Olsen Goes On Tear

Like any athlete in any sport, a bowler can get on a hot streak. Maybe put together a few 700 or even 800 series; roll a couple 300 games in a short amount of time.
In a 10-day span from Nov. 21 to Dec. 1, Jay Olsen went beyond hot. He got nuclear.
During that period, the 30-year-old Spring Hill resident shot four 820 series spanning two local houses, Spring Hill Lanes and Mariner Lanes.
"I had a whole open shot," Olsen said. "I can miss inside or outside, it didn't matter. And I carried, too.
"I was throwing the ball good, too, but it didn't matter where I put it on the lanes. It kind of had a homing beacon to the pocket."
It started on Nov. 21 in the T.G.I.F. League at Spring Hill Lanes, with an 827. Two days later he rolled both a 300 and 826 in the Spring Hill Singles Championship Tournament.
That following Wednesday, Olsen again hit 827 in the Kevin's Pro Shop League, giving him three in six days at Spring Hill Lanes.
The next Monday, this time at Mariner Lanes, Olsen hit the first 21 strikes in a row with a 300 in the first game and finished the night with an 822 in the Coca-Cola Classic.
"I didn't really think about it that much," Olsen said. "I just wanted to keep doing it. Once you think about it, it's like 'whoa.'
"That's something you read about in the magazine that comes every month (U.S. Bowler), some guy in Wichita or Montana."
He now has five 800s this winter season, including an 804 in the T.G.I.F. on Oct. 17, and four 300s. He has 24 300s and 11 800s overall, including a then county-record 855 in 2002.
"Usually my 300s come once every three months," Olsen said. "I've only thrown four in a season twice."

BY THE NUMBERS: JAY OLSEN'S 820 STREAK
Date        Series     House                    League
11-21       827          Spring Hill             T.G.I.F.
11-23       826*        Spring Hill             S.H. Singles Champ.
11-26       827          Spring Hill             Kevin's Pro Shop
12-01       822*        Mariner                  Coca-Cola Classic
* Included 300 game