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83-Year-Old Man Bowls 834 3-Game Series

Posted on: Monday, 26 January 2004, 06:00 CST

An 83-year-old man threw 30 of a possible 36 strikes to become the oldest man in the United States to bowl an 800-plus series.

Fran Lasee, of De Pere, bowled an 834 in the Aurora BayCare Senior Classic at Willow Creek Lanes last week. Lasee, who turned 83 on Dec. 18, bowled three games of 279, 290 and 265.

According to the latest American Bowling Congress records, the left-handed bowler beat three 77-years-olds for the record.

But Lasee's used to high-scoring games. He bowled two other 800-plus series in 1984 and 1992.

He's also bowled a 700 in each of the last six decades, with his first on April 1, 1958, according to Green Bay Bowling Association records. He also had several in the 1940s in open bowling before the association started keeping records.

He was elected to the GBBA Hall of Fame in 1979.

"I thought I did my best then," he said of his 826 game in 1992. "But it came back again. I was quite surprised (at the 834). I had really good (pin) carry. Everything I threw up there seemed to carry."

Despite his age, Lasee bowls four times a week and averages more than 200 each time.

Lasee retired from the Wisconsin State Reformatory after a 25-year career and worked part-time most of his life until age 79 as a stonecutter.

"I did hard work all my life being a stonecutter, and that has helped me," he said. "It's hard to explain, but I have no aches or pains. No sore knees or legs and no trouble with my hands."

"As long as I bowl well, as long as I don't go down to 170 or a 160 average, I will continue to bowl."

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