US Junior Disc Golf Championship Heads into Final Round with Surprises Galore

The second day of competition at the Smugglers' Notch Disc Golf Center has come to a close for the inaugural United States Junior Disc Golf Championship. Saturday's play was marked by unpredictable weather, with afternoon thunderstorms causing a three-hour delay. However, the competitors persevered and managed to complete their rounds under the challenging conditions.

The field is now set to transition to Fox Run Meadows for Sunday's final round, where a new challenge awaits. The course features open terrain with wetland areas bordering the playing surface, creating obstacles throughout. This shift in landscape may affect the strategies employed by players who excelled on Brewster Ridge DGC during the first two rounds.

As the competition enters its final stages, several leaders have emerged in each division. In the MJ18 category, Justin Gilbert has taken a four-stroke lead over Alden Harris after another impressive round. However, with three other competitors within striking distance, Gilbert will need to maintain his focus and composure on Fox Run to secure his position.

Evan Scott holds a similar advantage in the MJ15 division, boasting a five-stroke margin over Zach Arlinghaus. Arlinghaus has been riding high after a strong performance at the latest DGPT stop at Idlewild, where he narrowly missed the Open division cash by just two shots. While Scott has some breathing room, he will need to remain on top of his game to fend off Arlinghaus's challenge.

In the MJ12 Division, Luke Taylor enjoys a significant lead of 14 strokes over the rest of the field. The girls' divisions have also seen their leaders establish a substantial gap, with Lily Marr holding a 16-stroke advantage in FJ15 and Lilly Ruthen expanding her lead to 16 in FJ12.

Ava Meyer has all but secured her position at the top of the FJ10 division, while Addison Lowery is poised to take home the first-ever championship for her FJ8 category. However, the most closely contested battle is taking place in the MJ10 division, where Jai Badajos has jumped from the chase card into the lead after a two-under-par round on Saturday.

Badajos, hailing from Homer, Alaska, will be looking to hold off Wyatt Mahoney's four-under-par 57, which catapulted him from outside contention to second place. Other competitors remain within striking distance in this division, setting up an intriguing final round.

MJ8 is led by homegrown talent Finn Etter from Shelburne, VT, who has built a five-stroke lead over Landon Brooks after an impressive two-under-59 on his favorite course, Brewster Ridge. As the competition transitions to Fox Run, Etter will be aiming to keep his title hopes alive and retain the championship for Vermont.

Caleb Cilley is cruising towards victory in the MJ6 division after two solid rounds on Brewster Ridge. With Sunday's final round on tap, fans can expect an exciting conclusion to this inaugural USJDGC event as Kids Disc Golf crowns its first-ever champions.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/usjdgc-day-2-wrap