Prairie pair on their games

CEDAR RAPIDS - Laura Schmidt does not have to look far to find inspiration on the bowling lanes.Right beside her is Cedar Rapids Prairie teammate Tiffany Williams - her varsity sidekick for three years. Those two juniors are separated by only three pins among the Mississippi Valley Conference's elite bowlers.Entering last Friday's competition, Williams had an average of 194.8, compared to 191.8 for Schmidt."(Having Williams as a teammate) helps me concentrate more," Schmidt said. "She gets me pumped to keep going on. I know what she's doing wrong, and she knows what I'm doing wrong."They have their sights set on helping the undefeated Hawks reach the state tournament and posting a regular-season victory over MVC powerhouse Jefferson Feb. 17 along the way."We've had our differences, but we're always there for each other and helping each other bowl," Williams said. "We both know the way we throw our balls and when we need to adjust. We just help each other out as much as possible."Both bowlers were all-MVC last season - Williams a first-team pick and Schmidt a second-teamer - but Prairie struggled to a fifth-place finish at a regional, missing out on state."They get family support. They practice, and they're proud of what they do," Prairie Coach Don Willfong said. "They're achievers."They also try not to get caught up in the moment when throwing a big ball. Concentration is key, and the Hawks do a good job of supporting each other in that regard."I try to stay pumped and keep the other girls pumped up," Williams said. "I try to stay calm when it gets to the nitty-gritty of the last few pins. When we hit that, nerves are everything."When you get up there, you take a deep breath and say to yourself, 'I can do this.' It's just a head game."Schmidt and Williams were on their games against Iowa City West this season.Schmidt rolled a 233 game in a two-game 421 series. Williams followed at 414 with games of 203 and 211.n Contact the writer: (319) 339-3177 or

By John RiehlThe Gazette john.riehl@gazettecommunications.com

john.riehl@gazcomm.com

         (Sait Serkan Gurbuz photos/The Gazette)Cedar Rapids Prairie bowler Tiffany Williams of Cedar Rapids sends the ball down the lane last Friday against Cedar Rapids Washington at Lancer Lanes in Cedar Rapids. Williams averages 194.8 pins per game for the Hawks.

Cedar Rapids Prairie bowling coach Don Willfong instructs Briana Willfong of Ely during a dual meet Friday against Cedar Rapids Washington at Lancer Lanes.