Strickland Aces 8-Ball Champs
U.S. Open Bar Table Championship / Reno, NV
by InsidePOOL Staff
Former world 9-ball champion Earl Strickland took home the 8-ball division title of the U.S. Open Bar Table Championship February 28, besting Darren Appleton in the finals. The 8-ball division was the final of a three-pronged event, hosted by the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV, that saw Shane Van Boening win both the 10-ball and the 9-ball crowns.
Appleton had a rough week at the start, feeling under the weather, but he rallied in the final division, which attracted 184 players. He won his first four matches but ran into trouble in the form of Oscar Dominguez in the fifth round. “The Big O” sent Appleton to the left side of the chart. From there Appleton had to win another five matches just to reach the quarterfinals against the event’s all-around champion, Van Boening.
On the flip side, Strickland sailed through the winners’ bracket untouched, defeating players such as Dan Louie, Sylver Ochoa, and Beau Runningen to reach the hot seat match. His opponent there was Scott “The Freezer” Frost, recent Derby City Classic one-pocket victor. Frost faltered against Strickland 5-1 and was sent to the left side of the chart, while Strickland awaited a finals opponent.
Against “The South Dakota Kid” Appleton earned a convincing win 5-2 and then advanced to meet Frost. Frost was tough competition for Appleton but ended up settling for third place 5-3. On a roll, Appleton whitewashed Strickland in the first set of the double-elimination final match, leveling the playing field. But in the second, Strickland took no prisoners, winning the deciding set 5-2.
In the 38-entrant ladies’ division, Melissa “The Viper” Little took home the first-place prize. Little went undefeated through the field, defeating Tina Pawloski twice to earn the title. She defeated Nicole Hellmer 4-3, Karla Bagley-Tias 4-1, Kimberly Benson 4-1, and Sunny Griffin 4-1 to reach the hot seat match.
Pawloski bested Paula Davis 4-2, Kim Anderson 4-2, Andrea Wilson 4-0, Susan Williams 4-3, and Heather Pulford 4-1 to meet Little in the hot seat match. After Little won by a convincing 4-1 score, Pawloski was sent to the west side of the chart to the semifinal match, where she again faced Pulford and won 4-2 to earn her rematch with Little. However, little changed in their second meeting: Little again managed to defeat Pawloski 4-1 and claim the title.
Strickland took home the 8-ball division title of the U.S. Open Bar Table Championship February 28, besting Appleton in the finals.
Results:
1st Earl Strickland $6,200
2nd Darren Appleton $3,800
3rd Scott Frost $2,000
4th Shane Van Boening $1,300
5th Chris MacDonald $850
Beau Runningen
7th Sylver Ochoa $600
Oscar Dominguez
9th Glenn Atwell $400
Tyler Edey
Chris Melling
Matt Clatterbuck
13th Steve Moore $275
Rylan Hartnett
Josh O’Neal
Thorsten Hohmann
17th Stan Tourangeau $200
Gabe Apollos
Nicholas Kruger
Charles Bryant
Edwin Montal
Gregory Harada Jr.
Johnathan Pinegar
Derek Pogirski
Ladies’ Results:
1st Melissa Little $1,250
2nd Tina Pawloski $800
3rd Heather Pulford $500
4th Sunny Griffin $300
5th Bonnie Plowman $175
Kimberly Benson
7th Julie Hunter $125
Noel Campos