ACS Pool League Nationals in Reno

ACS Pool League Nationals in RenoEast Coast & West Coast Divide Awards at ACS 9-BallMembers of the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) and the Canadian Cue Sport Association (CCS) journeyed from all regions of the United States and Canada to the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada, to insure the success of the inaugural ACS National 9-Ball Championships, November 9-13. There were no pre-event favorites, as Masters spotted Open and Senior entries, and the format evened out the odds in the Singles divisions. Master players took two of the top four spots in Men’s Singles and only one Master player could break the top eight (7th) in Women’s Singles.$15,200 was added to the Championships by the ACS, and the players were universally complimentary of the great tournament direction provided by Gary Benson and High Country Promotions, the beautiful Silver Legacy, El Dorado, Circus-Circus all-in-one complex and the nearby road trips available in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area that added to their vacation experience.
Scotch Doubles and Doubles competitions were the first order of the week, and former national amateur Seniors 8-Ball champion, Jean Bartholomew, and former national amateur 9-Ball champion, Glenn Atwell (both of Portland, Oregon), constructed an undefeated path to the title, eclipsing the once-defeated team of Julie Burney and David Reavis (Beaverton, OR) in the finals. The team of Marc Dionne (Salem, MA) and Richie Minichello (Everett, MA) were set back in the first set of the Doubles finals by the San Antonio, Texas team of Tony Hernandez and Bobby Brown, but Dionne/Minichello recovered in the second set to claim an early-week crown for the northeast.The Men’s Singles final featured two Oregonians: undefeated Darrold Crain (Point) and once-defeated Glenn Atwell (Portland). Crain reached the finals by outdueling Jose Cruz (Ozone Park, NY), Rick Marshall (Kamloops, BC), Tony Hernandez (San Antonio, TX), Robert Lucas (Hyannis, MA), Todd Drake (Savannah, GA) and Bobby Brown (San Antonio, TX) in the A-side finals. Atwell took a much longer path to the title match by defeating Kevin Guimond (Vernon, CT), but losing to Bob Willoughby (Virginia Beach, VA) in his second round. Regrouping, Glenn moved on by eliminating James Parrish (Portsmouth, VA), Bill Mildenberger (Portland, OR), Jeff Heath (Loyalton, CA), Tony Chohan (Sacramento, CA), Robert Lucas (Hyannis, MA), Patrick Brown (Savannah, GA), Richie Minichello (Everett, MA), Jack Davis (Virginia Beach, VA) and Bobby Brown (San Antonio, TX) in the B-side finals. In the round for the crown, Atwell forced a deciding set by clipping Darrold Crain 11-9, and took advantage of some early misfires by Crain in the set to commandeer an 11-4 victory.Baltimore, Maryland’s Patti Jakusz sailed undefeated to the hot seat of the Women’s Singles division with wins over Patti Lilje (Portland, OR), Stella Price (Virginia Beach, VA), Susan Preston (Springfield, OR) and Wenda Nichols (Colorado Springs, CO) 7-6 in the A-side finals. Jakusz’s final’s match opponent proved to be Jean Bartholomew (Portland, OR), who had earlier downed Karla Bagley (Warm Springs, OR), Samm Diep (Aurora, CO), lost to Wenda Nichols (Colorado Springs, CO) 5-7, and then knocked off Karla Bagley, Susan Preston and Nichols in a rematch 7-6 to earn a shot in the title match against Jakusz. The finals was all Jakusz, as Patti sealed a 7-2 win over Bartholomew.ACS established an extra added-money pool, from which the top three Men’s Senior-aged players (55+) and the top-placing Women’s Senior-aged player (50+) would be rewarded. Baltimore, Maryland’s George Hammerbacher claimed the top Men’s Seniors spot [2nd was a tie among Chuck Kennedy (Kamloops, BC), Thomas Starnes (Virginia Beach, VA) and Adrian Cordova (Houston, TX], and Portland, Oregon’s Jean Bartholomew – by virtue of her 2nd place finish in the Women’s Singles – claimed the Women’s Senior’s subsidy.The team finals featured two east coast powerhouses – Brass