The Federal Way Mirror Female Athlete of the Week for Jan. 30 from Thomas Jefferson High School is Laelah Tiquia (So.) bowling.

What is your favorite subject/class in school?

Visual communications

Name your Mount Rushmore G.O.A.T. Athletes (Top 4):

Simone Biles, Verity Crawley, Sydney Brummett, Jason Belmonte

If you could have dinner with anyone (living or from the past), who would it be? Why?

Simone Biles. Even though I am no longer a gymnast, she still continues to inspire me everyday and pushes me to be a better athlete. I would love to sit down and just tell her how much she’s helped me through being a gymnast for 8 years and even now how much her words help me as a bowler.

You’re on a long road trip, you stop at a gas station. You get one drink and one snack. What are you choosing?

Pure leaf sweet tea and hot funions

Describe your favorite post-game meal:

New York steak with sauteed onions and bell peppers and a side Caesar salad.

What is your Walk-up song?

Luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA

From the sidelines:

As the only returning varsity team member, team-captain Laelah Tiquia leads the NPSL with a 203 average. This leader-of-the-pack average is fueled by strikes in 53% of her frames. When she doesn’t strike, Laelah knocks down an average of 9.1 pins on her first shot, and makes over 80% of her spares. These are numbers that rival collegiate athletes at top-universities, and yet, Laelah is only a Sophomore. This season, Laelah is leading TJHS’s team to what looks to be another undefeated season (vs. 3A NPSL schools). Individually, last summer, Laelah won the 2025 U.S. High School Bowling National Championship as a Freshman.