84 players were in attendance for the $1,000 Added MPA-sanctioned Singles 8-Ball tournament at CR's Sports Bar.
With three separate divisions, players of all abilities had the opportunity to compete against other players of similar ability for the chance at winning some attractive prize money.
The Masters/AA field brought in 27 fierce competitors of high caliber. Players who were ranked "Master" at the state or national level raced to 7 games. AA players raced to 5. AA players who had previously finished in the money in past MPA events raced to 6. Of the field of 27 players, there were fifteen 7's, nine 5's, and three 6's. Mario Parayno (7) marched through the winner's bracket, defeating Dan Voeller (7), Jon DePriest (5), Pao Her (5), Matt Sherman (6), and Lee Heuwagen (7) to capture the driver's seat. Lee went to the one-loss side and defeated young gun Jesse Engel (7) to once again face Mario in the finals. In the finals, Mario and Lee exchanged wins until the score was 5-5. Mario then won the eleventh and twelfth game to finish the match 7-5 and capture first place.
The A/B Division comprised of 44 players of various skill levels. Players ranked "A" had to race to 5 while the "B" ranked players went to 4. On the winner's side, Tony "Diesel" Freelove plowed through the winner's bracket with victories over Mike Lightner (B), Mitch McDonnell (B), Dan Mosley (B), George Bissonnette (B), Jesse Hill (A), and Dave Soika (A) to win the captain's chair of the bracket. Tim Stadther (A) had lost his very first match to young TJ Steinhaus, but then he rolled through the one-loss side of the bracket by defeating Austen Werner (B), Paul Weiher (B), Mike Wolff (B), Lenny Schultz (A), George Bissonnette (B), Cole Vagovich (A), Ken Beissel (A), Jesse Hill (A), and finally retiring Dave Soika (A) for the opportunity to face Diesel in the finals. After winning nine straight matches, Tim faced the challenge of having to win two straight matches in order to claim victory, and he did just that, upending Diesel in two straight sets, 5-3 and 5-2.
The C division is a division that the MPA is really trying to build. This division is designed for the "novice" player who isn't at the rack-running caliber yet. Players in this division would include men who haven't cashed at previous B division tournaments, women's Open players, APA players rated 2-4, M8 open players rated below 75, and M8 Master and Advanced players rated no higher than the mid-50's. The field consisted of 13 players, and it's a very positive start to a continuing effort to build and encourage play and competition for players of this level of ability. Jesse McDonnell came through the winner's side of the bracket with victories over Rich Arendts, Stevie Johnson, and Dave Niesen to capture the hot seat. Stevie Johnson went to the one-loss side, but his determination overcame his competitors as he retired Molly Nistler, Rick Gelle, and Dave Niesen for the opportunity to face Jesse in the finals. Stevie was faced with having to beat Jesse twice in the finals, and did beat Jesse the first set 4-1, but then Jesse caught a gear and captured first place with a decisive 4-0 victory.
The Midwest Poolplayers Association (MPA) would like to thank all the players and spectators come attending and making this event such a huge success. We hope you all had a great time and look forward to seeing you at the upcoming $1,000 Added MPA Singles 8-Ball tournament at Shooters Billiards in Burnsville, MN on February 26th. For more information on this event, and on the $25,000 Added Championships at Treasure Island Resort & Casino on March 17-20, 2011, please check out our website - www.mpapool.com - and make sure you're eligible for these great events!
Final results for CR's Sports Bar:
Masters/AA Division
1. Mario Parayno (7) $500 $780
2. Lee Heuwagen (7) $350 $580
3. Jesse Engel (7) $250 $390
4. Kim Stigall (7) $160 $200
5. Michael Perron Jr (5) $100
5. Matt Sherman (6) $100
7. Freddy Lamers (7) $60
7. Tom Anderson (5) $60
A/B Division
1. Tim Stadther (A) $400
2. Tony "Diesel" Freelove (B) $300
3. Dave Soika (A) $200
4. Jesse Hill (A) $150
5. Ken Beissel (A) $100
5. Bob Bartlett (A) $100
7. Cole Vagovich (A) $70
7. Dan "AA" Kitzman (B) $70
9. George Bissonnette (B) $40
9. Ted Beery (A) $40
9. Erik Rekdal (A) $40
9. Bill Krenik (B) $40
C Division
1. Jesse McDonnell $220
2. Stevie Johnson $160
3. Dave Niesen $100
4. Rick Gelle $50