Bell Bob from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and SLATE from Savannah, Georgia. Brass Bell took the easy route to the finals by eclipsing Rolling Stones (MA), SLATE (GA), Yogee’s Quicksilver (OR), Nitehawk (OR) and The Rock (BC) to attain the hot seat. After losing to Brass Bell Bob in its very first match, SLATE recovered its momentum to oust Harry’s #1 (NV), Yogee’s (OR), Footers (VA), Nitehawks (OR), Bellmore Billiards (NY) and The Rock (BC) to get a chance at revenge in the finals. And avenge their earlier loss they did in dominating Brass Bell Bob in the first set of the finals by a 17-8 margin. Brass Bell Bob regrouped with its back against the wall to eliminate SLATE in the deciding set by a 17-9 count to wrest the team crown. The playoff for the Women’s Team title was clear-cut, as the She Hawks of Portland, Oregon, dominated the “What Would Jeanette Do” team from Colorado Springs, Colorado, by a 17-9 margin to the title.The positive atmosphere of the ACS’s first National Championships reverberated through the halls of the Silver Legacy Resort Casino all week, as players repeatedly complimented the great direction of the event by High Country Promotions and the ACS staff, gave high marks to the service-oriented city of Reno, and voiced appreciation for the support of the event by Inside Pool Magazine, Hawley’s Billiardstore.com, Cue Creations and Discount Custom Apparel. Excitement is already building for the 2005 ACS National 8-Ball Championships to be held April 30-May 7 at the beautiful, soon-to-be completed Reno Events Center next to the National Bowling Stadium – one block from the host hotels of Silver Legacy, El Dorado and Circus, Circus. Final Results:Men’s Singles1. Glenn Atwell (Portland, OR) $2,5002. Darrold Crain (Point, OR) $1,8503. Bobby Brown (San Antonio, TX) $1,3404. Jack Davis (Virginia Beach, VA) $9005-6th Chandler Todd Drake (Savannah, GA) $600 Richie Minichello (Everett, WA)7-8th Stan Tourangeau (Vancouver, BC) $400 Patrick Brown (Savannah, GA)9-12th Robert Lucas (Hyannis, MA) $300George Hammerbacher (Baltimore, MD) + $400 (Senior Pool) Tony Hernandez (San Antonio, TX) David LaFreniere (Newington, CT)13-16th Justin Lilje (Portland, OR) $200 Geon Barrett (Kamloops, BC) Wendell Quesenberry (Portsmouth, VA) Tony Chohan (Sacramento, CA)17-24th Robin Woodward (Port Alberni, BC) $150Chuck Kennedy (Kamloops, BC) + $116.67 (Senior Pool) Thomas Starnes (Virginia Beach, VA) + $116.67 (Senior Pool) Bob Willoughby (Virginia Beach, VA) Jeffrey Heath (Loyalton, CA) Bruce Deal (Roseburg, OR) Adrian Cordova (Houston, TX) + $116.67 (Senior Pool) Marc Dionne (Salem, MA) 25-32nd Richie Price Jr. (Everett, MA) $100 Doug Beaver (Kamloops, BC) John Durso (Seaford, NY) Gary Maxwell (Winston, OR) Brian Sadowski Richmond Hill, GA) Gilbert Arellano (Gerber, CA) David Reavis (Beaverton, OR) Bill Mildenberger (Portland, OR) Women’s Singles1. Patricia Jakusz (Baltimore, MD) $1,6002. Jean Bartholomew (Portland, OR) $1,100 + $250 (Senior Pool)3. Wenda Nichols (Colorado Springs, CO) $7504. Susan Preston (Springfield, OR) $4505-6th Samm Diep (Aurora, CO) $250 Karla Bagley (Warm Springs, OR)7-8th Julie Burney (Portland, OR) $100 Maryann McConnell (Port Alberni, BC) Teams1st. Brass Bell Bob (VA) $2,5002nd SLATE (GA) $1,5003rd The Rock (BC) $1,0004th Bellmore Billiards (NY) $7005-6th. Nitehawks (OR) $450 Lucke’s 4 Snipers (NV)7-8th. Yogee’s Quicksilver (OR) $300 Footers (VA) Women’s Teams1st She Hawks (OR) $5002nd The Gardens – WWJD (CO) $500 Scotch Doubles1st Jean Bartholomew/Glenn Atwell (Portland, OR) $2252nd Julie Burney/David Reavis (Portland, OR) $1253rd Karla Bagley/Stan Tourangeau (OR/BC) $904th Patricia Jakusz/George Hammerbacher (Baltimore, MD) $65 Doubles1st Richie Minichelli (Everett, MA)/Marc Dionne (Salem, MA) $2252nd Tony Hernandez/Bobby Brown (San Antonio, TX) $1253rd Patrick Butler/Chandler Todd Drake (Savannah, GA) $1004th Ed Smith (Garnerville, NY)/Alan Barnes (Mesquite, TX) $85 Visit InsidePOOL for ACS Pool Leagues news.

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