Wichita ? Two weeks ago, Tiffany Demaline was perfect.

The Lawrence High freshman bowler might have been even better when she became the first-ever girls state champion Saturday at Northrock Bowling Center.

“Well, very few people ever bowl a 300,” Demaline said, pondering whether her first perfect game Feb. 21 was a bigger accomplishment than becoming the first Kansas state bowling champion.

“Then again, there will only be one person who can say they are the first-ever state champion,” she said.

Demaline rolled a 733 series that included seven straight strikes in her third game to secure the title over Wichita Heights’ Lyndsey Prather.

It appears, though, that Demaline does her best when conditions aren’t at their brightest.

She bowled her perfect game while suffering from a cold, and Saturday’s win came in a chilly alley in front of a standing-room only crowd. Several fans held signs over their heads, and the more extreme fans painted their faces.

But the cool conditions didn’t hurt — they actually helped reduce the swelling that always occurs on her release thumb.

“She was nails,” LHS coach Greg Farley said. “She was a little nervous coming into the tournament, but probably more excited. After she had 500 in her first two games, I went over and said, ‘Don’t let up.’ She looked back and said, ‘I’m not going to.'”

Demaline — who again used her good-luck blue-and-black swirled ball nicknamed “Bully” — bowled 242 in her first game, then followed that with scores of 257 and 234. She had 25 strikes and only four open frames.

“It is just completely awesome when you think of how historic everything will be,” she said. “Hopefully, I can do it again sometime in my career.”

Things were not as successful for the rest of the city’s bowlers, though.

Free State, whose boys squad went 13-0 in duals, finished 10th. Jeremy Healy was the top Firebird finisher, placing 14th. Free State’s girls also finished 10th, a spot behind the Lions.

“Obviously, we’re quite disappointed,” Free State coach Chuck Tracy said. “But this was a different experience and hopefully a learning lesson.”

Things might have been better for the Firebird girls if the Sprow sisters each could have avoided one bad game.

Senior Dequesne Sprow placed 22nd but would have medaled were it not for a 180 in her last game. She rolled 202 in each of her first two games. Her sophomore sister, Dacia, had her bad memory in the first game when she rolled a 137. She responded with a 215 and 205 for a 557 series.

Lawrence’s only boy bowler, David Wyatt, finished his senior year with a medal as he took 19th with a 658 series.