Texas High School Billiard Athletes Recognized as Academic All-Americans

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).