Melissa Herndon

Posted by admin as Players

Melissa Herndon

Melissa Herndon

Melissa Herndon is a professional pool player on the Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) Tour. She was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana but resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Melissa Herndon started playing on the WPBA Tour in 2000 and turned pro in 2002. She has earned the nickname of Dragon Lady from her fellow pros and known for her strong presence both on and off the table.
Stylish, vivacious, and outgoing, Melissa currently is sponsored by CFR Productions and Morris Custom Cues. With her number of television appearances on the rise, this list is destined to grow. Her highest finish to date was third place at the 2005 WPBA U.S. Open Championship.

Final Four Set for Cuetec Cues Florida Classic

Posted by admin as WPBA Tour

Final Four Set for Cuetec Cues Florida Classic
by InsidePOOL Staff
Billiards News - The 64-player field of the Cuetec Cues Florida Classic has wound down to their top 4, with Allison Fisher, Melissa Herndon (pictured right), Xiaoting Pan, and Ga Young Kim emerging as the top competitors. The event is hosted by the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL.
After scorching through the winners’ side, Allison Fisher arrived in the top four via victories over Cathy Metzinger 9-2 and Jennifer Chen 9-5. In her match with Austria’s Gerda Hofstatter, who earlier defeated Julie Kelly 9-4 and then Karen Corr 9-7, Fisher squeaked by with a hill-hill win.
In the same bracket, L.A.’s Melissa Herndon whizzed through her bracket, notching wins over Ga Young Kim 9-6 and snooker player Sarah Ellerby 9-7 to reach the final four. In her next match against Atlanta’s Helena Thornfeldt, who bested snooker player Kelly Fisher in a double-hill match and then won 9-4 over Cathy Metzinger, Herndon triumphed 9-7. Herndon will play Allison Fisher Sunday afternoon in the semifinals.
Xiaoting Pan is still going strong and in the final four, by virtue of her wins over 9-2 win over Kim White and then Atlanta’s Monica Webb 9-7. Webb had earlier defeated Vivian Villareal 9-4 and Lisa D’Atri 9-2.
Meeting Xiaoting Pan will be Ga Young Kim, who had a tough road to the finals in having to defeat Dawn Hopkins twice in a row. Once she escaped that, though, when she bested Kelly Fisher 9-7, it was smooth sailing. Pan will meet Kim in Sunday’s semifinal rounds.

Usual Suspects Lead in Cuetec Cues Florida Classic

Posted by admin as WPBA Tour

Usual Suspects Lead in Cuetec Cues Florida Classic
by Inside POOL Staff
Billiard News - The Women’s Professional Billiard Association’s (WPBA) Cuetec Cues Florida Classic is busy winding down to the final 16 players in Hollywood, FL. Hosted by the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, the event drew a full 64-player field.
Number one on the WPBA, Allison Fisher did not disappoint her strong fan base, winning her first two matches against Ellen Van Buren 9-2 and Liz Ford hill-hill. Gerda “The G-Force” Hofstatter is also going strong, having defeated Susan Williams 9-4 and Megan Minerich 9-5. She will next play Ireland’s Julie Kelly, who has notched wins over Rachael Abbink 9-7 and Miyuki Sakai 9-4.
Winner of the WPBA’s first tour event this year, Ga-Young Kim is still a contender as well, with victories over newcomer Yu Ram Cha 9-4 and Melissa Little 9-3. Her next match will be against Melissa Herndon out of L.A., who defeated My-Hahn Lac 9-5 and Anna Kostanian 9-4 to make it thus far.
Kelly Fisher is poised to meet Helena Thornfeldt, who just defeated her road partner, Val Finnie, 9-2. Xiaoting Pan has scorched through her first two matches, scoring wins over Caroline Pao 9-2 and Laura Smith 9-3 to reach her next match with Kim White.
Atlanta’s Monica Webb has also done well so far, with victories over Debbie Schjodt 9-4 and Tracie Hines 9-5 to meet up with the effervescent Vivian Villareal, who earlier defeated Liz Lovely 9-0 and then Jennifer Barretta 9-3.
Sarah “Velvet” Ellerby stands poised to strike in the next round, having vanquished Gail Grecar 9-3 and Alice Rim 9-5. Her next match will be against Dawn Hopkins, who whitewashed Joanne Ashton 9-0 and then bested Tiffany Nelson in a tough double-hill match.
Ireland’s Karen Corr is still going strong as well, with wins over Maureen Seto 9-1 and then Angelina Paglia 9-6. She will next play Kim Shaw, who bested Stacy Hurst 9-2 and Janet Atwell 9-6.
Visit InsidePOOL Magazine for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

