Abram “Too Tall” Diaz and Jim “Coach” Barnard of Chula Vista, Calif. came to the National Team Championships to compete in the Dr. Cue Artistic Pool Championship. The 2 are also on 3 APA teams together.
The 2nd PoolAPAlooza celebration of the week was held on Thursday evening. It gave players an opportunity to take a break from the tournament action to sit back and relax.
The Dr. Cue Artistic Pool Championship concluded on Thursday with Jason Kane of New York, N.Y. taking home the grand prize, $750 and free entry into the Dr. Cue Classic Artistic Cup ($250 minimum value) for the 2nd consecutive year.
Nick Nikolaidis defeated Tom Rossman in the Extreme Pool Championship finals on Thursday. This artistic competition included 2 flights of 5 players, in a Round Robin format.
Winners of the Team Shirt Contest have been determined in the 9-Ball Open and Ladies 8-Ball divisions. Awards were handed out their respective division's awards ceremony.
Master billiard instructor, Tom Simpson, is on-hand at the National Team Championships providing free mini lessons. The sessions are open to anyone attending the championships.
Friends in Low Places is a team of all married couples from Abbeville, La. They play out of The Oasis, which is where they got the idea for their team Hawaiian shirts.
Tuf-E-Nuf of Albuquerque, N.M. plays out of the American Legion Post 72. Their slogan, as seen on their team shirts, is, “The little post with a big heart.”
The Extreme Pool Championship kicked off on Monday. This tournament features famous trickshot players including: Mike Massey, Andy Segal, Tom Rossman, Nick Nikolaidis, Stefano Pelinga, Bruce Barthelette, Sal Conti, Matt MacPhail, Charles Darling and Dave Nangle.
Registration for the 8-Ball Open division occurred on Monday, with play beginning in the evening. Players lined up from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm to register their team for the tournament.
Players can continue the pool action 24 hours a day in the Capri practice rooms. Rooms are dedicated solely for players to practice whenever they choose.
I Shoot Like a Girl from Manville, N.J. is in Vegas competing in the 8-Ball Ladies division. The team consists of Vicki Ryback, Ann Perkins, Mimi Peters, Kelly Brock, Kim Bradshaw, Melissa Bencivenga, Noel “Mama” Monge and Kat Lippencott.
Players can take home a piece of the National Team Championships by stopping by the Khamsin Designs APA apparel booth and purchasing exclusive event memorabilia.
Joel Goodman of Newberg, Ore. is at the National Team Championships competing in the APA Wheelchair Challenge. He has been playing pool for 25 years now and has been an APA member for about 5 years.
Players spent Saturday night celebrating at the annual PoolAPAlooza, party by the pool. Attendees danced the night away to the music provided by the DJ and took home plenty of APA goodies by participating in the game stations.
Chalk’s Cheap members Patricia “Tricialicious” O’Connell, Stacy “Wobbleosky” Wylesky, Charlotte “Yo Momma” Ross, Tara “Tu Tu” Nelson, Mickie “Mickie Lucci” Sides and Stephanie “Stefony” Modisette are more than just teammates, they are good friends.
The Dr. Cue Artistic Pool Championship began Friday evening with preliminary rounds. The event runs from Friday, August 15 to Thursday, August 21, when a champion will be crowned.
Husband and wife, Phil “Butterbean” and Lynn “Sprout” Ballard share more than a love for pool and 24 years of marriage, they also share a birthday (today, August 15) and are playing in the 9-Ball Open tournament on the same team.
The Leftovers of Spartanburg, S.C. weren’t a probable contender for Nationals in their area. What’s really interesting is that people thought we weren’t going to make it, everyone doubted us,” Kenny Moore said.
In addition to the tournament action, there is much for players attending the National Team Championships to see and do.
POOLAPALOOZA!
Get ready to PARTY!
A poolside celebration in your honor is taking place,
and you won’t want to miss it. POOLAPALOOZA is
a festival featuring great events, giveaways and
contests, and ties into the excitement of being here
at the 2008 National Team Championships.
Join all the poolplayers and their guests poolside at
The Riv on Saturday, August 16, and Thursday,
August 21, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Team Name Contest
Congratulations to our winners
of the inaugural Team Name Contest!
One team in the Ladies 8-Ball, 9-Ball Open and 8-Ball Open divisions
were selected to receive this award. Each member of the winning team
will receive a commemorative plaque during the Awards Ceremony for
their respective division.
APA Leagues are about the excitement of competition, but more importantly,
they’re about fun. We want all of our members who compete in our national
championship events to have the experience of a lifetime. An important
ingredient in that experience is good sportsmanship among our members.
Sportsmanship is the key to the success of weekly APA League play and APA
national tournaments. More...
_______________________
Attention Players
Pool takes precedence
over smoking!
Please remember we have timelines set in place
in order to make the event run in a timely
manner. Holding up matches to take smoke
breaks not only delays your match, but all of the
matches following yours. We will not tolerate
matches held up because teams/players are not
in the arena due to taking smoke breaks. Players
caught taking their scoresheets outside of the
Tournament Room, or delaying their match for
such breaks will result in a forfeiture of their
match. Team Captains must be responsible for
their players during match times.
This rule applies for all APA National Events.
New This Year!
Instruction - Tom Simpson
Free Mini Lessons
Certified Billiard Instructor Tom Simpson
will be providing FREE instructional
lessons on the following dates/times
in Skybox 206.
Monday, Aug. 18 – Thursday, Aug. 21,
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
&
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Daily
Pics from the Event
