Scholarship money and trophies are awarded to the top 3 men and top 3 women.  ACUI additionally awards medals for sportsmanship (by peer vote) and Best Break (by contest). 

 

For additional information about the ACUI 9-ball Championships, visit www.acui.org/billiards or the Facebook groups “ACUI 9-ball” and “2013 ACUI 9-ball Championships.”

With the top-ranked player on the Action Pool Tour, Brandon Shuff, competing in the First Annual Southern Classic in Tunica, MS on the weekend of July 21-22, a field of 75 showed up for the 11th stop on the Action Pool Tour to see if they could gain some ground. Matt Krah, who entered the tournament at #38 in the rankings, jumped 20 places on the list with his first-place finish, defeating Mike Davis (who jumped 11 places to #4) in the second set of a true double elimination final. The event drew 75 entrants to Breakers Sky Lounge in Herndon, VA.

In addition to Krah, three other Action Pool Tour regulars advanced to the winners’ side final four, looking to cut into Shuff’s lead in the rankings. Krah squared off against Brian Deska, who entered the tournament ranked at #2, and with his advancement to the winners’ side final eight, had already passed Shuff. Even if he’d lost among the final eight winners, and subsequently been defeated in the matches that determined the four-way tie for 9th place, Deska would have chalked up 750 points (10 points for the 9-12 finish, times the number of players, 75), which would have moved him ahead of Shuff by 139 points. 

The other winners’ side semifinalists were R.J. Carmona, ranked # 11, who’d just sent Davis to the loss side, and Larry Kressel (# 54). Krah sent Deska west 9-7, and Kressel sent Carmona after him 9-6. Krah got into the hot seat with a 9-3 victory over Kressel, and awaited the return of Davis.

On the loss side, Davis began his five-match march back to the finals with a 7-4 victory over Rafael Reyes, and a 7-2 win over Dave Hunt, which set him up to face Deska. Carmona picked up Chip Klein, who defeated Matt Shilinski and Paul Helms, both 7-3. Davis finished Deska’s day with a 7-1 victory, and was denied a re-match versus Carmona, when Klein defeated him 7-3. Deska’s fifth place finish put him 289 points ahead of Shuff in the rankings. In the quarterfinals that followed, Davis defeated Klein 7-2, and then defeated Kressel in the semifinals 7-4. 

In the opening set of the true double elimination finals (a race to 9), Davis took an early lead and reached the hill first. Though Krah would close the gap to within three, Davis hung on to win, forcing a second set. In that second set (a race to 7), it was Krah with the early lead; out in front by five before Davis had won a rack. Davis got on the board in the sixth rack, but Krah took the seventh rack to reach the hill first. Davis made a run, winning the next three, but Krah closed it out in rack eleven to secure the event title.

With two more stops on the tour – Aug. 11-12 at VIP Billiards in Catonsville, MD, and the season finale, Sept. 8-9 at Big Daddy’s Billiards in Glen Burnie, MD – the top four players are within striking distance of each other; Deska on top of the tour, with Brandon Shuff behind him. Tour director Ozzy Reynolds, who finished in the tie for 13th place, remained in third place, while Mike Davis moved into fourth place.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) presented the 72nd collegiate pocket billiards national championship at Indiana University’s IMU Back Alley on June 29-July 1, 2012.  ACUI is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to enhancing campus life.  With 41 men and 23 women registered for 9-ball, 2012 was the largest field in the 75-year history of the ACUI Pocket Billiards program.

