Fran Bax

Fran Bax has established himself among the most dominant and high profile bowlers in Niagara Falls and throughout Western New York since the mid-1970s. A star player in his formative years during the early 1970s, Fran developed into one of the first true power players of bowling in the Niagara Frontier. A member of five Halls of Fame - the New York State United States Bowling Congress Bowling Association Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo United States Bowling Congress Association Hall Of Fame, the Tonawandas United States Bowling Congress Association Hall Of Fame the Niagara Falls Bowling Association Hall of Fame, and the Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame - Fran owns many local, state, regional and national bowling tournament titles and honors including selections as “Bowler of the Year” of bowling associations in Buffalo, the Tonawandas and Niagara Falls.

Fran’s bowling accomplishments are highlighted by rolling the-then highest three-game series in the history of the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships Tournament at the former Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center. He bowled an 833 series on games of 256, 298 and 279 in the 1983 USBC Open Championships Tournament Team Event in front of many hundreds of hometown onlookers and spectators on the opening day of the event. That series led Fran’s team – Doug Heim’s Niagara Frontier Bowling Supply – to a wire-to-wire 3286 finish capturing the USBC Tournament Open Championships Team Event title.

Fran finished as the runner-up by one pin in the 1983 USBC Open Championships Tournament All-Events with a 2,058 total. He acquired another USBC Open Championships Tournament runner-up finish in the 1987 Team Event in Jacksonville, FL and holds a 26 year USBC Open Championships Tournament career average of 204. Fran has numerous other top finishes in the USBC Open Championships Tournament.

A winner of six New York State USBC Bowling Association Tournament Championship titles, Fran is a member of the state Team Event champions that rolled a record 3627 series in the 1996 New York State USBC Bowling Association Tournament.

A prolific scorer in league and tournament competition, Fran established many honor scores, rolling 66 perfect 300 games, 25 near-perfect 299 games and 42 three game series of 800 or better in league and tournament competition. An 848 set rolled in league competition in 1995 is Fran’s career high three game series. In 1989, Fran bowled back