BCA Pool League Signs Shane Van Boening

Posted by admin as Industry News

BCA Pool League Signs Shane Van Boening

Billiard News - The BCA Pool League is pleased to announce a sponsorship agreement with rising billiards star Shane Van Boening. Recently, Shane has made the televised finals of the Enjoypool.com Open in Las Vegas, NV where he was defeated by Filipino phenom Dennis Orcollo. Weeks later, he captured the Predator World 10-Ball Championship in Jacksonville, FL. He currently finished runner up at the Billiard Factory World Summit of Pool in Las Vegas, NV. Basically, in his last 3 pro events Shane has captured two seconds and one first place finish.
Shane Van Boening was born in 1984 and is considered by most to be the next in line and heir-apparent to the throne of being the best pool player in the U.S. Shane currently resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he is a partner in Lucky’s, a billiard establishment, located in downtown Sioux Falls.
Shane can trace his billiards skills back to his family and their obvious love for the game. His grandfather, Gary Bloomberg, was a trick-shot artist and his grandmother, Jeanne Bloomberg, was a BCA national champion. His mother, Timi Bloomberg, was a BCA national champion and his aunt, Gari Jo Bloomberg, a three-time BCA national champion.
Though he started playing when he was 2 years old, Shane did not waste his time becoming an accomplished player. With poise and composure not seen in players twice his age, Van Boening, a three-time VNEA national eight-ball champion, has advanced from a young prodigy to become one of the most feared players in the world by the time he was only 22. Van Boening was one of 8 players to earn a bonus of $5,000 for breaking and running six consecutive racks in tournament play. Shane was one of only 10 players to earn their IPT tour card by finishing in the top two spots of one of 5 qualifiers. Shane won the second stop held at the Pool Room in Altanta, GA.
Visit the Shane Van Boening image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Players/shane_van_boening/)
Shane is a hard working, clean cut young man with a desire to play pool at a professional level for years to come. His recent sponsorship by the BCAPL (headed by CEO Mark Girffin) has attracted industry interest and it looks like many more will follow. It looks like Shane Van Boening is on his way for total pool world domination and we have a ring-side seat.

Frideres Outshines All at ACS Nationals

Posted by admin as ACS All American Tour

Frideres Outshines All at ACS Nationals
Billiard News - During the week of June 7-16, battles on all sorts of green felt abounded at the Riviera in Las Vegas at the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) Nationals. 9-Ball, 8-Ball, snooker, wheelchair, artistic, speed pool, carrom, amateur, professional – the Nationals showcased it all. And no player had a better run through the various divisions than did Jessica Frideres of Ft. Dodge, Iowa. Jessica hauled in the hardware in no fewer than six divisions of play – Women’s 9-Ball Singles (2nd), Women’s Masters 8-Ball Singles (1st), Master Scotch Doubles (1st), Women’s Open 9-Ball Team (2nd), Women’s Master 8-Ball Team (2nd) and Women’s Speed Pool.
Bar whiz Jesse Bowman (E. Moline, IL) rebounded from lackluster 2006 singles results to claim the Men’s 9-Ball Singles title, but again placed out of the money in the Men’s Masters 8-Ball Singles – won by newcomer Shannon Ducharme of Winnipeg, Canada. Katrina Dennis (Ridgefield, WA) scored the Women’s 9-Ball Singles crown, and claimed a strong 3rd place in the Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles as well. Injuring her leg in transit to Las Vegas, Jean Bartholomew (Portland, OR) continued to add on to her impressive resume in the Senior Women’s 8-Ball Singles by claiming yet another national title.
Blake Byrket (Muscatine, IA) took down the Men’s Standard 8-Ball Singles title, while his seventeen year old daughter, Rachel, took 4th in the Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles and 1st on the winning Leisure Time Bratz team in the Women’s Master 8-Ball Teams. The FCB Willis team from Omaha, Nebraska claimed both the Men’s Open 9-Ball and Men’s Open 8-Ball team titles, while Canadian teams continued their dominance in the Men’s Standard 8-Ball Team division - Mad Dogs of Calgary, Alberta, being the latest hoisters of the crown.
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
In other events, Brad Rautio (New Westminster, BC) surprised the field in the NWPA-sanctioned “Las Vegas Open” wheelchair event to take the crown, while 13-year old Austin Murphy (who placed 9th in the pro 9-ball event) outlasted all challengers for the ACS National Artistic Pool Championship, sponsored by Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman. In the 2nd Annual “Can-Am Snooker Challenge,” Team USA avenged its 2006 defeat by Team Canada on the beautiful 12-foot green baize to claim the challenge trophy by a 12-8 margin over Team Canada. Canada regained some sense of satisfaction when its 2-man team of Alain Robidoux and Don Chomiski took down the $500 winner-take-all “UPA vs. Canada” snooker challenge over pro 9-ball and former pro snooker players Tony Crosby (UK) and Lee Chenman (Hong Kong). Former World 9-Ball Champion, Alex Pagulayan (Canada), outlasted Shane Van Boening (Rapid City, SD) 7-5 in the ESPN-televised $25,000 added “World Summit of Pool” for the pro 9-ball championship. Kudos to Dragon Promotions on promoting a very successful event.
The 2008 ACS Nationals will again return to the Riviera, June 7-14, and will include a few changes: 1). no Master team divisions; 2). 4-person women’s teams; 3). Scotch doubles play in 8-ball only; and 4). 9-ball team divisions and 8-ball team divisions scheduled on the same dates (different times), so that teams can play to their heart’s content in two separate team divisions! The ACS inspires as much play as possible at the Nationals in many divisions, so that a player has the time of his/her life; that is, if they are not allergic to green baize.

