Nine Champions Crowned in Emporia at the 2019 Junior Disc Golf World Championships | Professional Disc Golf Association

The sun-kissed fields of Emporia, Kansas, played host to an impressive display of young talent at the 2019 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships presented by Dynamic Discs. The event, which ran for three and a half days, saw nine champions emerge from the largest divisions in junior disc golf.

In the Junior 18 & Under (MJ18) division, Zach Arlinghaus solidified his position as one of the top amateur players with a second world title, finishing a whopping 15 strokes ahead of Kevin Kiefer. However, the real story of dominance came from Gannon Buhr in the Junior 15 & Under (MJ15) division. The newly turned 14-year-old crushed the competition with an impressive margin of victory, finishing 27 strokes clear of the rest.

Meanwhile, Melody Castruita, the eldest of three Castruita sisters competing at the event, secured her first world title in the Junior Girls 18 & Under (FJ18) division. With a six-stroke lead going into the finals, she added two more to her total, finishing eight strokes ahead of Kat Mertsch.

The largest margin of victory belonged to Hope Brown in the Junior Girls 15 &Under (FJ15) division, who led by an astonishing 29 strokes going into the finals. With no need to play conservatively, Brown's score of 31 for the finals added six more to her margin of victory, earning her third world title with a staggering 35-stroke lead.

In the Junior 12 & Under (MJ12) division, Kolby Sanchez dominated from start to finish, never allowing anyone to take the lead position from him. His opening round was four better than any other competitor in the division, and he continued to build on this cushion throughout the week. With a total score that was 12 strokes better than second-place finisher Carter Ahrens, Sanchez secured his second world title as a junior.

A closely contested battle ensued in the Junior Girls 12 & Under (FJ12) division, with 11-year-old Haley Castruita emerging victorious after a thrilling final round. Snagging an early lead of seven after the opening round, Castruita battled it out against MaryJane Stevens for the rest of the week. Although Stevens chipped away at Castruita's lead in both the second and third rounds, Castruita played strong as the week came to a close, shooting the hot score for round five to bring her lead back to four.

The youngest division winners included Wyatt Mahoney, who earned his third consecutive world title in the Junior 10 & Under division at just nine years old. He did so with ease, finishing seven ahead of Uriyah Kelley. In the Junior Girls 10 & Under (FJ10) division, Zoey Lynn Martinez's substantial lead heading into the finals made her victory a foregone conclusion.

In a surprising turn of events, Kaidin Bell emerged victorious in the Junior 8 & Under division at just seven years old. With a wire-to-wire victory and a final margin of four strokes over Jackson Green, Bell secured his second world title with ease.

The City of Emporia, Dynamic Discs, and the numerous staff and volunteers who contributed to the event deserve recognition for their tireless efforts in making this year's championships one of the most enjoyable events for all participants. As the PDGA Junior World Championships look forward to returning to Emporia in 2020, young golfers around the world are undoubtedly eager to join the competition and test their skills against the best junior disc golfers.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/2019juniorworlds/news/final-day-wrap-up