In his first win on the Garden State Pool Tour, and as far as we know, his first win anywhere, Sebastion Kas became the tour’s Amateur 8-Ball Champion last weekend (Sunday, May 1). Kas worked his way through the field of 47, downing Julie Madlener twice; hot seat and finals. It was Madlener’s second recorded victory on the tour, having finished in the tie for 9th at a stop in Rockaway, NJ this past February. The $400-added Amateur 8-Ball Championship was hosted by Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
Kas’ path to the winners’ circle went through Deo Alpojara, Jimmy (Silky) Acosta and Mikhail Kim to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Hunter Sullivan. Madlener, in the meantime, had bested Al Lewis, Kervens Francois, and Ginny Lewis to arrive at her winners’ side semifinal matchup versus Frank Kasetta.
Kas and Madlener advanced to their first (recorded) tournament hot seat match. Kas had sent Sullivan to the loss side 6-2, as Madlener was busy shutting Kasetta out to earn her spot in the winners’ side final. Sebastion claimed the hot seat 7-4 and waited on Madlener’s return.
On the loss side, Sullivan and Kasetta downed the first opponents they faced on that side of the bracket and squared off in the quarterfinals. The match went double hill before Sullivan prevailed. The two competitors who met in the semifinals were both battling for a second chance against Kas, waiting in the hot seat for one of them. After trading racks throughout the contest, Madlener advanced for a second shot at him.
Each of the finalists added a rack to their performance against each other in the hot seat match. Kas completed his undefeated run to claim his first Garden State Pool Tour title and its 8-Ball Championship.
Tour representatives thanked Kris Consolvo Kemp and her staff at Shooter’s Family Billiards, all the players who competed, and tour sponsors Kamui, Billiards Engineering, and John Bender Custom Cues. The Garden State Pool Tour will set up two separate events for its next stop. On Saturday, May 21, there will be an ABCD 9-Ball event and on Sunday, May 22, a CD 9-Ball event, both hosted by Players Billiards in Eatontown, NJ.
Just shy of three years ago (February, 2019), Artur Trzeciak won seven matches on the loss side at a Predator Tri-State Tour event and was prepared for a finals’ challenge against Chris Kemp, owner of Shooter’s Family Billiards, where the event took place. Kemp, though, opted out of a final and deferred his claim to the title and trophy, thereby handing Trzeciak his first Predator Tri-State win. This past weekend (Sat., Dec. 11), at the same location, Trzeciak came from playing a single match on the loss side and this time, played in the finals versus Kervens Francois, who was looking to go back-to-back on the tour, having won the previous stop (Nov. 13-14). Trzeciak prevailed to claim his second Predator Tri-State title. The $500-added, 8-ball event drew 23 entrants to Shooter’s Family Billiards in Wayne, NJ.
Trzeciak’s path to the finals went through Patrick Meyers, Qian Chen and Jay Chiu to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal match against Luis Jimenez. Francois, in the meantime, got by Ewa Swzed, Tom Cran, and Quintin Chen to meet up with KC Clayton in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Both matches for advancement to the hot seat match went double hill. Trzeciak downed Jimenez 7-6, while Francois defeated Clayton 5-4. Francois claimed the hot seat 5-2 over Trzeciak and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Jimenez and Clayton walked right into their second straight loss. Jimenez had picked up Hunter Sullivan, who’d recently shut out Bud Robideau and survived a double hill battle versus Jay Chiu before downing Jimenez 6-2. Clayton drew Rick Rodriguez, who’d recently eliminated Thomas McManamon 5-2 and Ewa Swzed, double hill, before eliminating Clayton, double hill.
Sullivan downed Rodriguez 6-2 in the quarterfinals that followed, only to have his loss-side streak ended by the same score, versus Trzeciak in the semifinals. Trzeciak took full advantage of the second shot against Francois that he’d earned. He defeated Francois 7-3 in the finals to claim the first title he’d earned by competing and winning an event final.
Tour representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Shooter’s Family Billiards, as well as title sponsor Predator Cues, Ozone Billiards, Sterling Billiards, Kamui, Quick Stik, Bloodworth Ball Cleaner, Joe Romer Trophies, Phil Capelle Publications and Pool and Billiards. The next stop on the Predator Tri-State Tour, scheduled for Dec. 18-19, will be hosted by Steinway Billiards in Astoria (Queens), NY.