Complete Results: $205,300 Total Prize Fund

Men’s 9-Ball Singles
128 x $65 = $8,320 + $1,500 added = $9,820 total prize fund

1st Jesse Bowman (East Moline, IL) $1,500 + Trophy
2nd Dustin Gunia (Omaha, NE) $1,100 + Trophy
3rd Kenny Tran (Frankfort, KY) $800 + Trophy
4th Robert Rodriguez (Firestone, CO) $620
5-6th Justin Whitehead (Tucson, AZ) $500
Saturnino Jesusa (Arabi, LA)
7-8th Kevin Peterson (Tucson, AZ) $400
Anthony Wilson (East Moline, IL)
9-12th Mark Reynolds (Decatur, IL) $300
Andrew Twitchen (Mills River, NC)
Danny Roach (Gorin, MO)
Glen Bird (Calgary, AB)
13-16th Zack Willis (Papillion, NE) $200
Larry Wilson (Victoria, BC)
Tommy Hernandez (Rock Island, IL)
Danny Barnes (Newport, MI)
17-24th Bill Trimble (Jeffersonville, KY) $150
Jerry Watts (Shelbyville, KY)
Anthony Garcia (East Moline, IL)
Jack Davis (Virginia Beach, VA)
Ben Conway Jr. (Brandon, FL)
Bill Mason (Virginia Beach, VA)
Pat Schumacher (Portland, OR)
Fernando Villanueva (West Fargo, ND)
25-32nd Jamey Bowman (East Moline, IL) $100
Bill Duggan (Virginia Beach, VA)
Jim Prchal (Lavista, NE)
Darrell Hilliard (Midland, TX)
Isaac Runnels (Hopkins Park, IL)
Rich Bideaux (Moline, IL)
Mike Henderson (Colfax, IA)
Troy Berget (Castle Rock, CO)
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
Women’s 9-Ball Singles
43 x $65 = $2,795 + $1,000 added = $3,795 total prize fund

1st Katrina Dennis (Ridgefield, WA) $1,000 + Trophy
2nd Jessica Frideres (Ft. Dodge, IA) $745 + Trophy
3rd Samantha Patton (Richmond, KY) $500 + Trophy
4th Barbara Allen (Surprise, AZ) $350
5-6th Jacquilyn Redmon (Suffolk, VA) $250
Christy Goldsmith (Henderson, NV)
7-8th Mary Davis (Virginia Beach, VA) $150
Rachel Byrket (Muscatine, IA)
9-12th Cheryl Pritchard (Chesapeake, VA) $100
Sandra Walsh (Clifton, CO)
Brenda Bartholomew (Oregon City, OR)
Jill Nagel (Papillion, NE)

Men’s Masters 8-Ball Singles
25 x $165 = $4,125 + $3,000 added = $7,125 total prize fund

