Free State's Matthew Eagle gets high fives after making a strike during Sunflower League bowling Thursday at Crown Lanes in Leavenworth.

Leavenworth ? Free State High sophomore Alex Jimenez and junior Matthew Eagle bowled in the same lanes and traded strike after strike during the second game of their three-game series at the Sunflower League bowling championships on Thursday.

Both of the Firebirds rolled strikes for the first seven frames before falling just short of perfect games. Jimenez knocked down six pins on his first roll of the eighth frame, and Eagle left one pin up on his first roll of the 10th frame.

Though their run to a perfect score ended, their performances lifted Free State’s boys bowling team to a Sunflower League title at Crown Lanes in Leavenworth, edging Olathe North by 80 pins. It was the Firebirds’ first boys title since 2008 and second in school history.

Earlier in the afternoon, Lawrence High’s girls bowling team won its first Sunflower League championship in school history. The Lions beat Olathe North by 133 pins, 2,275-2,142.

“When we all start striking, we just get into a groove,” Eagle said. “I don’t know, we just get pumped and it’s good.”

Jimenez, a transfer from Emporia High, finished second individually with a series total of 750. His streak of strikes in the second game led to a score of 253, right after bowling a 260 in his first game.

Eagle finished third individually, just behind Jimenez, with a 690 series. His second game produced a 279, tying his personal-record. Eagle, who picked up a spare and finished with a strike in the 10th frame, said he’s reached a 279 about seven times in his career.

But, both of them admitted to trying to keep their minds off of their scores as the strikes and crowd’s excitement built.

“I thought Eric (Glogau) was going to come with us, too,” Jimenez said. “But once that stopped, I knew I still had someone else to go off with. To get that many strikes with somebody else, it feels like you’ve got (Professional Bowler Association) kind of thing going.”

Lawrence’s girls team just missed out on a league title last season, finishing in second place by 49 pins. The Lions left nothing to chance this year with Ashlee Erickson, Miranda Krom and Morgan Daniels all finishing in the top-seven individually.

Erickson, who took fourth place overall with a 609 series, rebounded from a “rocky start” with a 211 in her second game and ending with a 240.

“I’m very happy,” Erickson said. “It’s beginning to become the icing to my senior year of bowling.”

Daniels improved each game, rolling a 187 in her middle game and a 212 in her final game. Krom opened with a 232, despite tough lane conditions, on her way to a 570 series.

“It’s pretty flooded in the middle so it’s kind of hard to find your mark,” Daniels said of the lane’s oil. “I had to slow it down and move, like, five boards to the right.”

Free State’s girls bowling team took fifth place as a team, jumping up from eighth last year. Junior Gentry Jordan and senior Bri Martin finished ninth and 10th overall, respectively. They both rolled scores above 210 in their second games.

“I think I’ve could’ve done better but the lanes were a little hard to get used to,” Martin said. “I’m overall happy with how I did. … I think fifth place is the best we’ve done in a while so I’m happy with it.”

Lawrence’s boys bowling team took sixth place, led by freshman Javier Lemmons, who scored 218 in his first game and had a 575 series.

Both schools will compete in regionals at 11 a.m. Thursday at Royal Crest Lanes.

Sunflower League bowling championships

Thursday at Crown Lanes in Leavenworth

Girls three-game series

Varsity team scores: Lawrence 2275, Olathe North 2142, Shawnee Mission West 2139, Olathe East 2063, Free State 2046, Olathe South 2004, Shawnee Mission North 1952, Shawnee Mission Northwest 1937, Leavenworth 1848, Olathe Northwest 1831, Shawnee Mission South 1474, Shawnee Mission East 1466.

Lawrence High girls varsity

1. Ashlee Erickson, 158-211-240 — 609; 6. Miranda Krom, 232-153-185 — 570; 7. Morgan Daniels, 170-187-212 — 569; Izzy Schmidtberger, 138-189-149 — 476; Diamonique Vann, 171-171-134 — 476; Holly Evans, 152-158-145 — 455.

Free State girls varsity

1. Gentry Jordan, 159-213-181 — 553; 10. Bri Martin, 169-212-161 — 542; Sarah Pesce, 180-159-163 — 502; Jamie Souders, 154-147-140 — 441; Chaise Hegrenes, 152-120-137 — 409; Maddy Dethloff, 119-155-115 – 389.

Boys three-game series

Varsity team scores: Free State 2670, Olathe North 2590, Olathe East 2543, Leavenworth 2449, Olathe South 2368, Lawrence 2291, Shawnee Mission West 2200, Shawnee Mission Northwest 2190, Olathe Northwest 2186, Shawnee Mission East 2182, Shawnee Mission North 2112, Shawnee Mission South 2080.

Free State boys varsity

1. Alex Jimenez, 260-253-237 — 750; 3. Matthew Eagle, 178-279-233 — 690; Eric Glogau, 184-212-184 — 580; Avery Allen, 195-175-203 — 573; Tyrease Richards, 227-163-151 — 541; Matt Meseke, 165-203-161 — 529.

Lawrence High boys varsity

Javier Lemmons, 218-193-164 — 575; Adonis Stanwix, 137-195-207 — 539; Hunter Krom, 181-189-146 — 516; Ivan Davidson, 130-184-200 — 514; Dillon Schroeder, 173-126-202 — 501; Sam Thomas, 177-111-172 — 460.