The American CueSports Alliance (ACS) conducted its most successful national championships to date with a record $36,500 in added prize monies drawing players from throughout North America to twenty-three divisions of competition at the 2012 Lucasi Hybrid ACS National Championships in Las Vegas.  Over 90% of attendees chose the host hotel, the Tropicana Las Vegas, for lodging – primarily attracted by early-bird hotel rates and discounted entry fees.  The Tropicana Las Vegas is near the center of the action on the Las Vegas strip, and the dates – May 5-11 – and the gorgeous setting of this renovated property have quickly won over the players as a great site for pool action!  The biggest highlight of these Championships was San Antonio TX capturing four of the nine team titles up for grabs!

Singles action began at the first of the week with handicapped 9-ball.  Dustin Gunia of Omaha, NE,  improved on his 4th place performance in 2011 by outperforming fellow Nebraskan – Chris Siefken (Lincoln, NE) – in the finals for the title by a 10-4 margin.  On the distaff side, Susan Orr (Las Vegas, NV) took two sets in the final against Richmond, Kentucky’s Samantha Patton (2-5, 5-2) to earn her crown! Results from the many divisions of 8-ball singles included: Dustin Gunia performing a rare double by outpointing Glenn Atwell (Clay Center, KS) 7-4 in the finals of Men’s Advanced Singles 8-Ball;  Jessica Frideres (Fort Dodge, IA) adding to her growing list of ACS Nationals titles with a come-from-behind, two-set finals decision over undefeated Kawania Watson (San Antonio, TX) in the Women’s Advanced 8-Ball Singles – 7-3/7-4;  Richard Louapre (Jersey City, NJ) double-dipping undefeated Robert Nelson (Sycamore, IL) 5-4/5-3 for the Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles championship; Susan Orr scoring another title with a 4-2 finals defeat of Mandy Schneider-Hood (Houston, TX) for the Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles laurels; undefeated Joey Glover (Virginia Beach, VA) outdistancing David Field (Calgary, AB) in the first set of the finals – 5-3 – for the Men’s Standard 8-Ball Singles division success; and Bernadine Crowchild (Calgary, AB) besting Arlene David (Virginia Beach, VA) by a 4-1 margin for the Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles glory.  

In the senior-aged 8-ball singles divisions, Dennis Brown (Creston, BC) took down Claude Gragg III (Arlington, TX) in the deciding set of the finals, 5-3, for the Men’s Senior (55+) 8-Ball Singles crown;  Shawn Modelo (Antioch, CA) captured her third straight Women’s Senior (50+) 8-Ball Singles title by clipping Susan Kornerly (Two Rivers, WI) 4-3 in the finals; and Keith Parker (Henderson, NV) needed only one finals set to take the Super Senior (65+) Singles 8-Ball Singles title from Charles Smith (Whitesboro, TX) by a 5-2 margin!

The two Scotch Doubles 8-Ball divisions included the powerhouse duo of Dustin Gunia and Jessica Frideres (each winners of their respective Advanced Singles 8-Ball divisions) defending their 2011 title in the Advanced Scotch Doubles division with a narrow 7-6 finals win over Susan Orr/Ricky White (Las Vegas, NV); while the Canadian team of Anne Sinclair/ Michael Therrien (ON) needed just one set as well to claim 4-2 victory over Grand Junction, Colorado’s Sandra Walsh and David Miles in the Open Scotch Doubles category.

With the ACS schedule in the latter portion of the week allowing non-conflicting accommodation of entry into both 9-ball and 8-ball team competitions, there was still plenty of competition to keep every player involved – especially those out of the money who automatically qualified for free second-chance team divisions!  In the Men’s Advanced 8-Ball Team division, Dick’s Pick [Greg Kuhl, Donnie Branson, Rocky Phipps, Fred Boggs, Lyn Wechsler and Jimmy Moore] (Las Vegas, NV) defended its 2011 title by eclipsing Virginia’s Brass Bell 13-8 in the title match.  The Women’s Advanced 8-Ball Team division showcased Knaw Kaw Min [Becky Mowdy, Brandy Phillips, Judy Griffith, Sherry Griffin and Jan Aust] (WA) battling to a final’s win over Ontario’s Eenie Meenie Miney Moe.  At this point, Team Mireles from San Antonio, TX started collecting titles.  In the Men’s Open 8-Ball Team competition, undefeated Team Mireles [Frank Ferrer, Shane Manaole, Pat Powers, Jacob Jimenez, Rick Robles, Gerard Jimenez, Lupe Sanchez and Eric Aicinena] outdistanced New York’s Foreign Policy 13-9 in the title match.  The Women’s Open 8-Ball Team division showcased the Virginia team of Footers Femme Fatale [Alena Joyce, Tiffiny Ebner, Diana Wirt and Marcia Schomburg] recovering from big deficits in two sets of the finals (2-7/4-7) to claim the top prize by 10-8/10-7 scores over Iowa’s No Balls Just Racks.  

The Men’s Standard 8-Ball Team division witnessed a similar rebound for eventual winner, The Tribe (BC) [Tyler Chan, Doug Narcisse, Charles Narcisse, Adam Beeds and Bill Armstrong].  In the first match of the tournament, The Tribe faced Las Vegas’s Dick’ Pick and trailed 8-12 before recovering for a 13-12 win.  Dick’s Pick was not deterred and marched through the B-side of the bracket for another shot at The Tribe in the finals.  Again, The Tribe was down again at 9-12, but won the last four games for the Championship by another 13-12 margin!   In the Women’s Standard 8-Ball Team division, Virginia’s Inland Reef 1 [Michelle Carawan, Tavonia Millender, Beverly Michelle Carawan, Teresa Price, Jennifer O’Brien and Ashley Hoover] took the undefeated route to the finals and repelled El Paso’s Twinz by a 10-7 margin for the crown.

The 3-person 9-ball team divisions were swept by San Antonio TX!  Once-defeated Team Mireles Too [Rick Robles, Shane Manaole, Pat Powers and Gerard Jimenez] took down Las Vegas’s Ray’s Babys in two sets by 19-17/19-11 margins for the Men’s Advanced 9-Ball Team title.  Another San Antonio team, Vito’s Ladies [Mary Ida Gamez, Elizabeth Blancas, Kawania Watson and Sophie Lopez], captured the Women’s Open 9-Ball Team laurels with a 10-8 victory over Eenie Meenie Miney Moe [ON].  In the Men’s Open 9-Ball Team category, Team Mireles [Frank Ferrer Jr., Jacob Jimenez, Lupe Sanchez and Eric Aicinena] struck again with a 19-13 finals decision over New York’s Foreign Policy (victims in the MOT8 finals as well!).