1st Shannon Ducharme (Winnipeg, MB) $2,000 + Trophy
2nd Robert Clark (Plano, TX) $1,500 + Trophy
3rd Jeff Heath (Westminster, CA) $1,000 + Trophy
4th Jamey Bowman (E. Moline, IL) $700
5-6th Tommy Hernandez (Rock Island, IL) $400
Dustin Gunia (Omaha, NE)
7-8th Isaac Runnels (Hopkins Park, IL) $250
Larry Wilson (Victoria, BC)
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
Men’s Masters 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Justin Whitehead (Tucson, AZ) $400
2nd Benny Conway (Brandon, FL) $225

Women’s Masters 8-Ball Singles
11 x $165 = $1,815 + $3,000 added = $4,815 total prize fund

1st Jessica Frideres (Ft. Dodge, IA) $2,000 + Trophy
2nd Barbara Hamilton (Silvis, IL) $1,200 + Trophy
3rd Cheryl Pritchard (Chesapeake, VA) $600 + Trophy
4th Andrea Wilson (Victoria, BC) $400

Women’s Masters 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Toni Barnes (Virginia Beach, VA) $400
2nd Tina Larsen (Palatine, IL) $215
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles
164 x $115 = $18,860 + $1,500 added = $20,360 total prize fund

1st Aaron Thomas (Barrie, ON) $3,500 + Trophy
2nd Felipe Flores (Golden, CO) $2,660 + Trophy
3rd Mark Reynolds (Decatur, IL) $1,800 + Trophy
4th Jerrod Frideres (Ft. Dodge, IA) $1,100
5-6th Steve Tune (Oregon City, OR) $800
Jeffrey Hughes (W. Palm Beach, FL)
7-8th Darrell Hilliard (Midland, TX) $550
Mike Henderson (Colfax, IA)
9-12th Ronnie Bulin (Silsbee, TX) $400
Lance Luther (Moline, IL)
Richard Mager (Earlville, IL)
Zack Willis (Papillion, NE)
13-16th Richard Closs (Toronto, ON) $300
Xavier Sotelo (W. Palm Beach, FL)
Ken Welch (Eugene, OR)
Jason Netherton (Mississauga, ON)
17-24th Robert Hesse (Coal Valley, IL) $200
Robert Sombrerero (Cedar Hill, TX)
Greg Kuhl (Las Vegas, NV)
John Pokora (Springfield, IL)
Juan Parra Jr. (Dallas, TX)
Dale Brimicombe (Halifax, NS)
Kenny Tran (Frankfort, KY)
Joaquin Ada (Springfield, OR)
25-32nd Rich Bideaux (Moline, IL) $150
Redmon Danforth (Oneida, WI)
Mike Wasyliw (Calgary, AB)
Anthony Garcia (E. Moline, IL)
Dave Perry (Virginia Beach, VA)
Bruce Wheeler (Casselton, ND)
Ray Skenandore (Oneida, WI)
Timothy Robertson (Kelso, WA)
33-48th Jesus Hernandez (Ennis, TX) $125
David Melson (Powells Point, NC)
Franklin Baker II (Davenport, IA)
Brandon Zimmerman (Port Moody, BC)
Robert Hawes (Sulphur, LA)
Jim Prchal (Lavistu, NE)
Steve Freeman (Norfolk, VA)
Anthony Wilson (E. Moline, IL)
Jason Osborn (Las Vegas, NV)
Andrew Twitchen (Mills River, NC)
Ken Crane (Vancouver, BC)
Walter Dufour III (Harvey, LA)
Craig Arnold (Olympia, WA)
Calvin Gulley (Lexington, KY)
Mike Tarto (New Orleans, LA)
John Wertenbach Jr. (Virginia Beach, VA)

Men’s Open 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Samuel Trant (Groves, TX) $400
2nd Daniel Penn (Jennings, LA) $200
3-4th Billy Huff (Beaumont, TX) $100
Anthony Schultz (Pekin, IL)
5-8th Lauren Vaughn (Metairie, LA) $50
Mike Calla (Maple Ridge, BC)
Bill Duggan (Virginia Beach, VA)
Brian Sadowski (Richmond Hill, GA)
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles
57 x $115 = $6,555 + $1,000 added = $7,555 total prize fund

