Flu no match for Demaline

Lion sophomore bowls 661 series

Sometimes, being sick brings out the best in people.

Just ask Michael Jordan, who scored 38 points and hit the game-winning three-pointer in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals while being stricken with a bad case of the stomach flu.

Or ask Tiffany Demaline from Lawrence High, who last year bowled a perfect 300 game while having a similar ailment.

Luckily for LHS coach Greg Farley, Demaline was sick again Tuesday and once again put together one of her most impressive performances. The sophomore and defending state champion bowled games of 263, 207, and 191 for a three-game series of 661, the highest series of any bowler on the day during the Lions’ sweep of Olathe North and Roeland Park Miege at Royal Crest Lanes.

“Coach was pretty excited when he found out I had the flu today,” Demaline said. “I told my friends I would probably bowl good today. I’m not sure why that is, but I think it’s because I don’t get nervous and I don’t think about bowling. I just go out there and bowl.”

LHS finished with a team score of 2,249 pins, easily outdistancing Olathe North (1,880) and Miege (1,801). The two victories helped the Lions improve to a perfect 7-0.

“They are meeting expectations,” Farley said. “We are a good team, and we are playing like it. We have three outstanding girls, and we are still looking for that fourth consistent girl to step up.”

Along with Demaline, Desquesne Sprow and Jessica Wyatt have solidified spots in the top three. Sprow bowled games of 195, 224, and 170 for a 589 series; Wyatt had games of 177, 184, and 182 for a 543 series. Kassie Burch (456), Mallory Hughes-Pfeifer (403), and Becca Stack (397) are all battling for the fourth spot.

For the LHS boys, Olson Kilmer was the high bowler with a 576 series. The boys finished 0-2 on the day and dropped their overall record to 3-4. They finished with a score of 2,078, behind both Miege (2,208) and Olathe North (2,489).

“The boys need more consistency,” Farley said. “A couple guys had almost 70-pin differences in games, and we just can’t have that. They need to do a better job of closing out frames.”

Shawn Jimboy, usually one of the top two bowlers for LHS, finished with a series of only 485, and his score was not used. The other bowlers that finished in the top four were Justin Fox (510), Mark Mercer (496), and Tyler Bailey (496).

LHS will play host Thursday to Topeka West and Olathe South.