In the 8th Annual ACS National Artistic Pool Championships, Connie Eddins of Santee CA. edged out the boys for the title.  ACS would like to especially thank our title sponsor – Lucasi Hybrid Cues, as well as Gary Benson and his tournament direction staff at High Country Promotions, as well as the exhibiting vendors and the host site – the Tropicana Las Vegas!  The ACS Nationals is already looking to returning to the Tropicana May 11-17, 2013!  The ACS is a national non-profit, member-governed association which will sanction any local pool league (whether player-run or owner-operated) via a $10 annual sanction fee.  Contact the ACS at 1-888-662-1705 or www.americancuesports.org for complete information on sanctioning your league! 

The ACS currently sanctions leagues in 38 states and enjoys reciprocal relations with its sister organization in Canada (Canadian Cue Sport Association – CCS).  Twelve state associations are affiliated to ACS; and the ACS offers a Lucasi Hybrid Midwest ACS Championships each January at the Riverside Resort & Casino in Iowa.  The ACS produces a national amateur Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour each Fall thru Spring and offers certification for both instructors and referees dedicated to the sport.

FINAL RESULTS: 

Men’s 9-Ball Singles ($1,500 added) 

1st Dustin Gunia (Omaha, NE) $1,350 + Trophy

2nd Chris Siefken (Lincoln, NE) $1,000 + Trophy

3rd Wayne Graves (Orillia, ON) $705 + Trophy

4th Bill Mason (Virginia Beach, VA) $450

5-6th Brian Jones (Monmouth, IL) $300

Don Branson II (Las Vegas, NV)

7-8th Kenneth Brisbon (Oxford, MI) $250

Richard Burke (St. John’s, NL)

9-12th Victor Tyynismaa (Lake Havasu, AZ) $200

Jason Kane (New York, NY)

James Dozier (Scotia, NY)

Ted Mauro (Pueblo, CO)

13-16th Rodney Browne III (Westlake, LA) $150

David Sowards (Huntington, WV)

Austin Sissel (Sioux City, IA)

Dennis Brown (Creston, BC)

17-24th Michael Bein (Virginia Beach, VA) $100

Joseph Evinger (Milwaukie, OR)

Ricardo Espinosa (Austin, TX)

William Frisby (Floodwood, MN)

Freddie Boggs (Henderson, NV)

Zenon Rawley (Jensen Beach, FL)

Robert Brown (Leesville, LA)

Thomas Carawan (Virginia Beach, VA)

Women’s 9-Ball Singles ($1,000 added) 

1st Susan Orr (Las Vegas, NV) $800 + Trophy

2nd Samantha Patton (Richmond,KY) $500 + Trophy

3rd Shari Rice (Omaha, NE) $350 + Trophy

4th Claudia Morado (Phoenix, AZ) $280

5-6th Rhonda Wright (Westlake, LA) $225

Connie Eddins (Santee, CA)

7-8th Sylvia Flater (West Valley, UT) $175

Jennifer Fugman (Monmouth, IL)

9-12th Mandy Schneider-Hood (Houston, TX) $125

Jamie Toennies (Largo, FL)

Jessica Frideres (Fort Dodge, IA)

Teresa Perser (Ball, LA)

Men’s Advanced 8-Ball Singles ($3,000 added) 

1st Dustin Gunia (Omaha, NE) $2,000 + Trophy

2nd Glenn Atwell (Clay Center, KS) $1,200 + Trophy

3rd Chris Siefken (Lincoln, NE) $800 + Trophy

4th Donald Branson (Las Vegas, NV) $500

5-6th Freddie Boggs (Hendersaon, NV) $300

Kenneth Brisbon (Oxford, MI)

Men’s Advanced 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Seaqn Morgan (New York, NY) $400

2nd Derrick Cantu (Alexandria, LA) $190

Women’s Advanced 8-Ball Singles ($3,000 added) 

1st Jessica Frideres (Fort Dosge, IA) $1,500 + Trophy

2nd Kawania Watson (San Antonio, TX) $1,000 + Trophy

3rd Paula Reeder (Ewing, MO) $700 + Trophy

4th Toni Sakamoto (Calgary, AB) $500

5-6th Teresa Perser (Ball, LA) $300

Kit Dennis (Ridgefield, WA)

Women’s Advanced 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Jamie Toennies (Largo, FL) $300

2nd Jan Aust (Bend,OR) $195

Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles ($1,500 added)

1st Richard Louapre (Jersey City, NJ) $2,000 + Trophy

2nd Robert Nelson (Sycamore, IL) $1,300 + Trophy

3rd Jason Kane (New York, NY) $1,000 + Trophy

4th Wendell Dean Lawson (Versailles, KY) $710

5-6th Ephriam Day (Hamilton, ON) $550

Richard Robles (San Antonio, TX)

7-8th Donald O’Connor (Sulphur, LA) $400

David Sowards (Huntington, WV)

9-12th Ricardo Espinosa (Austin, TX) $300

Harry Kernodle (Norfolk, VA)

Aaron Watchmaker (Kehewin, AB)

Joseph Hughes III (Chesapeake, VA)

13-16th Calvin Gulley (Lexington, KY) $200

Ted Harms (Calgary, AB)

Samuel Bruso (Calgary, AB)

David Perry (Virginia Beach, VA)

17-24th Bruce Moorhees Sr. (Waverly, NY) $150

Jason Weinhold (Ennismore. ON)

Lupe Sanchez (San Antonio, TX)

Brian Carson (Calgary, AB)

Julian Russell (Fort McMurray, AB)

John Pawluk (Calgary, AB) 

Austin Sissel (Sioux City, IA)

Wayne Graves (Orillia, ON)

Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Lance Mayer (Sycamore, IL) $300

2nd Chris McCreary (Las Vegas. NV) $200

3-4th Erik Otto (Bloomingdale, IL) $100

Michael McNaughton (Virginia Beach, VA)

Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles ($1,500 added)

1st Susan Orr (Las Vegas, NV) $1,500 + Trophy

2nd Mandy Schneider-Hood (Houston, TX) $1,000 + Trophy

3rd Melinda Bailey (Fort Worth, TX) $700 + Trophy

4th Samantha Patton (Richmond, KY) $500

5-6th April Jockisch (Rio Rancho, NM) $350

Amy Encinias (Las Vegas, NV)

7-8th Sylvia Flater (West Valley City, UT) $250

Michelle Jarrell (Spring Hill, FL)

9-12th Sophia Lopez (San Antonio, TX) $150

Trina Blackman (Cold Lake, AB)

Stefanie Virag (Georgetown, ON)

Jennifer Fugman (Monmouth, IL)

13-16th Janet Smith (Clearwater, FL) $120

Rachel Klein-Johnson (Lockport, IL)

Mary Ellen Clements (Winter Park, FL)