1st Stacey Lantz (Treasure Island, FL) $2,000 + Trophy
2nd Josie Leroy (Newburg, OR) $1,200 + Trophy
3rd Kit Dennis (Ridgefield, WA) $805 + Trophy
4th Rachel Byrket (Muscatine, IA) $500
5-6th Maryellen Clements (Virginia Beach, VA) $300
Christy Goldsmith (Henderson, NV)
7-8th Maria Rodriguez (Dallas, TX) $225
Julie Burney (Portland, OR)
9-12th Kathy Rupe (Omaha, NE) $150
Rachel Klein (Lockport, IL)
Teresa Frederick (Aurora, CO)
Pamela Fletcher (Las Vegas, NV)
13-16th Samantha Patton (Richmond, KY) $100
Elisa Moe (Fargo, ND)
Shawn Modelo (Antioch, CA)
Sharon Morrison (Thunder Bay, ON)

Women’s Open 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Tracie Abbott (Goose Creek, SC) $400
2nd Dianne Rankin (Junction City, KS) $200
3-4th Suzanne Dolan ((Aurora, IL) $100
Patricia Anderson (Davenport, IA)
5-8th Clare Marsh (Bellevue, NE) $50
Jennifer Wilson (East Moline, IL)
Erika Fischer (Virginia Beach, VA)
Julie Ann Mitchell (Portage, IN)

Men’s Standard 8-Ball Singles
75 x $115 = $8,625 + $1,000 added = $9,625 total prize fund

1st Blake Byrket (Muscatine, IA) $1,600 + Trophy
2nd Marty Plumb (Silvis, IL) $1,025 + Trophy
3rd Lawrence Garza (Dallas, TX) $800 + Trophy
4th John Hamilton (Beaverton, OR) $600
5-6th James Peecock (Alpharetta, GA) $500
Lyle Nicholson (Calgary, AB)
7-8th George Axiotis (Toronto, ON) $400
Robert Ferguson (Delta, BC)
9-12th George Arnett (Roswell, GA) $300
Dan McGonagle (Calgary, AB)
Rod Seitz (Surrey, BC)
Marc Boese (Savannah, GA)
13-16th Glen Bird (Calgary, AB) $200
Sam Bruso (High River, AB)
Jamie Gitzinger (Lexington, KY)
Albert Garza (DeSoto, TX)
17-24th Terry Anderson (Davenport, IA) $100
Eric Miller (Hanover, PA)
John Terry (Coweta, OK)
Daniel Rosetti (Chesapeake, VA)
Russell Jett (Davenport, IA)
Dave Demers (Calgary, AB)
Steve Nixon (New Westminster, BC)
Neil Olsen (Cumming, GA)

Men’s Standard 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Gary Babcock (Mississauga, ON) $400
2nd John Harris (Surrey, BC) $200
3-4th Anthony Orofiamma (Oakville, ON) $100
James Potter (Atlanta, GA)
5-8th Randy Guse (Calgary, AB) $50
Ken Schmidt (Denver, CO)
Joe Zutell (Dover, PA)
Ryan Watkins (Surrey, BC)
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles
39 x $115 = $4,485 + $1,000 added = $5,485 total prize fund

1st Gina Knight (Chicago, IL) $1,300 + Trophy
2nd Barbara Allen (Surprise, AZ) $900 + Trophy
3rd Kathleen Asbury (Bedford, TX) $585 + Trophy
4th Veronica Ordonez (El Paso, TX) $350
5-6th Amy Sicheneder (Chicago, IL) $250
Shelley Starlight (Calgary, AB
7-8th Angie Garner (Lexington, KY) $175
Betty Ramirez (Nederland, TX)
9-12th Julie Moosewaypayo (Calgary, AB) $125
Shana Craig (Albuquerque, NM)
Roberto Robinson (Tulsa, OK)
Carmen Barrientos (Grand Prairie, TX)

Women’s Standard 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Tara Allison (Coal Valley, IL) $400
2nd Niki Phillipi (Aloha, OR) $200
3-4th Yvette Maldonado (El Paso, TX)) $100
Sharon McClintock (Hillsboro, OR)
5-8th Charity Terry (Coweta, OK) $50
Linda McCoy (Thonotosassa, FL)
Tina Miles (Suffolk, VA)
Luz Selbe (Virginia Beach, VA)

Men’s Senior 8-Ball Singles
40 x $115 = $4,600 + $1,000 added = $5,600 total prize fund

1st James McAllister (Metairie, LA) $1,200 + Trophy
2nd Jesusa Saturnino (Arabi, LA) $800 + Trophy
3rd Bill Mason (Virginia Beach, VA) $600 + Trophy
4th Mark Czerwinski (Moline, IL) $400
5-6th Donnie Robinson (Lexington, KY) $300
Dave Carr (Preana, IL)
7-8th John Black (Bradford, ON) $200
Phil Burns (Van Nuys, CA)
9-12th Richard Oldham (Decatur, IL) $150
Buddy Wirt (Suffolk, VA)
Jarmo Huovinen (Thunder Bay, ON)
Robert Ball (Valparaiso, IN)

