Freeport’s Julia Cummings steps up in finals to win WPIBL girls singles bowling title

By: Tribune-Review
Thursday, February 23, 2023 | 6:31 PM

Freeport senior Julia Cummings bowled perfectly well in qualifying at the WPIBL girls singles championships Thursday at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. She rolled a 584 series with a high game of 214 – nothing to sneeze at and good enough for fourth place.

Once the single-elimination, step-ladder finals started, though, Cummings kicked it up a notch.

Cummings topped the 200 mark in each of her three games in the finals, bettering the 240 mark twice, to take home the title. In the finals, she defeated Veronica Flanagan of Kiski Area, 241-179.

It was Cummings’ first trip to the finals at the WPIBL tournament, though she came close in her first three years, finishing ninth as a junior, 10th as a sophomore and ninth as a freshman.

Apollo-Ridge’s Mia Ament and Deer Lakes’ Kaylee Lipp were the only two bowlers to top 600 in qualifying. Ament rolled a 648 with a high game of 247 and Lipp a 639 with a 268 high game.

They were followed by Butler’s Kelsee McConnell (594), Cummings, Norwin’s Kali Siegel (583) and Flanagan (579).

Penn-Trafford’s Alyssa Balest (574) and Freeport’s Mackensie Livingston (573) were within 10 pins of the top six.

Cummings bowled her best game of the day in the quarterfinals, defeating Siegel, 247-171. Flanagan topped McConnell, 181-178.

Cummings’ closest call came in the semifinals when she defeated Ament, 202-194. Flanagan rolled the best game of the step-ladder finals in the semifinals, topping Lipp, 255-208.

Next up is the Western Pennsylvania Regional Championships at AMF Noble Manor Lanes. Boys singles are set for March 3 and boys team for March 4. Girls singles are March 10 and girls team March 11.

The state championships will be held in Erie on March 17-18.