Burrell junior captures WPIBL girls title

By: Tribune-Review
Thursday, February 25, 2021 | 7:55 PM

In her first two years of high school competition, Burrell junior Lydia Flanagan was on the verge of claiming a WPIBL championship.

On Thursday, she took the final step.

Flanagan defeated Elizabeth Forward’s Kaylee Christeson, 175-159, in the finals of the WPIBL girls singles tournament at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes.

Flanagan qualified for the step-ladder finals in her first two years at Burrell, falling in the quarterfinals as a freshman and the semifinals as a sophomore.

The top six scorers from a three-game qualifying series advanced to the finals Thursday. Flanagan was fourth in qualifying with a 545 series, including a 202 in the third game. She defeated Apollo-Ridge’s Mia Ament in the quarterfinals, 173-137, and Latrobe Kayle Zuzak in the semifinals, 192-154.

Christeson reached the finals by defeating McKeesport’s Melissa Malackany, 160-157, and Blackhawk’s Kaylee Houy, 191-159.

Zuzak was the top scorer in qualifying, rolling a 603 series, including a 215 game. Malackany had the high game in qualifying with a 235.

The top 40 finishers in Thursday’s qualifying advance to the Western Regional singles tournament March 12 at the North Versailles Bowling Center.

The remaining qualifiers will consist of the top two from each section if they didn’t make the top 40 and then those eligible bowlers — based on games and average — from all of the sections until a field of 74 is reached.