Men’s Senior 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Jerry Watts (Shelbyville, KY) $400
2nd Tom Fankhauser (Decatur, IL) $200
3-4th Silvio Cruz (Homosassa Springs, FL) $100
Glenn Gardner (Calgary, AB)
5-8th Richard Arensdorf (Lexington, KY) $50
Roy Skenandore (Oneida, WI)
Stewart Hunter (Cambridge, ON)
Ted Harms (Calgary, AB)

Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles
24 x $115 = $2,760 + $1,000 added = $3,760 total prize fund

1st Jean Bartholomew (Portland, OR) $1,000 + Trophy
2nd Gisele Maurice (Hamilton, ON) $700 + Trophy
3rd Phyllis Bentley (Beason, AZ) $460 + Trophy
4th Connie Lackey (Valparaiso, IN) $300
5-6th Yvonne Burgess (Phoenix, AZ) $150
Suellen Romesburg (Dover, PA)

Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Frances Jensen (Calgary, AB) $400
2nd Wanda Thompson (Tulsa, OK) $200
3-4th Lynn Green (Peoria, IL) $100
Jeanne Bell (Thonotosassa, FL)
5-8th Lee White (Peoria, AZ) $50
Marilyn Damman (Warsaw, MO)
Sandra Chamberlain (Broken Arrow, OK)
Sheila McDonald (Lower Sackville, NS)
Visit the ACS Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/ACS_nationals_07/)
Super Senior 8-Ball Singles
20 x $115 = $2,300 + $1,000 added = $3,300 total prize fund

1st Jonathan Hahn (Kelso, WA) $1,000 + Trophy
2nd Madison Adkins (Winchester, KY) $700 + Trophy
3rd Henry Girardi (Las Vegas, NV) $500 + Trophy
4th Vincent Modelo (Antioch, CA) $350
5-6th Lawrence Meissen (Raymore, MO) $250
Jerry Grant (Hampton, VA)
Super Senior 8-Ball Singles – Sportsman Division

1st Ernie Santos (Calgary, AB) $150
2nd Jackson Ely (Homosassa, FL) $100

18 Under Junior 8-Ball Singles

1st Nick Tafoya (Albuquerque, NM) $500 U.S. Savings Bond + Trophy
2nd Denis Grabe (Tallinn, ESTONIA) $300 U.S. Savings Bond + Trophy
3rd Jenkins Blake (Virginia Beach, VA) $200 U.S. Savings Bond + Trophy

14 Under Junior 8-Ball Singles

1st Michael Perron (Mendota Heights, MN) $500 U.S. Savings Bond + Trophy
2nd Michael Tafoya (Albuquerque, NM) $300 U.S. Savings Bond + Trophy
3rd Trevor Howell (Wheat Ridge, CO) $200 U.S. Savings Bond + Trophy

Master Scotch Doubles
13 x $140 = $1,820 + $500 added = $2,320 total prize fund

1st Jessica Frideres (IA)/ Dustin Gunia (NE) $1,000 + Trophies
2nd Becky Mowdy/ Tim Robertson (WA) $600 + Trophies
3rd Barbara Yeager/ William Willoughby (VA) $420 + Trophies
4th Tina Larsen/ Dan Taylor (IL) $300

Open Scotch Doubles
100 x $100 = $10,000 total prize fund

1st Patricia Cook/ Jeffrey Hughes (FL) $2,000 + Trophies
2nd Pamela Fletcher/ Jerry Sceusa (NV) $1,000 + Trophies
3rd Shawn Modelo/ Vince Modelo $900 + Trophies
4th Gregg Johnson/ Kay Reimer (IL) $700
5-6th Jean Bartholomew/ Steve Tune (OR) $500
Jacki Redmon/ Bill Duggan (VA)
7-8th…

