Kiski Area bowler Veronica Flanagan wraps up high school career with medal at nationals

By: Giustino Racchini
Friday, June 20, 2025 | 12:01 AM

After finishing third in the U.S. High School Bowling National Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind., Veronica Flanagan is leaving behind a lasting impact as a Kiski Area bowler.

“My teammates past and present have become my best friends,” Flanagan said. “We always said an individual win is a win for the whole team.”

It was her second time competing at the national championships but her best finish. She participated in the 2023 nationals, finishing in 20th place and not advancing past the second round of play.

This time, Flanagan finished in the top 10 in qualifying with a four-game average of 218 and made her way through three “survivor” rounds. Her best game was a 246 in the first survivor round. She bowled a solid 214 game in the semifinals, but only one bowler of three advanced to the finals, and eventual champ Laelah Tiquia from Washington state rolled a 248.

Flanagan formed a close bond with her fellow Kiski Area bowlers, a bond strengthened through Flanagan’s unique schooling experience.

“She came into Kiski having been homeschooled her whole life,” coach Stefani Belles said. “She had never been on a team before, but she formed a strong bond with the other girls pretty quickly.”

Flanagan earned the captain position for her last two years at Kiski Area. To her, it is an all-about-the-team mentality before talking about individual performance.

“The team dynamic changed after her sophomore season,” Belles said. “If you put those kids on paper, they should not have competed at the level that they did.”

Said coach Duggie Belles: “Her work ethic is second to none. I’ve never seen a kid put in that much extra practice, and it is why in my opinion she has excelled this year.”

Flanagan is now looking forward to the next chapter of her athletic career at Lourdes University outside of Toledo, Ohio.

“I was able to go visit and get to bowl with the team, and it seemed like they got along just as much as my other team did,” Flanagan said.

Lourdes is a Catholic university located near the Michigan border. The school began its women’s bowling team in 2018-2019, competing in tournaments all across the midwest from September to March.

“I hope she continues to improve and get a little better higher level coaching to cater to the next level,” Duggie Belles said. “I’m excited to see how she does out there.”