Tiffiny Ebner (Norfolk, VA)

Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Anne Sinclair (Orono, ON) $300

2nd Valerie Porter (Los Angeles, CA) $200

3-4th Michele Gonzalez (Peoria, AZ) $100

Claudia Miller (Tulsa, OK)

Men’s Standard 8-Ball Singles ($1,000 added)

1st Joseph Glover (Virginia Beach, VA) $1,500 + Trophy

2nd David Field (Calgary, AB) $1,000 + Trophy

3rd Michael Nichols (Virginia Beach, VA) $700 + Trophy

4th Gordon Graham (N. Las Vegas, NV) $505

5-6th Jeffrey Huston (Antioch, CA) $350

David Miles (Delta, CO)

7-8th Paul Cochran (Minneapolis, MN) $250

Shane Evans (Milton, WV)

9-12th Brad Hedges (Virginia Beach, VA) $175

Norbert Fonte (Las Vegas, NV)

Doug Douglas (Menomonee Falls, WI)

David Newnam (Virginia Beach, VA)

13-16th Anthony Ortiz (Virginia Beach, VA) $125

Christopher Pemberton (Virginia Beach, VA)

Francis Kornerly (Two Rivers, WI)

Eldon Vansandt (Calgary, AB)

Men’s Standard 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Ryan Peterson (Burnsville, MN) $300

2nd Mark East (Creston, BC) $200

3-4th Layne Arthur (Regina, SK) $100

Mark Dancel (Virginia Beach, VA)

Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles ($1,000 added)

1st Bernadine Crowchild (Calgary, AB) $900 + Trophy

2nd Arlene David (Virginia Beach, VA) $600 + Trophy

3rd Joanne Ricard (Hamilton, ON) $380 + Trophy

4th Suzanne Shoul (Glen Rock, PA) $250

5-6th Sarah Justis (Virginia Beach, VA) $200

Christie Tipper (Campbell River, BC)

Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Tina Miles (Suffolk, VA) $300

2nd Heidi McCarter (Portsmouth, VA) $200

3-4th Jennifer Schlichting (Taylorsville, UT) $100

Edith Waldon (Norfolk, VA)

Men’s Senior 8-Ball Singles ($1,000 added)

1st Dennis Brown (Creston, BC) $1,100 + Trophy

2nd Claude Gragg III (Arlington, TX) $720 + Trophy

3rd William Mason (Virginia Beach, VA) $500 + Trophy

4th Raynald Deveault (W. Kelowna, BC ) $350

5-6th Brian Trudel (Calgary, AB) $250

Stewart Hunter (Cambridge, ON)

7-8th Robert Brown (Leesville, LA) $150

Richard Arensdorf (Lexington, KY)

Men’s Senior 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Rodney Browne (Westlake, LA) $300

2nd Richard Burke (St. John’s, NL) $150

3-4th Roger Anderson (Boise, ID) $90

Derrell Smith (Lake Charles, LA)

Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles ($1,000 added)

1st Shawn Modelo (Antioch, CA) $1,000 + Trophy

2nd Susan Kornerly (Two Rivers, WI) $700 + Trophy

3rd Kim Anderson (Boise, ID) $500 + Trophy

4th Patience West (Litchfield Park, AZ) $300

Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st Katherine Noordman (Courtice, ON) $200

2nd Connie Lackey (Portage, IN) $100

Super Senior 8-Ball Singles ($1,000 added)

1st Keith Parker (Henderson, NV) $1,000 + Trophy

2nd Charles Smith (Whitesboro, TX) $700 + Trophy

3rd Randy Goettlicher (Carrollton, TX) $500 + Trophy

4th Joseph Turner (Tampa, FL) $350

5-6th Thomas Fankhauser (Decatur, IL) $250

Madison Adkins (Winchester, KY)

7-8th Zenon Rawley (Jensen Beach, FL) $150

Vincent Modelo (Antioch, CA)

Super Senior 8-Ball Singles – 2nd Chance Division

1st John Alexis (St. Paul, MN) $200

2nd Jerome Iafollo (Steger, IL) $110 

Advanced Scotch Doubles ($500 added)

1st Jessica Frideres/ Dustin Gunia (NE/IA) $1,000 + Trophies

2nd Susan Orr/ Ricky White (NE) $600 + Trophies

3rd Teresa Perser/Derrick Cantu (LA) $330 + Trophies

4th Shari Rice/Jerrod Frideres (NE/IA) $200

5-6th Gina Knight/Kenneth Brisbon (IL/MI) $100

Rhonda Wright/ Robert Hawes (LA)

Open Scotch Doubles

1st Anne Sinclair/ Michael Therrien (ON) $1,000 + Trophies

2nd Sandra Walsh/ David Miles (CO) $654 + Trophies

3rd Claudio Morado/ Breck Young (AZ) $400 + Trophies

4th April Jockisch/ Richard Jockisch (NM) $300

5-6th Misty Bennett/ David Sowards (WV) $250

Ashley Hoover/ Kory Velazquez (VA)

7-8th Arlene David/ William Mason (VA) $200

Traci Reilly/ David Newnam (VA)

9-12th Rumi Brown/ Joey Glover (VA) $150

Melissa Carawan / Joseph Hughes (VA)

Maria Simonson/ Christopher Carpenter (AZ)

Sandi Peterson/ Dan Johnson (AB)

13-16th Yvonne Roadcap/ Rodney Roadcap (VA) $100

Michele Gonzalez/ Ronnie Vires (AZ)

Alena Joyce/ Joe Wood (VA)

Cassandra Bein / Michael Bein (VA)

Men’s Advanced 8-Ball Teams ($3,000 added)

1st Dick’s Pick (NV) $2,245 + Trophies

2nd Brass Bell (VA) $1,400 + Trophies

3rd American Legion 313 (KY) $1,000 + Trophies

Men’s Advanced 8-Ball Teams – 2nd Chance Division

1st Wrecking Crew (LA) $500

Women’s Advanced 8-Ball Teams ($3,000 added)

1st Knaw Kaw Min (WA) $2,290 + Trophies

2nd Eenie Meenie Miney Moe (ON) $1,300 + Trophies

Men’s Open 8-Ball Teams ($2,000 added)

1st Team Mireles (TX) $2,500 + Trophies

2nd Foreign Policy (NY) $1,600 + Trophies

3rd Hot Shots (AZ) $1,000 + Trophies

4th Damaged Goods (AB) $750

5-6th Nite Hawk (OR) $500

Knuckleheads (VA)

7-8th Rose & Jim’s 2 (KY) $360

Untouchable (WV)

Men’s Open 8-Ball Teams – 2nd Chance Division

1st ERO Speedwagon (ON) $300

2nd Classic Cues (CO) $200

3-4th Tap Out Trio (OK) $100

T’s Bar (CO)