Delia Mocanu (Northeastern University) forged through the winners’ side of the Women’s division like a tiny freight train, winning decisive matches over Angelica Rudow (University of Arizona, 7-0), Melissa Chesky (University of Minnesota-Duluth, 7-3), Heather Platter (University of Florida, 7-2), and Cindy Ho (California State University-Sacramento, 7-5).  She sat comfortably in the hot seat while Michelle Yim (University of Houston) handily defeated Jackie Sanchez (Barry University, 7-0), Morgan Bowles (University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 7-2), Miranda Blazek (Northern Wyoming Community College District, 7-2) before falling to Cindy Ho in the winners’ side semi-finals, 7-4.  Yim then bested Jennifer Acierto (Virginia Commonwealth University, 7-5), Platter (7-5), and Ho (7-3) on the One-loss side to face Mocanu in the Sunday morning finals.  In the first set, it seemed that Mocanu couldn’t catch a gear, falling to Yim 7-2.  The second set, however, was extremely close, coming down to the final two balls.  Yim jumped out to a 4-2 lead, but eventually Mocanu tied it hill-hill.  In the last game, Mocanu narrowly missed the 7-ball to leave Yim a simple 2-ball run-out for the victory.  

On the Men’s side, newcomer Matt Shilinski (University of Maryland-University College) was quiet but confident and steady as he took the hot seat with victories over Mark Muir (University of Illinois, 8-0), Brian Myung (Indiana University, 8-3), George Mansour (University of Akron, 8-3), Mack Harrell (East Carolina University, 8-6), Lee Nathanson (University of Maryland, 8-7), and Bo Jin (Purdue University, 8-6).  Three-time ACUI nationals contestant Charles Barker (Weber State University), meanwhile, won his first three matches with victories over Cody Terry (University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 8-3), Thomas Smith (James Madison University, 8-3), and defending champion Raymond Linares (Miami Dade College-Kendall Campus, 8-6) before falling to Bo Jin (Purdue University, 5-8).  On the one-loss side, Barker topped Harrell (8-3), Stephen Skvarka (Virginia Tech, 8-7), and Jin (8-3) to advance to the finals.  The true double-elimination playoff match was a suspenseful, neck-and-neck race from start to finish.  Shilinski came out on top, 8-7, to take the 2012 title in a single set.

The winners of this year’s Sportsmanship awards were:

Jennifer Acierto, Virginia Commonwealth University

Brian Myung, Indiana University

And finally, the 2012 winners of the annual break contest were:

Will Hill, East Texas Baptist University (21)

Amanda Neal, Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana (15)

Top 8 complete standings (scholarship money is awarded to the top 4):

Women’s Division:

1 Michelle Yim, University of Houston

2 Delia Mocanu, Northeastern University

3 Cindy Ho, California State University – Sacramento

4 Heather Platter, University of Florida

5/6 Jennifer Acierto, Virginia Commonwealth University

5/6 Angelica Rudow, University of Arizona

7/8 Giovanni Aviles, University of Illinois – Chicago

7/8 Amanda Neal, Ivy Tech Community College – Central Indiana

 

Men’s Division:

1 Matt Shilinski, University of Maryland – University College

2 Charles Barker, Weber State University

3 Bo Jin, Purdue University

4 Stephen Skvarka, Virginia Tech

5/6 Lee Nathanson, University of Maryland

5/6 Mackenzie “Mack” Harrell, East Carolina University

7/8 Raymond Linares, Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus

7/8 Ryan Kuhlmann, University of Minnesota – Duluth

For additional information about the ACUI 9-ball Championships, visit www.acui.org/billiards or the Facebook groups “ACUI 9-ball” and “2012 ACUI 9-ball Championships.”

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Dozens of collegiate billiards and table tennis players from across the country are at Indiana University this weekend, when the Bloomington campus hosts the ACUI’s first combined Collegiate 9-Ball and Table Tennis Championships. These events are sponsored by the Association of College Unions International, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to enhancing campus life.

The Indiana Memorial Union will host the 9-Ball championship games in the Back Alley, while the table tennis competition will take place at University Gym. With 40 men and 23 women registered for the tournament, this year marks the largest field in the nearly 80-year history of the ACUI Billiards Program.  

 “It’s an honor to be able to host the national championships for collegiate billiards and table tennis, and we welcome these athletes to the university,” IU assistant coordinator of games John Bower said. “These events can be a great way to learn more about the sport, or to watch a talented player performing at the top of their game.” 

