2021 BEF Junior Nationals Underway
Donovan Seymour
The 2021 Billiard Education Foundation Junior National Championship is underway at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas Nevada.
Almost 150 junior competitors, ranging in age from 7 to 22, are playing in a total of ten divisions that span singles and doubles, as well as 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball. The tournament offers an interesting contrast between the older players and their confident strokes, and the younger players who some might need help just to reach the table. Case in point is 7 year old Donovan Seymour from Raymond, California. Seymour, pictured, had to get approval before the event for his platform shoes that allow him to comfortably reach the table.
Play got underway on Tuesday in the six 9-ball divisions. There are divisions for 14 & Under, 16 & Under and 18 & Under Boys and Girls. None of the brackets are anywhere near complete, but the 18 & Under Girls and 16 & Under Girls are both down to two players left on the winner’s side of each division. The 16 & Under Girls division sees Elli Gonzales from Normal, Illinois and Kennedy Meyman from White Bear Lake, Minnesota set to face off for the hot-seat on Thursday. The 18 & Under Girls division hot-seat match, also scheduled for Thursday, will see Massachusetts’s Tiana Jiang facing off against Texan Aryana Lynch.
In addition to the six 9-ball divisions. This event includes an 8-ball division, as well as a 10-ball division. These two divisions are open to players up to the age of 22. The 8-ball division has a field of sixty five players competing, while the 10-ball field is twenty players. As if these eight divisions weren’t enough, there are 14 & Under and 18 & Under Scotch divisions scheduled to kick off on Thursday night.
All of the action can be followed this week with online brackets at compusport.ca and BBTV is streaming select matches on his YouTube and Facebook pages.