5-8th Str8 Ballin’ (BC) $75

Squires Fryars (KY)

Bull Shooters (OH)

43rd Avenue Tavern Rumors (AZ)

Women’s Open 8-Ball Teams ($2,000 added)

1st Footers Femme Fatale (VA) $2,000 + Trophies

2nd No Balls Just Racks (IA) $1,080 + Trophies

3rd Lucky Monkey 4-Some (TX) $600 + Trophies

4th One Shot Wonders (OK) $400

Women’s Open 8-Ball Teams – 2nd Chance Division

1st After Eight (FL) $300

2nd No Where To Go (OK) $200

3-4th Deli Avengers (AZ) $100

NDN Time (AB)

Men’s Standard 8-Ball Teams ($2,000 added)

1st The Tribe (BC) $1,500 + Trophies

2nd Dick’s Picks (NV) $1,000 + Trophies

3rd Rack-Em Inc. (BC) $615 + Trophies

4th Ball Busters (MN) $400

5-6th Rearview Athletic League (NM) $300

Koushins (AB)

7-8th Ready Room (VA) $225

Footers Rack Attack (VA)

9-12th Know Names (UT) $150

Greenie’s (VA)

Don’t Break Our Balls (BC)

Megalomania (SK)

Men’s Standard 8-Ball Teams – 2nd Chance Division

1st Don’t Hold It Against Us (CO) $300

2nd Cue Ball Wizards (SK) $200

3-4th Lights (TX) $100

Screaming Pterodactyls (NM)

5-8th Moosefits (KY) $75

Enochs Troublemakers (AZ)

Banque Just The Tip (VA)

Hollie’s Hopefuls (ON)

Women’s Standard 8-Ball Teams ($2,000 added)

1st Inland Reef 1 (VA) $1,200 + Trophies

2nd Twinz (TX) $900 + Trophies

3rd Finish Line (IL) $600 + Trophies

4th Hard 2 Handle (TX) $370

Women’s Standard 8-Ball Teams – 2nd Chance Division

1st Venus Envy (BC) $300

2nd Blane’s Cue T’s (UT) $100

Men’s Advanced 9-Ball Teams ($2,000 added)

1st Team Mireles Too (TX) $1,785 + Trophies

2nd Ray’s Babys (NV) $1,100 + Trophies

3rd Dick’s Picks (NV) $700 + Trophies

4th Team Canada Eh! (AB) $300 

Women’s Open 9-Ball Teams ($1,500 added)

1st Vito’s Ladies (TX) $1,200 + Trophies

2nd Eenie Meenie Miney Moe (ON) $800 + Trophies

3rd The Spin Stops Here (IL) $500 + Trophies

4th Beach Brats (VA) $325

Men’s Open 9-Ball Teams ($1,500 added)

1st Team Mireles (TX) $1,500 + Trophies

2nd Foreign Policy (NY) $1,000 + Trophies

3rd Island Reef Bob (VA) $700 + Trophies

4th Nite Hawk (OR) $485

5-6th Zang !!! (AB) $300

Make It Hurt (VA)

7-8th The Buccaneers (FL) $150

Easy 9 (PA)

8th Annual ACS National Artistic Pool Championship ($500 added)

1st Connie Eddins (Santee, CA) $300 + Plaque 

2nd   Mark East (Creston, BC) $200 + Plaque 

3rd Jerrod Frideres (Fort Dodge, IA) $100 

4th Stacey Lantz (St. Petersburg, FL) $37.50  

5th Dean Lawson (Lexington, KY) $37.50   

6th Darren Blackman (Edmonton, AB) $25 

7th Ralph Cohan (Virginia Beach, VA) $25 

8th Jason Kane (New York, NY) $25 

Scotch Doubles Best Dressed:

Ashley Hoover and Thomas Carawan (VA)

Men’s Best Dressed Team:

Easy 9 (York, PA)  

Women’s Best Dressed Team:

 Felt On Table (Hamilton, ON) – sponsored by Hank’s Place and Dizzy Weasel

League Operators of the Year:

Stanley Bare – Greater Huntington Amateur 8-Ball League (Huntington, WV)

Wayne Hicks – 8-Ball Express (Rhome, TX) 

Steve Smith – Illinois Valley ACS (Ottawa, IL) 

Diane Thompson – Tri-Cities Independent Pool League (Haltom City, TX)

Mike Wilson – Southern Amusement Pool League (Norfolk, VA) 

Referee of the Year:

W.C. Dixon (Holly Lake Ranch, TX)

2012 USBA National 3-Cushion Championships

Name Grand Average Prize Money

1. Pedro Piedrabuena 1.497 $4,000

2. Mazin Shooni 1.139 $3,000

3. Sonny Cho 1.091 $2,000

4. Hugo Patino 1.073 $1,800

5. Jae Hyung Cho 1.199 $1,600

6. Khalil Diab 0.777 $1,400

7. Miguel Torres 1.265 $1,200

8. Michael Kang 0,836 $1,000

9. Thank Vu 0.916 $400

10. Lupe Cuzzi 0.752 $400

11. Frank Torres 0.750 $400

12. Victor Cuzzi 0.676 $400

13. Dung Nguyen 0.630 $350

14. Peter Banyai 0.675 $350

15. Gary Elias 0.538 $350

16. Tom Rossman 0.414 $350

17. Fred Lamers 0.723 $300

18. Gary Cohen 0.622 $300

19. Jim Henrickson 0.488 $300

20. Joe DeAmato 0.480 $300

Best Game: Pedro Piedrabuena $200

High Run: Hugo Patino $200

Saratoga, Wyoming-  Players from the west and all around the US will return to Saratoga once more for the 5th Annual Wyoming Open. The event is renown to be the biggest and best pool event in the state drawing over a 150 players in different divisions. From beginner, intermediate, and even pro/open level tournaments will all be available March 30- April 1. The event kicks in $8000 and every year pays out $25,000 in total cash prizes. This year a ladies event is also added to give even more variety and opportunities to players. The event is sponsored by Poison Cues by Predator and Asia’s #1 cloth Andy Cloth will be the official cloth used during the event.

“The Wyoming Open has become the most prestigious and biggest title to win in the state, and probably in all the Rocky Mountain states. We are honored to draw local, regional and international stars to our humble town of Saratoga. We plan on making this bigger and better each year” says EJ Glode , promoter of the Wyoming Open.

Notable names such as Glenn Atwell, Mark Haddad, Marc Vidal have attended the event in past years. Lady players such as WPBA pro Melissa Herndon and known amateur Samm Diep have also attended. This year will include more names such as California young gun Amar ‘AK47″ Kang and heavy hitters Charlie Williams, Rodney Morris, and Raj Hundal .