Mills Heroic at Hammer Heads

Posted by admin as Canadian 30 K Tour

Mills Heroic at Hammer Heads

J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour / Holiday, FL
Donny Mills turned all heads the weekend of June 23-24 when he wrested the top-place finish from Reno Open champion Richie Orem. The J. Pechauer Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour was hosted by Hammer Heads Billiards in Holiday, FL, and saw 38 players come out to the Sunshine State.
Fighting through the one-loss side, Orem was faced with Tony “The Sniper” Crosby in the quarterfinals. He was able to face him down and advanced with a narrow 9-7 win. In the hot seat match, Mills met Jason Richko, skating by 9-6 to earn a break. Richko was no match for Orem in the semifinals, ending up going home with third place after a 9-5 defeat.
In the true double-elimination format, Orem was faced with the task of besting Mills twice in the finals. The first match went smoothly for “The Alaskan Assassin,” as he rolled over Mills 9-5. But the second set saw something unexpected come up: Mills was trailing in the match 8-3, while Orem was comfortably on the hill. Mills won the rack to make it 8-4 and then broke and ran the next five racks for an amazing victory.
Results:
1st Donny Mills
2nd Richie Orem
3rd Jason Richko
4th Tony Crosby
5th Dave Ross
Prescott Buckwold
7th Butch Croft
Bobby Livrago

Hjorliefson Steals Last 30K Billiards Stop

Posted by admin as Canadian 30 K Tour

Hjorliefson Steals Last 30K Billiards Stop

Canadian 30K Tour / Scarborough, ONT
by Willy Hermoza and Tony Butera
Billiard News - Eric Hjorliefson took the reins at the Canadian 30K Tour’s last stop for the season, ending how he began: by winning. Shooters in Scarborough, ONT, hosted the stop’s 44 players the weekend of June 23-24.
Setting up the hot seat match, Mike Patrowicz squeaked past Chris Orme 7-6, while Wayne Tate also narrowly won his match against Shawn Lee 6-5. Tate went on to take the hot seat match as well, sending Patrowicz to the one-loss side 7-6.
On the one-loss side, Hjorliefson was fighting his way through by besting George Cornelius 10-3, Orme 10-6, Lee 9-1, and then Patrowicz 10-5 to reach the finals. The marauding did not stop there, for “Big Red” made quick work of Tate, too, defeating him twice by the score of 9-2 to take the true double-elimination event.
Results:
1st Eric Hjorliefson
2nd Wayne Tate
3rd Mike Patrowicz
4th Shawn Lee
5th Josh Rundle
Chris Orme
7th Jaypee Castillo
George Cornelius

Texas High School Billiard Athletes Recognized as Academic All-Americans

Posted by admin as BEF Billiard Education Foundation

Texas High School Billiard Athletes Recognized as Academic All-Americans

Billiards News - An incredible eight high school students will represent Texas, their Dallas area high schools, and the B.E.T.T.E.R. High School Billiard Program next month at the 2007 Junior Nationals Championships and will be honored as Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) Academic All-Americans.

This is an outstanding achievement for these students due to the tough requirements needed to be selected for this highly regarded billiard industry honor. The students must maintain a 3.5 GPA or better and qualify or be selected to compete at the highly competitive and prestigous 2007 BEF Junior Nationals being held July 12th-15th at the Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota. The 2007 Academic All-American Dallas area high school students currently preparing for competition include: Spencer Moore (Grad.), Reza Dastmalchian (Grad.), Logan Elkins (Sen.), William Howard (Sen.), Jason Creel (Sen.), Vince Villarreal (Sen.), Chris Anderson (Sop.), and Joshua Wilson (Sop.).

Junior players from all across the United States and Canada will be competing in four divisions to see who will be the next junior champion. The divisions are 19 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls, 14 Under Boys, and 14 Under Girls. The collegiate nationals will also be held at the Minnesota State University the same week for the Association of Collegiate Unions International (ACUI). The top billiard talent qualified from over 300 colleges and universities will be vying for the coveted title of the 2007ACUI National Champion.

A total of eleven high school students from the pilot Dallas area high school billiard program have qualified to compete this year at the BEF Junior Nationals. The high schools and students represented this year include: Berkner H.S. Rams- William Howard and Spencer Moore, Rowlett H.S. Eagles- Logan Elkins, Wylie H.S. Pirates- Reza Dastmalchian, Vince Villarreal, and Chris Anderson, Rockwall H.S. Yellowjackets- Trey McMullen and Trent McMullen, Garland H.S. Owls- Ryan Garcia and Joshua Wilson, and the South Garland H.S.Colonels - Jason Creel.

Texas will be well represented this year with these outstanding billiard athlete-students. In 2006 the high school billiard program had qualified and sent 12 students to the University of Arizona for the Junior Nationals. In 2006 two excellent Texas high school billiard players who had competed at the Junior Nationals were recognized for their academic achievements. Last years All-Americans, William Howard and Logan Elkins, will once again be honored as BEF Academic All-Americans in Minnesota.

