The tenth stop of the 2005/2006 McDermott All American Tour (produced by the American CueSports Alliance - ACS) - titled "The 2nd Annual Amateur Winter Shootout" - featured a $5,000-added purse and ninety-nine players, hosted by owner Jon VanRoekel at Lassiter's Billiards in Clinton, Iowa, on the weekend of January 27-29. The event featured double-elimination 8-ball on 7-foot Valley bar boxes, and in the 73-player men's division ($3,500 added) former pro Scott Kitto of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ran undefeated through the winner's bracket. In the hot-seat match, Kitto whitewashed bar table wizard Jesse Bowman (E. Moline, IL) 5-0. In the loser's bracket quarterfinals, Rich Bideaux (Moline, IL) eliminated Toney Bringman (Victor, IA) 5-1, while Chad Vilmont (Clinton, IA) ousted Josh Johnson (Bettendorf, IA) 5-4. Vilmont then stopped Bideaux 5-3 in the loser's bracket semifinals. The loser's bracket finals saw Bowman relegate Chad Vilmont to 3rd place by a 5-2 margin. The event finals was again a showcase of the player losing only because of dry breaks. Bowman prevailed 5-0 in the first set, but the tables were turned with Bowman dry breaking on the same table in the deciding set for Scott Kitto to claim the title by another 5-0 margin.
In the 26-player women's division ($1,500 added), Barb Hamilton (Silvis, IL) lost early to Maria Lara (Sterling, IL) 3-4, but recovered to get a seat in the finals by eliminating Janey Finn (Clinton, IA) 4-3 in the loser's bracket quarterfinals, Jacqui Herrera (Bartlett, IL) 4-2 in the loser's bracket semifinals and revenge in the loser's bracket finals with Hamilton's ousting of Maria Lara 4-3. Hamilton's opponent in the event finals was undefeated Rhonda Moses (Jefferson City, MO) who had clipped Lara 4-3 in the winner's bracket finals. Barb Hamilton was up to the challenge, as she vanquished Moses twice 4-2, 4-3 for the crown.
Semifinals and finals matches in both divisions were taped for broadcast across eastern Iowa television in the following week.
Both Barb Hamilton and Jesse Bowman received the added reward of each receiving a free entry to the 2006 ACS Nationals in Las Vegas in June by virtue of being the highest-finishing ACS members in their respective divisions. Jon VanRoekel donated one of his McDermott Cues to the Make-A-Wish Foundation raffle. The ACS wishes to thank sponsors McDermott Handcrafted Cues, Silver Cup Chalk, PJ's Billiard Supply Co. and Samm's Side Pocket Productions for their support in donating "Value-In-Kind" product for this and all stops on the McDermott All American Tour. Sponsorship opportunities are still available by contacting the ACS.
The next Tour stop will be a $500 added 9-Ball tournament at Leisure Time Billiards in E. Moline, Illinois, Saturday, February 4. For onsite entry details, contact owner Dwaine Bowman at 309-752-9559. Information and schedules for the 2005/2006 McDermott All American Tour are available at www.americancuesports.org. The ACS is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States and North America.
Final Results:
(Men)
1st Scott Kitto (Cedar Rapids, IA) $2,000
2nd Jesse Bowman (E. Moline, IL) $1,100 + free ACS Nationals entry
3rd Chad Vilmont (Clinton, IA) $700
4th Rich Bideaux (Moline, IL) $500
5-6th Toney Bringman (Victor, IA) $275
Josh Johnson (Bettendorf, IA)
7-8th Jamey Bowman (E. Moline, IL) $200
Jerrod Frideres (Ft. Dodge, IA)
9-12th Jeremy Schroeder (Coralville, IA) $150
Jim LaFavre (Rock Falls, IL)
Ernesto Contreras (Chicago, IL)
Al Birkett (Clinton, IA)
13-16th Tony Maresca (Clinton, IA) $125
Cale Enbait (Ryan, IA)
Chuck Ferrero (Westmont, IL)
Frank DeCastecker (Moline, IL)
17-24th Jerry Lampe (Clinton, IA) $100
Matt VanKampen (Clinton, IA)
Todd Burkhardt (Clinton, IA)
Jerry Behnke (Farley, IA)
Jeremy Coy (Sterling, IL)
Brandon Giberson (Peoria, IL)
Ryan Behnke (Farley, IA)
Mike Dunklin (Bloomington, IL)
(Women)
1st Barb Hamilton (Silvis, IL) $1,000 + free ACS Nationals entry
2nd Rhonda Moses (Jefferson City, MO) $600
3rd Maria Lara (Sterling, IL) $400
4th Jacqui Herrera (Bartlett, IL) $300
5-6th Pat Hajne (Milan, IL) $150
Janey Finn (Clinton, IA)
7-8th Laura Johnson (Clinton, IA) $100
Mary Lynn Breitenbach (Moline, IL)
