This time, it is 20-year-old bowler Jazreel Tan who proves that one can do well in both sports and academia. The sports management undergraduate at the Wichita State University in Kansas is the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award, a top American honour recognising sporting excellence; and she made her debut in United States collegiate bowling only six months ago.
The Wichita bowling team, better known as The Shockers, is the reigning US men and women’s college champions. They are currently leading in the men’s division and are a close second in the women’s. Jazreel has been an integral part of that success, having featured in all nine tournaments since her arrival last October. Her average scores also make her the fifth-best female college bowler in the US, fewer than five pinfalls behind the leader, a truly breathtaking feat.
As if being the most popular candidate for such a prestigious American sport award was not enough already, Jazreel was also the recipient of an academic All-American award given out to outstanding student-athletes. Her grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 out of 4 was more than enough to surpass the minimum mark of 3.5.
National coach Mervyn Foo was all-praise for the high-flying kegler. “She’s a good example to our younger bowlers here”, he said. Surely, that is an understatement.