For the second year in a row the Dallas based B.E.T.T.E.R. High School Billiard Program Director and Founder, Earl Munson, has been invited and accepted to be the BEF Junior National Tournament Director. Last year Mr. Munson was the Tournament Director at the University of Arizona. Mr. Munson has been a Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Certified Instructor since 1997 and works very closely with the Billiard Education Foundation to promote high school billiard programs throughout the U.S.

Billiards is encouraging and motivating students to excel in the classroom. For more information please go to www.billiardeducation.org (http://www.billiardeducation.org) or www.betterplaybilliards.org (http://www.betterplaybilliards.org).

BCA Expo a Success

Posted by admin as Industry News

BCA Expo a Success
by Inside POOL Staff
Billiards News - The Billiard Congress of America’s annual International Billiard and Home Recreation Expo wound down Saturday, June 23, after three days of constant activity. After a membership mixer Wednesday evening, the show started off with a bang Thursday morning at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.
Clyde Fessler, former VP of Harley-Davidson was in attendance and delivered the keynote address at a seminar, discussing obstacles that the Harley-Davidson company faced during its rise to prosperity during the last two decades. The seminar included a roundtable discussion with members of the BCA board fielding questions plaguing the billiard industry.
The hallways were well-populated all three days, and popular opinion seemed to be that the show was an unqualified success. Thursday evening Mandalay Bay hosted the group at a reception and concert by the legendary Commodores. Friday and Saturday were all business, with the show ending on a high note with the giveaway of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle in a raffle. Additionally, Ivan Lee of Iwan Simonis, Inc. stepped up as BCA president. The BEF also raffled a Harley Davidson motorcycle that was won by Connie Mueller of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Visit the International Billiard and Home Recreation Expo image gallery (/gallery2/v/Billiards+Industry/bca_expo_2007/)

Bustamante Busts Open Hard Times Billiards

Posted by admin as Billiard News

Bustamante Busts Open Hard Times Billiards

Hard Times 9-Ball Summer Jamboree / Sacramento, CA
by Rick Davis
Francisco Bustamante lit up the West Coast as he went undefeated to take the Hard Times 9-Ball Summer Jamboree title. Taking place at Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento, CA, the event had been traditionally held soon after the Reno Open, and its sixth running took place June 19-21. A 72-player field turned out, including many top touring pros and a large contingent of heavy hitters from the West. With a total purse just under $12,000 the double-elimination event was certainly the top action in the area.
In the first round current U.S. Open champion John Schmidt faced top international pro and the favorite for the event, Bustamante. After a short scuffle Bustamante moved on 9-6, while Schmidt saw the B side earlier than he was used to. Schmidt was not the only top name to come up short early on—Ike Runnels and Rafael Martinez each felt the axe fall through the early rounds. Runnels was defeated double-hill by “Marvelous Marlon” Manalo in the second round then was ousted by Schmidt 7-4 shortly after. Martinez received his early loss from Arturo Rivera, a well-known Westerner, who defeated him 9-7 then made way for Manalo, who chalked up another victim, eliminating Martinez 7-6.
For those players that managed to stay alive plenty of action could be found, and for the consistent crowds of 200-300 people it was a great show. On the winners’ side Bustamante met with Tyler Edey in the hot seat match and sent him West after another 9-6 win. On the one-loss side, the field grew narrow as a comeback brewed.
Manalo clawed his way to the quarterfinals after eliminating Edwin Montal 7-4, while Schmidt, after taking a first-round loss, took ten matches, including wins over Manalo 7-3 in the quarterfinals and Edey double-hill in the semifinals. Since Bustamante gave Schmidt his first-round loss, it was only fitting they meet again the finals. With a single race to 11, Schmidt opened with a three-pack only to scratch on the break and watch Bustamante offer a four-pack. From there the score kept even as it flew by 5-, 6- and 7-all until again Bustamante brought out his big guns and served up a final four-pack to take the match 11-7 and claim the title.
Results:
1st Francisco Bustamante $3500
2nd John Schmidt $2200
3rd Tyler Edey $1500
4th Marlon Manalo $1000
5th Gerardo Jamito $500
Edwin Montal
7th Louis Ulrich $350
Jose Parica
9th Bobby Hunter $250
Austin Murphy
Tony Chohan
Jeff Gregory