“This is a great one! I gotta get some practice for the best tourney in Wyoming!”, says Tenille Whitten from Utah, a frequent supporter of the event that participates in the classic and ladies divisions.

“I’m excited to be going to this years Wyoming Open. What EJ has done for pool there is amazing. Anyone that has never been, I would definitely recommend going. From the hospitality to the great pool to the great atmosphere. EJ is great friend and a wonderful promoter for pool. If the pool world had an EJ in every city, we’d have pool bigger than golf or tennis”, said Rodney Morris, a past champion of the event and returning again for his fourth appearance in Saratoga.

Past champions of the event include some stellar names :

2008 Damian Pongpanik

2009 Shane Van Boening

2010 Rodney Morris

2011 Charlie Williams

Last year’s top 4 finisher Raj Hundal will be coming from England and adds, “It’s a great event that grows every year in every way, the field gets bigger and stronger. The hospitality is unrivalled as all the locals love pool and it’s stars that come out for this annual event. The promoter and organiser E.J Glode is a close personal friend of mine as well as a good friend of the sport, I wish there was more people like him in our industry.”

“Nowadays I have an extremely busy schedule with producing events,  so I’ve turned down invites to major events including a few World Championships. But I had such an awesome time last year that I couldn’t wait to go back. Anyone who hasn’t been, it’s definitely worth it to go at least once. I’m sure you will want to come back. The town, the people, the food and pool are terrific!”, said Charlie Williams from Florida, defending Wyoming Open Champion and promoter for Dragon Promotions.

The event is majorly supported by the town’s own businesses which include : Hotel Wolf, Duke’s Bar & Grill, Valley Foods, Riviera Lodge, Carbon County, and Shively Hardware.

For more info or to play in the Wyoming Open contact EJ Glode  ejglode@yahoo.com or 307-329-8924

John Gabriel went undefeated on the Midwest 9-Ball Tour’s $3,500-added 9-ball event on the weekend of February 23-26, working his way through a field of 150 entrants at Shooter’s in Olathe, KS. Melissa Little also went undefeated in the $500-added Ladies event, which had attracted 20 entrants.

From among the winners’ side final four, Gabriel sent Chuck Raulston west 9-5, as Dustin Gunia was busy sending Mike Banks, Jr. over 9-4. Gabriel then took the hot seat match over Gunia 9-5, and waited for his return.

First up for Banks, Jr. on the loss-side was the winner of the concurrently-run One-Pocket event, Mark Haddad, who’d defeated James Baraks 9-6, and Anthony Garcia 9-3 to reach him. Chuck Raulston, in the meantime, squared off against Joey Gray (second in the One-Pocket event), who’d downed Gary Lutman 9-3, and Gordy Vanderveer 9-6. Haddad defeated Banks, Jr. 9-4, but a re-match of the One-Pocket semifinals was avoided when Raulston dropped Gray into the tie for fifth place 9-5.

Raulston took it a step further, dropping Haddad into fourth place 9-5, and turning to face Gunia in the semifinals. Gunia ended Raulston’s bid 9-2 for a second chance versus Gabriel in a potential, true double elimination final. Gabriel took the first and only set 9-5 to secure the event title.

Melissa Little and Nicole Keeney battled twice to crown the Ladies champion. They met first in the hot seat match, and fought back and forth to double hill before Little prevailed. Keeney moved over to the semifinals to face Kathleen Morast, who’d just defeated Carrie Williams in the quarterfinals 7-5. Keeney then shut out Morast for her second chance against Little. Little, though, came out strong in the opening set of what would have been a true double elimination final, and defeated Keeney a second time 7-2.

9-Ball

1st John Gabriel $2,400

2nd Dustin Gunia $1,750

3rd Chuck Raulston $1,000

4th Mark Haddad $750

5th Joey Gray $500

Mike Banks, Jr.

7th Gordon Vanderveer $350

Anthony Garcia

9th Jordan Davis $250

Gary Lutman

James Baraks

13th Shane McMinn $200

Manny Chau

17th Tom Jarboe $125

Patrick Brown

25th Dave Hathman $75

Mike Banks, Sr.

K. C. Massey

Ladies

1st Melissa Little $500

2nd Nicole Keeney $300

3rd Kathleen Morast $160

4th Carrie Williams $100

5th Angela Vallair $70

CSI’s 19th Annual US Bar Table Championships concluded Sunday, with Jeff Beckley going undefeated in the 8-Ball Division.   The first year for the USTBC at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino was a rousing success.  It’s been a fantastic week of championship caliber pool, with outstanding performances in all three divisions: 10-Ball, 9-Ball and 8-Ball.

The 8-Ball Division kicked off on Friday, with 189 entries in the Men’s Division and 46 entries in the Women’s Division.  All tables were in play, as there were three tournaments being contested simultaneously, the Men’s and Women’s USTBC 8-Ball, and a WorldPPA handicapped 9-Ball Tournament.

Jeff Beckley, who hails from Indiana, had an impressive tournament run.  Jeff  finished undefeated, and notched wins over notable players such as Jose Parica, Larry Nevel, Francisco Bustamante and Robb Saez.  His win/loss totals were an impressive 45-18.

Jeff started out the final day, with a hotseat match with Francisco Bustamante.  Jeff played solid and capitalized on a few uncharacteristic mistakes from Francisco.  Francisco was a favorite going in, as he had a very impressive run on Saturday.  Jeff sent Francisco to the losers bracket with a 5-3 win and then went back to his room to relax until his 7:00 match.

 

Meanwhile, Robb Saez was all business on Sunday.  His eyes were set on Jeff Beckley, but he would have to beat a host of champions to get there.   Robb started off by knocking out Rodney Morris 5-2, then sent Larry Nevel packing with a 5-0 win.  Next up for Robb was Oscar Dominguez, who was having a great tournament himself.

Oscar was sent to the losers side late Saturday night by Francisco Bustamante, in a match where Oscar would get only two shots.  Francisco broke and ran the first game.  When Oscar broke the next game, the cue ball got kicked in and Francisco ran out.  Then, Francisco broke and ran out.  When Oscar broke the next game, the cue ball was kicked in again, and Francisco ran out.  Francisco then broke and ran the final game, for a 5-0 win.  In all, Oscar had only two shots in the match, both break shots.

 

Oscar would give Robb all he could handle though on Sunday, and they went hill-hill with Robb needing to bank his last solid cross side and draw his cueball into the 8-ball, which was tied up on another ball.  It was a do or die shot, where any part of the shot going wrong would result in an easy out and a win for Oscar.  Undaunted, Robb drilled the bank and drew softly into the 8-ball, freeing it up for an easy shot to win the set.

