Day 5 | Final Day | Team USA Trials 2026 | Gold Coast

Day 5 | Final Day | Team USA Trials 2026 | Gold Coast

The final day was exactly what high level competition often is… demanding, humbling, and revealing.

The pattern was the toughest we saw all week, and it asked questions from the very first frame. There were moments of struggle early, moments where makeable spares slipped away, and stretches where every pin felt earned. There were also moments of steadiness… clean frames, patience, nines that kept things from unraveling, and flashes of momentum that reminded us why she belongs on this stage.

As the day unfolded, the physical grind was obvious, but the mental load was heavier. Six games a day for five straight days has a way of draining even the strongest competitors. There were games where she battled through splits, converted tough spares, strung strikes together, and clawed pins back one shot at a time. There were also games where the pattern won, where small misses turned into big numbers, and where the margin for error disappeared.

By the final game, the tank was empty. The last pattern was grueling, the setup unforgiving, and the fatigue real. It wasn’t how anyone dreams of finishing, but it was honest. It reflected the toll of the week, the difficulty of the conditions, and the reality of learning at this level.

And still, she finished.

For her first Team USA Trials, this was a true experience… not just bowling, but endurance, resilience, adjustment, and emotional control. Nothing about this week was easy. Nothing was given. Every lesson was earned.

I’m proud of her determination to stay in it. Proud of the way she handled adversity. Proud of the way she kept showing up when it would have been easy to check out. This week gave us clarity, perspective, and a deeper understanding of what’s required moving forward.

Team USA Trials 2026 is officially a wrap.

Now it’s time to rest, reset, head home, and carry the lessons forward. The work continues, just with a little more wisdom than before.