APA AWARDS $450,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES AT NATIONAL SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
World’s Largest Pool League Crowns Seven Amateur Champions in Las Vegas
More than $450,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to American Poolplayers Association (APA) members at the APA National Singles Championships held April 29 – May 2 in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The National Singles Championships consisted of both the 8-Ball Classic and 9-Ball Shootout Singles Championships and the Jack & Jill Doubles Championship.
The final round of the 9-Ball Shootout featured three championship matches, one for each skill level tier, with two shooters in each match competing for $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Dustin Harwood of Sumner, Wash., defeated Amber Setzer of Mooresville, N.C., in the finals of the Green Tier (Skill Levels 1 – 3) for the championship. Harwood advanced to the finals after a semifinal round victory over Tammy Hellyer of San Antonio, Texas. Setzer advanced to the finals after defeating Emily Marino Vang of Beaverton, Ore.
Nicolas Reyna of Lincoln Park, Mich., defeated Joshua Sherman of Rockledge, Fla., in the finals of the White Tier (Skill Levels 4 – 5) for the championship. Reyna defeated Clodagh Lancaster of Redmond, Wash., in the semifinal round to advance to the finals. Sherman advanced to the finals by defeating Allam Ramahi of Marietta, Ga.
The APA crowned several national champions at the National Singles Championships in Las Vegas.
Kenneth Brisbon of Oxford, Mich., defeated Brandon McGuire of Roaring River, N.C., in the finals of the Black Tier (Skill Levels 6 – 9) for the championship. Brisbon advanced to the finals after defeating Bob Vallas of E. Peoria, Ill., in the semifinals. McGuire advanced to the final round match after a victory over Yong Fang of Chino, Calif., in the semifinal match of the Black Tier.
Each of the three Champions received a prize package worth $10,000. Runners-Up in each tier took home a prize package worth $5,000.
Nearly 37,000 amateur shooters attempted to qualify for the 2009 APA 9-Ball Shootout Singles Championship in their local league area. More than 2,900 poolplayers made it to the regional level of the 9-Ball Shootout before the field was whittled down to 250 men and women competing for 9-Ball crowns in each of three skill level tiers.
More than 20,000 shooters attempted to qualify for the 2009 8-Ball Classic. Nearly 5,100 poolplayers made it to the regional level before the field was narrowed to 439 men and women competing for 8-Ball crowns in each of three skill level tiers.
In the finals of the 8-Ball Classic, four champions each took home a prize package worth $15,000 for their performances.
In the Blue Tier (Skill Levels 2 – 3) of the 8-Ball Classic, it was Brent Bratcher of Louisville, Ky., defeating Michael Ryan of Joliet, Ill., in the final match. Bratcher defeated Michael McCabe of Fullerton, Calif., in the semifinals to advance, while Ryan defeated Frank De La Cruz of Tucson, Ariz.
The finals of the Yellow Tier (Skill Level 4), saw Donnie Richardson of Buersheba Springs, Tenn., defeat Tripp Tatum of Germantown, Md.. Richardson advanced to the finals by defeating Phil Farris of Hamilton, Ohio, earlier in the day in the semifinal round. Tatum defeated Olga Azarova of Seattle, Wash., in the semifinals.
In the Red Tier (Skill Level 5) of the 8-Ball Classic, it was Chris Frazao of Trumbull, Conn., defeating Douglas Krus of Peoria, Ill., in the final match. Frazao defeated Mike Kurpicski of Millersville, Md., in the semifinals to advance, while Krus defeated Michael Jaeck of Whitehouse, Ohio.
The finals of the Purple Tier (Skill Levels 6 – 7) pitted David Rowell of Birmingham, Ala., against Martin Zavala, Jr. of Joliet, Ill. Rowell defeated Avery Barnard of Macon, Ga., in the semifinal round. Zavala advanced after defeating Jamie Guajardo of Crest Hill, Ill.
First place winners received cash and prizes worth $15,000. Each Runner-Up received cash and prizes worth $9,000.
In the annual Jack & Jill Doubles Championship, held in the MiniMania Room during the Singles Championships, Matt Mancini and Wai Lam of Revere, Mass., defeated Richard Winpigler and Leslie Hickman of Frederick, Md. Mancini and Lam took home $5,000, while Winpigler and Hickman received $3,000 as Runners-Up.
Sportsmanship Awards were presented to Richard Benes of Palmetto, Fla., and Kevin Jones Jr. of Fontana, Calif., for outstanding conduct throughout their matches in the 9-Ball Shootout and 8-Ball Classic, respectively.
The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States, and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. More than 260,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9 Ball league play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.
The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA National Team Championships, the APA National Singles Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out nearly $1.5 Million in cash and prizes annually!
The APA and its championships are sponsored by Cuetec Cues and PoolDawg.
For more information on the American Poolplayers Association, visit www.poolplayers.com.