 

Up next for Robb, was Francisco Bustamante.  Robb had everything rolling for him though at this point, and great play and a few rolls allowed him to move on to the finals with a 5-4 victory over “Django.”

 

The finals got underway at 7:00 pm with Robb Saez needing to beat Jeff Beckley twice.  Up until this point, it seemed destiny was on Robb’s side, but Jeff was not going to be denied.  First Jeff got an early lead at 3-0, then Robb crept back with a  couple of  games.   Jeff got to the hill first, and had a few opportunities to close out the match, but couldn’t cash in on them.  Jeff would need to keep his composure and put his missed opportunities behind him, if he wanted to end this in one set.  Jeff would keep it together, and with a straight in 8-ball down the rail, he won his first  USBTC 8-Ball Title.

Congratulations to Jeff Beckley with his 1st place finish and Robb Saez for finishing 2nd.  Francisco Bustamante finished 3rd and Oscar Dominguez came in 4th.  First paid $5700, 2nd paid $3300, 3rd paid $2000 and 4th paid 1200.

 

On the Women’s side, Stacy Allsup went undefeated and matched up with Melissa Little in the finals.  Melissa would need to beat Stacy two sets to come out on top, but fell short, losing the first set 4-2.  Congratulations to Stacy Allsup on her 1st place finish pocketing $875, and Melissa Little on her 2nd place finish and a $550 prize.

 

In the All Around Bonus, there was a three way tie for 1st place, between Shane Van Boening, Glenn Atwell and Jeff Beckley.  They split $3500 in added Bonus money provided by CSI.  On the Women’s side, Rebecca Wagner took home an additional $500 for 1st place and Stacy Allsup took home $250.

 

CSI would like to thank the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino for providing a perfect venue for the USBTC Championship.   Thanks to Ric, Bonnie and Ken Jones with Bad Boys Billiard Productions for all they do in setting up and running this great event.  Bad Boys would like to thank Bret Baker and Janet Okomoto for volunteering their time to assist them.   CSI would like to thank Bill Stock for assisting Bad Boys on the Tournament Directors staff and the long hours he’s had this year at DCC, Swanee and USBTC.

CSI would like to recognize Justin Collett and TAR for providing daily live streaming of the event with the high quality production we all have come to expect from them.

TAR would like to thank OB Cues for sponsoring the live streaming and Kamui Tips and AZBilliards for their additional support.  Also, Ken Shuman for his professional commentating all week on the live stream.  Special thanks to Andy Chen & Greg Koch (“CaliRed”) for their long hours running cameras for the live stream.

 

Most of all, CSI would like to thank the players, the fans, and the pool community for making this event a success.  CSI would especially like to thank their own CSI family at the home office, who put in all the hard work behind the scenes, that are required to put together these large tournaments.  On behalf of Mark Griffin and the entire CSI Staff, thanks to all of you for another successful and entertaining event.

The 19th annual US Bar Table Championships are in full swing at the new location in the spacious Grand Sierra Hotel & Casino located in Reno, Nevada.   The new location provides a substantial amount of additional space for this annual event and will easily accommodate anticipated future growth.  The new location has been well received by everyone involved, including the players, vendors and the tournament directors.   Additionally, the Grand Sierra has provided super low room rates for everyone, making it more affordable to come and play in all the events and providing a more enjoyable overall experience.  CSI is very excited with these new changes and is looking forward to making this event better and better every year.  The USTBC runs from February 13th thru February 20th.

 

This year the event had 128 entries in the Men’s Open 9 ball and 28 entries in the Women’s 9 Ball.  CSI has added over $25,000 to the prize fund, resulting in over $70,000 being handed out to the players in total prize money.  There is also a All Around Bonus of $4,250 that was added for the top points leaders in the 3 divisions.

 

Stan Tourangeau went undefeated in the 9 ball division to take 1st place and $4700.  Stan sent  Shane Van Boening to the losers bracket on the TAR TV table in a hill-hill match.  Shane locked Stan up on the 4 ball and forced Stan to go up and down the table to hit the 4 ball near the end rail.  Stan made a good hit and left Shane few options on a tough cut shot on the 4 near the rail.  Shane had to put a little inside on it, due to him being blocked from a clean hit on it.  Shane missed and left Stan an easy out from there.

 

Stan had to jump into the fire with Oscar Dominguez, who is having a very good year, in the hot seat match.  Stan didn’t have as much trouble with Oscar, winning 9-5.  Stan was then able to take a break and wait for the others to battle it out to see who would have to beat him twice.

 

Glenn Atwell knocked Shane Van Boening out and then knocked out Jesse Engle.  That left Oscar Dominguez and Glenn to battle it out to see who would get a shot at Stan and the Championship.    Glenn sent Oscar packing with a 9-7 victory and then geared up for a battle with Stan that would require him to win 2 sets.   Stan jumped out to a lead but Glenn would catch up and they would trade games near the end of the set.  Stan had made a 9 ball on the break earlier in the set, which would spur Glenn to start checking out Stan’s rack, even though they were using the Magic Rack.  Stan got to the hill first at 8-7, then Glenn won the next game.  Just as in the 10 ball, the finals were determined by someone needing to win 2 sets and both divisions went hill-hill in the first set, with the victor being the one that only needed one set.  It was Stan’s break and Glenn inspected the rack and nodded ok, they shook hands, then Stan proceeded to make the 9 ball on the break.  Congratulations to Stan Tourangeau on his 1st place finish, and Glenn on his 2nd place finish.  Stan picked up $4700 for 1st and Glenn pocketed $3150 for 2nd.

 

In the Women’s 9 Ball division, Rebecca Wagner once again won the hot seat match.  Melissa Little, after being knocked to the losers bracket in the 3rd round, would plow her way to the finals.  Melissa would need to beat Rebecca twice and started off by winning the 1st set.  Rebecca picked up her game though, and finished off Melissa to win her 2nd Division title.  Congratulatons to Rebecca on her strong showing and Melissa for grinding out the long road to the finals from the losers bracket.   Rebecca picked up $825 for 1st and Melissa pocketed $500 for 2nd.

 

The 8 ball is in full swing Saturday, with both the Men’s and Women’s division, and also a WorldPPA 9 Ball tournament being ran alongside it.  They will battle all day with the Men’s final scheduled for Sunday at 7:00 pm Pacific and the women’s at 3:30 Pacific.

 

TAR is providing daily live streaming, thanks to the fine folks at OB Cues, along with Kamui Tips and AZBiliards.   Brackets can be found at the CTS (Cuesports Tournament System) website, located at www.ctsondemand.com .  Thanks also to Bad Boys Productions for running this fantastic Tournament.

