Three members of Team USA, Sofia Mast, Aryana Lynch and Tiana Jiang (Photo courtesy Roy Pastor)
While the recent changes in requirements for travel to Europe, have the event in a sort of limbo, the Billiard Congress of America is still proud to announce the participants who are slated to travel to Austria on October 6th – 10th for the Predator 2021 WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships.
The members of Team USA are:
Riley Adkins, Daniel Martin, Landon Hollingsworth, Joey Tate, Payne McBride, Kyle Yi, Jayden Liu, Niko Konkel, Harry Leinen, Aryana Lynch, Sofia Mast, Tiana Jiang, Savanna Wolford, Skylar Hess, Alice Adams, Hayleigh Marion and Kennedy Meyman
In addition to the seventeen players representing the USA, the BCA also announced that Arnaud Rakovich, Issac Yee and Haydar Ali Cappo are representing Team Canada at this event.
As announced in a previous release from the BEF, “Allocations for the prestigious 2021 2021 WPA Predator World Junior Pool Championship, (…) will be provided to the highest placed finishers in the boys open 16 & Under and 18 & Under divisions, and in the girls open 18 & Under division”. With some candidates unable to travel to Austria, the BCA opened up invitations to the champions from the 14 & Under Girls, 16 & Under Girls and 14 & Under Boys Divisions. All three of these division winners are confirmed for Team USA.
Some of these warriors are asking for help on social media to fund their trips to Austria, so if you see one of your favorite players on the list of players, check out their social media pages and help any way that you can.
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.