To prepare to host the championships, the IMU purchased new billiard balls and recovered its 10 pool tables with a high-grade Simonis 860 fabric — in tournament blue, as opposed to its usual green felt. 

Players representing more than 50 colleges and universities — ranging from University of Hawaii to the New Jersey Institute of Technology — will battle for the national title in a three-day competition. All players qualified at one of a dozen regional competitions to attend the event.

“These tournaments are a great display of student learning and community building,” said Marsha Herman-Betzen, executive director of the Bloomington-based ACUI. “Both of these are at our core as an organization and we are proud to continue this tradition as the sport grows and thrilled to host here in our home town.”

Competition games are open to the public, and free of charge. However, there is limited public seating space at the IMU for the billiards games. For additional information, visit www.acui.org/billiards.

Competition is underway as of 4:30PM Friday, June 29.  

The men’s chart, with 40 players, from top to bottom, is as follows:

Dillon Scheive, California State University-Sacramento vs. Lee Nathanson, University of Maryland

Jason Hoag, Purdue University vs. Greg Marinelli, College of William and Mary (winner advances to play Will Stem, University of Maryland)

Corbin Coe, Appalachian State University vs. Will Hill, East Texas Baptist University

Corey Sykes, Virginia Tech vs. Eric Miranda, New Jersey Institute of Technology (Winner advances to play Jordan Baker, University of Texas-Tyler)

Jonathan Beehary, Nassau Community College vs. Nate Sweitzer, West Virginia University

Stephen Skvarka, Virginia Tech vs. Mack Harrell, East Carolina University (winner advances to play Jason Burns, The Ohio State University)

Brian Myung, Indiana University vs. Matt Shilinski, University of Maryland-University College

Eric McClure, University of Illinois-Chicago vs. James Gomes, DeVry University (winner advances to play George Mansour, University of Akron)

Wenjie Wu, Purdue University vs. Cody Broadway, University of Texas-Tyler

Yu-han Yang, University of Maryland College Park vs. Bo Jin, Purdue University (winner advances to play Ryan Baez, Radford University)

Jose Galvez, Florida International University vs. Anthony Sato, University of Hawaii-Manoa

Jamyang Tamashi, Macalester College vs. Ryan Kuhlmann, University of Minnesota-Duluth (winner advances to play Scott Maloney, University of Wyoming)

Chad Roahrig, Indiana University vs. Raymond Linares, Miami Dade College-Kendall Campus

Steve Holbrook, Ivy Tech Community College vs. Curtis Sawdon, University of Michigan (winner advances to play Juan Sanchez, University of Texas-Pan American)

Josh Keys, Virginia Tech vs. Thomas Smith, James Madison University

DavidVuong, University of Maryland-College Park vs. Cody Terry, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Winner advances to play Charles Barker, Weber State University

The women’s chart of 20 players, from top to bottom, is as follows:

Delia Mocanu, Northeastern University vs. Angelica Rudow, University of Arizona

Jessica Jahn, Spokane Falls Community College vs. Jennifer McCandless, Radford University (winner advances to play Melissa Chesky, University of Minnesota-Duluth)

Giovanni Aviles, University of Illinois-Chicago vs. Amanda Neal, Indiana University

Tam Do, Illinois Institute of Technology vs. Angie Braeutiam, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (winner advances to play Heather Platter, University of Florida)

Brittany Breedlove, University of Akron vs. Kayla Randall, California University of Pennsylvania

Sam Tsang, University of Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Cindy Ho, California State University-Sacramento (winner advances to play Jennifer Acierto, Virginia Commonwealth University

Miranda Blazek, Northern Wyoming CC District vs. Elizabeth Haas, University of Akron

Michelle Yim, University of Houston vs. Jackie Sanchez, Barry University (winner advances to play Morgan Bowles, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Raymond Linares and Delia Mocanu were the 2011 winners and are both present to defend their title.  Competition continues through Sunday afternoon.  Match results will be posted on the Facebook group “ACUI 9-ball.”