Robb Saez went undefeated through a field of 94 entrants on-hand for the $3,500-added 9-Ball event of the Midwest 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of November 12-13; one of three events the tour holds annually at Shooter’s in Olathe, KS. Saez had to get by Joey Gray twice to do it; once, among the winners’ side final 16, and again, after Gray had fought his way through seven matches on the loss-side to get back to the finals.

Once Saez had dispatched Gray to the loss-side 9-7, he went on to defeat Chip Compton by the same score and move among the winners’ side final four, where he met up with Glenn Atwell. Shane McMinn, in the meantime, squared off against David Matlock.  In three 9-6 victories, Saez downed Atwell, Matlock got by McMinn, and then, Saez got into the hot seat with a victory over Matlock.

Atwell moved over to face Gray, who’d already chalked up four straight on the loss-side, including a 9-7 win over Steve Boucher, and a 9-5 victory over Andrew Pettinger. McMinn picked up Mike Banks, Jr., who’d already won the tour stop’s One-Pocket event, and had defeated Chip Compton and Dustin Gunia, both 9-6, to reach McMinn. 

Gray defeated Atwell 9-4 and moved into the quarterfinals to face McMinn, who’d eliminated Banks, Jr. 9-3. After downing McMinn 9-2 in those quarterfinals, Gray then defeated Matlock 9-4 in the semifinals for a second chance versus Saez. Saez completed his undefeated day with a single set, 9-5 victory that secured the event title.

On October 11-17, 2011 the 14th Annual Western BCA Regional 9-Ball Championships were hosted at Chinook Winds Casino & Resort in Lincoln City, Oregon.  Players from Washington, Oregon and Idaho converged at what is fondly called “Da Beach” to compete for their share of over $75,000 in prize money. While Western BCA volunteers organized the event, Bad Boys Productions set up the 80 Diamond Pool Tables and tracked all results both on the paper brackets that lined the halls and the online brackets available at www.ctsondemand.com.  A moment of silence was held for former Western BCA volunteer Alex Stroup, who succumbed to lymphoma on May 28, 2011.  Many players who knew him well dedicated their performance to him.  Western BCA dedicated the tournament to his memory and extends their love to his family. The stage was set for the best competition in the Northwest. 

Forty-six teams signed up for Master Scotch Doubles and top prize was $1950.  With payouts only including the top of the field, competition was fierce.  The only restriction teams faced was that only one Grand Master was allowed per team.  In a race-to-6 format, alternating break, both teams needed to start out strong to increase their odds of victory.  

Out of the 46 teams, only one team had jointly claimed the title previously, and they were defending champions Mike Stevens and Cindy Doty.  After a fifth round loss to Glenn Atwell/Shari Ross, their hopes of a repeat performance were dashed by national grandmaster Dan Louie and 1st year regional master Jessica Orth.  Louie/Orth would go on to defeat their next opponents Seal/Olson, but then came up short when Atwell/Ross, fresh off their hot seat loss to Violette/Jensen, ground out a gutsy hill-hill nail biter to earn their spot in the final.  The first set of the final would also go hill-hill, but this time in favor of Violette/Jensen, who after earning their first titles as Masters, were surrounded by friends and fellow competitors in celebration of their brilliant breakthrough performance.

CINDERELLA SPOTLIGHT:  Both Leo Violette and Angela Jensen were playing in their first event as regional masters.  Leo won the Open A Singles and Angela took 4th place in the Women’s Open Singles at the Western BCA’s Regional 8 Ball Championships in March.  Neither player had any sort of expectations about their performance; however, the way in which they maintained their composure against some of the toughest players in the region, expect to see more titles to come their way.  Congratulations to you both!

Open Scotch Doubles featured 83 couples and a top prize of $1550.  The final four teams on the A side included McDonald/Adams, Coomes/Sleight, Desmarais/Pridgen, and Fenn/Karpins. Jackson McDonald and Robin Adams continued their strong play defeating Coomes/Sleight, while Fenn/Karpins defeated Desmarais/Pridgen.  McDonald/Adams then defeated Fenn/Karpins 5-1 to earn their spot in the final.  The final four teams on the B side included Anderson/Beach, Hostak/Morfin, Nguyen/Hughes, and Cadena/Wilson.  Hostak/Morfin advanced through the B side of the board, surviving three hill-hill matches and one 5-3 match to earn their shot at the title.  Jackson McDonald/Robin Adams had other plans as they defeated Dennis Hostak/Faith Morfin 5-0 in the first set to earn their first scotch doubles title. Great shooting! 

Seventy players signed up for Men’s Masters and top prize was $1250. Only eight players made it to the final board.  On the A side Clark Smith vs. Rick Copeland and Miguel Morfin vs. Eddie Carrido.  Rick and Eddie both continued on the A side to battle it out for the hot seat, which Eddie won 8-4. Dillon Standley defeated Miguel Morfin to earn a spot in the B side finals.  Rick, too, was determined to earn a rematch against Eddie, and ended up defeating Dillon 8-3 to play in his first Master singles final. Rick was shooting well and defeated Eddie in the first set of this true double elimination final.  He appeared to be in position to close out the second set as well; however, Rick sat on the hill, 7-3 in a race to 8, as Eddie rallied back to tie the set at 7.  With Eddie winning the flip for the second set, he would break in the final game.  Eddie broke and pocketed a ball.  With an extremely tough backcut on the 1, Eddie opted for a 1-9 carom shot on the 9, which he made to win the match and top prize.  

Thirty-seven ladies signed up in the Master division and the top prize was $950.  The final four ladies on the A side included Shawn Wolf vs. Susan Preston and Suzanne Smith vs. Jessica Orth.  Shawn and Suzanne defeated their opponents 7-5 and 7-3 to advance to the hot seat match, which Suzanne won in her closest match of the event 7-6.  The remaining ladies on the B side included Barb Thompson vs. Regene Lane (first time Western BCA participant) and Shari Ross vs. Jo Woodward.  Barb and Shari would continue in the event, defeating their opponents 7-4 and 7-3.  Barb would continue on to defeat Susan, and then Jessica (fresh off her win over Shari.)  The only thing in between Barb and another shot at a title was Shawn.  Shawn played great and defeated Barb 7-4 to earn a rematch against Suzanne in the final.  It was a true double elimination format, so Shawn would need to beat Suzanne twice.  Suzanne took an early 4-1 lead, but then faltered when a position error and a poorly executed safety allowed Shawn to get within 1 game.  At 4-3, Suzanne and Shawn exchanged racks, neither lady able to get an edge.  That 4th game was the last that Shawn would get, as Suzanne played consistently to run out the final two racks from the 5 and the 4 to earn her first Master Singles Title.

