot a record-breaking -12 round at Peter Pan Park (unofficial 993 rating), taking the lead from Cole Kresge. Isaac Crawford dropped two spots to fourth, and Jaxton Taylor fell one spot to third.

The FJ12 leaderboard remained relatively unchanged, with Eva Lutsenko shooting -5 and Hayden Harper matching her score for the first time this tournament. Genevieve Davis and Madison Stubbs maintained their positions on the lead card.

In MJ10, Hudson Kasper grew his lead by a stroke after shooting the hot round at Jones West. Jai Singh moved up one spot to tie with Cody Buker for third, while Rylan Haag held onto second place. The boys on the lead card displayed sportsmanship and camaraderie, encouraging each other with grunting throws.

Sarah Wadsworth continued her dominance in FJ10, growing her lead by another 12 strokes after a bogey-free round at Jones West. She remains the only competitor to have three bogey-free rounds throughout the tournament. Hailey Fitzgerald's +6 round included three birdies, marking the first time any FJ10 competitor had achieved this feat except for Sarah.

The MJ08 division saw its leaderboard shake up, with James Alldritt maintaining second place and James Read moving ahead of Marky LaValley into third. Rohan Kiser dropped one spot to fourth.

FJ08's top three – Nora De Jong, Ellie Lohmeyer, Evelyn Tabor, and Harper Sieniarecki – held their positions after the third round, with Nora expanding her lead by another dozen throws.

As temperatures rise again for Round 4, the stakes are high. The top performers in each division will be determined by Friday's results, setting the stage for Saturday's championship finals. With only 40% of each division staying in contention, every stroke counts as competitors fight for a spot among the top four.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/junior-worlds-round-3