One hundred and eight players signed up in the Men’s Open A Division and top prize was $1000.  On the A side, Greg Odal played John Brown for the hot seat.  Both players had been shooting extremely well.  Greg survived three consecutive hill-hill matches prior to the A side final, while John had dispatched his opponents by a larger margin.  Greg shot with determination and sent John to the B side by a score of 7-3.  On the B side, Phong Nyugen played Roy Garza to earn a spot in the B side final.  Phong defeated Roy handily to advance.  Phong, who had received his first loss from Greg (hill-hill) a couple rounds earlier, then succumbed to John by the same score.  The final was a rematch of the hot seat, with a similar outcome.  Greg shot with great determination and focus defeating John in the first set, 7-2. Welcome to the Masters Division, guys!

One hundred and forty-four players entered the Men’s Open B Division and top prize was $750.  On the A side, match ups were Brent Kirschenmann vs. Chap Cook and Gary Lewis vs. Mayolo Munoz.  Brent and Gary defeated their opponents to square off for the hot seat.  Brent then defeated Gary 6-3 to earn his spot in the finals.  On the B side, Scott Perry played Paul Bennett and Larry Nathan played Dave Avegio.  Scott and Dave both advanced through their matches 6-2 and 6-5, respectively.  Chap and Mayolo were eager for redemption and handed Scott and Dave their walking papers 6-4 and 6-0.  Chap then defeated Mayolo 6-4 and Gary 6-5 to earn his spot in the final against Brent.  Brent was fiercely determined to earn the title and did not let Chap have a game in the first set, winning top prize by the score of 6-0.  Welcome to the Open A, gentlemen!

Ninety-eight ladies signed up for the Open event and top prize was $775. Topping the A side, Bernie Foster vs. Rebecca Easley and Kathy Stanley vs. Sara Moore fought to play for the point.  Rebecca and Kathy both survived hill-hill battles to earn a shot at the hot seat.  Both ladies shot well; however, Kathy edged out Rebecca 6-4.  On the B side, final board match ups included Julie Stallings vs. Michelle Hughes and Suwanna Kroll vs. Lynda Moore.  Michelle and Suwanna both defeated their opponents, and it seemed that momentum from their wins carried them through their next rounds, where Michelle defeated Sara and Suwanna defeated Bernie.  Michelle then played Suwanna and defeated her as well to earn a spot against Rebecca in the B side final.  Rebecca was hungry for a rematch with Kathy and defeated Michelle 6-3 to advance.  The first set of the final was an epic battle, when tied at 5-5, Kathy made the 9-Ball on the break to win the set and earn the title.  Great job ladies and welcome to the Masters!

Thirty-six men signed up for the Senior Singles event and the top prize was $440.  The A side final four include matchups of Owen Miller vs. Bill Ruddick and Vernon Joe vs. Mike Knight. Owen and Vernon both advanced through their matches 6-5 and 6-3, respectively.  Vernon shot with amazing intensity and defeated Mike 6-0 to earn a rematch in the final against Owen.  Owen, however, had plans of his own and with consistent shotmaking and safety play defeated Vernon 6-0 in the first set to earn his Senior Singles Title.  

The tournament finished off with the three team divisions: Women’s Team, Men’s/Mixed Team and a brand new division, Men’s/Mixed Open B Team. 

Men’s/Mixed Team started with 102 teams fighting for a $3,000 1st place payday.  Men’s/Mixed Teams are allowed 1 Master or Grand Master per team. Little Dutch Inn (Tim Desmarais, Clayton Foran and Nick Lopez) a team of all OPEN A players, punished many of those teams with a Master, on their way to an final 14-7 victory over Lloyd’s Team (Joe Landi, Brent Langley and Stan Tourangeau).  

The new division, Men’s/Mixed Open B Teams, featured 40 teams for its first time and Probable Cause (Dave Mackey, Jose Velasquez and David Zelany) started winning and never looked back. Facing team Egitserp (Prestige spelled backward–Paul Bennett, Brent Kirschenmann, Martin Seguin and Steve Kesting) in the finals, Probable Cause continued their streak defeating Egitserp 11-9, winning $825.  

The Women’s Team event whittled 48 teams down to the final 2 on Sunday. The Gatekeepers (Michelle Barkdoll, Faith Morfin, and Andrea Saenz-Maes) played strong and consistent to make their way to the finals. Like the Men’s Teams, the Open players in this final really stepped up their game; Andrea attributes their wins to Faith and Michelle. The Gatekeepers emerged victorious over Marco… (Shari Ross, Talya Makus, and Kathy Stanley), and earned $1,710 by beating them with a score of 11-7.

Grand Masters Challenge

The Grand Masters Challenge Division was created to give the top 8 men and women Grand Masters and Masters in Western BCA a tougher challenge with a Round-Robin format tournament. At this Regional event, the men played 10-Ball and the women played 9-Ball. The players played sets of 8 games, with the scores tallied at the end. After 3 days of stellar shooting and grueling safety battles, Liz Cole rose above the ladies’ field and Glenn Atwell topped the men’s division to capture the titles of Grand Masters Challenge Champions. 

It was Liz Cole who came out on top after the first day.  Her opponents noticed her exceptional play early on, with her amazing combos and awesome run-outs, and they knew she would definitely be the one to catch at the end. 2011 8-Ball GMC Champion Linda Carter came within 3 points of catching Liz, but was unable close the gap. In a show of gracious sportsmanship, Linda presented Liz with her beautiful glass Championship trophy. 

Likewise on the Men’s side, Glenn Atwell started out strong and never let up as he charged to his pending victory. His steady stroke, calm demeanor and deadly accuracy gave him a strong lead. Dan Louie, who won the Men’s GMC at the 2011 8-Ball Championships, made a valiant attempt to surpass Glenn in points, but fell short by 4 points. In an equally impressive example of sportsmanship, Dan Louie presented Glenn with his Championship trophy. 

Western BCA and all of the Grand Masters wish to thank Tiger for their sponsorship and generous donation of a cue stick for a raffle. Scott Virgin of Cherry City League won that raffle drawing. Congratulations Scott! And, Congratulations to our Grand Masters Champions, Liz Cole and Glenn Atwell!!  

Final Scores

Liz Cole–36

Linda Carter–33

Cindy Sliva–31

Cindy Doty–30

Josie LeRoy–25

Mary Hopkin–23

Andrea Saenz-Maes–23

Kimberly Kirk–23

       

Glenn Atwell–37

Dan Louie–33

Stan Tourangeau–30

Eddie Mataya–27

Rich Geiler–25

Steve Lingelbach–25

Don Wirtaman–25

Todd Marsh–22

All the players and winners at this event exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and competition. Congratulations to all the winners! For a more detailed version of this article and complete results, please visit www.westernbca.org. Western BCA looks forward to seeing you all next year at the 8-Ball Championships in March, 2012!