Torres Wins Big at Bogies

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Torres Wins Big at Bogies

Junior National Qualifier / Houston, TX
by InsidePOOL Staff
Eleven-year-old Joey Torres, pool-playing prodigy, made his way through a 22-player field at Bogies Billiards in Houston, TX, to earn a ticket to the Junior Nationals in Tucson, AZ.
In the quarterfinals, Torres wreaked revenge upon Brandon Turner, who had sent him to the one-loss side earlier, in a hill-hill match that ended in a tough loss for Turner. Torres moved on to play Aaron Hughey in an all-Texas shootout, with Torres capturing the win.
The final round saw the undefeated Eric Calhoun, who traveled all the way from Albany, GA, and Torres dueling in a final race to 7. Torres took an early lead and maintained it throughout, besting Calhoun 7-4.
The players not only receive a spot for Nationals, they also take home certificates and trophies, most of which are donated by the South East Texas APA League. South Texas Junior Pool Tour (stjpt.com) is a nonprofit organization that holds 22 junior events per year, holds qualifiers for Nationals, and raises money to make sure they get there. When a junior wins a qualifier, they want them to accept that spot and will help provide them with the financial means to make that dream a reality. Each of the six players who qualified at Bogies received $50 each for travel expenses. All 14 of the juniors will benefit from BBQ fundraisers being held throughout May. If you would like to help make a youngster’s pool dream come true, you can make a donation by visiting stjpt.com.

Results:
1st Joey Torres
2nd Eric Calhoun
3rd Aaron Hughey
4th Brandon Turner

Sisemore and Butler Qualify For Nationals

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Sisemore and Butler Qualify For Nationals
The South Texas Junior Pool Tour held its first Junior Qualifier at its newest sponsor poolroom, Bogies Billiards and Games, in Houston, TX, Saturday, March 22. They came from as far as Sherman, TX, to qualify for a chance to compete and win a qualifying spot for Junior Nationals.
Nineteen juniors, along with parents, family members, and friends, converged on Bogies Billiards to battle it out for qualifying spots for the 2008 Junior Nationals. For junior hopefuls and brothers Joey (11) and J.C Torres (14), this was their first event, and even though they were eliminated, they were determined to qualify. Joey wowed the crowd on Saturday, taking down opponents in record time in an attempt to fight through the one-loss side after a first-round hill-hill loss to Brandon Sisemore (17). Eric Molina (17) also fought his way back from the one-loss side, finally eliminating Joey Torres and Sam Burns in order to meet up with the undefeated Sisemore for one final race to 7. Eric’s methodical and collected style couldn’t see him through to the end, for Brandon powered his way through to a 7-4, come-from-behind win, earning him a first-place trophy and the qualifier spot.
On the ladies’ side, Macy Bullard and Shelby Butler met in the semifinals. Shelby defeated Macy, who took home a very impressive third-place finish. It was the seemingly unstoppable Taylor Satterwhite and one-loss side player Shelby Butler competing in a final race to 7. Shelby took it home with a score of 7-4, winning her first junior tournament and qualifier. Taylor had previously qualified for Nationals a few weeks earlier, so these two best friends will be traveling to Arizona together.
Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news on the sport of billiards and pool.

Dr Cue Gives Surprise Exhibition to Dallas High School Students

Posted by admin as Juniors and Collegiate - BEF Billiard Education Foundat

Dr cue Gives Surprise Exhibition to Dallas High School Students
Tom “Dr. cue” Rossman and his wife, Marty, provided Dallas high school students with a visit that they will always remember when they stopped in at AMF Richardson Lanes in Richardson, TX, February 26. Several high schools were scheduled for a billiard competition, and everyone was surprised to see the world-famous trick shot champion arrive to see the high school billiard program and give a quick exhibition.
Their appearance was short notice: the Dallas-area high school billiard program director, Earl Munson, got a surprise telephone call from Marty Rossman, asking if he would like for them to visit. Having watched Dr. cue in action at the Junior Nationals and the BCA Expo, the response was an immediate Yes, the students will love it.
Some of the students, having competed at the Junior Nationals, immediately recognized Rossman and were thrilled to see him again. As the buzz spread around the room of who he was, the excitement and anticipation grew as everyone watched in amazement. One particular shot that “Dr. cue” made repeatedly was his famous wing shot where he would roll an object ball down table and effortlessly shoot the cue ball and pocket the object ball when it was still in motion. He made bank shots and kick shots from ANYWHERE on the table with ease. One student noticed and picked up an over-sized cue stick and held it in bewilderment of what this cue was for. Another cue stick he had which looked liked a giant pencil would later be demonstrated for his world-famous draw shot.
Even veteran BCA instructors and players Bill Suden, Mike Bearskin-Winger, Nolan Shaw, Carl Oswald, and Earl Munson laughed and shook their heads in amazement as they witnessed Rossman perform his craft of artistic pool. Rossman is the modern-day founder of artistic pool, in which several Dallas area high school players have been very successful in competition at the Junior Nationals Artistic Pool Championship hosted and organized by Tom and Marty.
Trey McMullen from the Rockwall H.S. Yellowjackets had taken second place in the artistic pool event in 2006 at the University of Arizona with Trey’s brother Trent McMullen taking third place the following year at the Minnesota State University in the same event. Wylie H.S. Pirate Vince Villarreal had taken second-place honors also in last year’s event in Minnesota. Players who will be selected to compete this year at the 2008 BEF Junior Nationals will once again try to be the best in artistic pool.
The students, teachers, and parents were impressed by Rossman’s visit, but also equally impressed were Dr. cue and his wife after witnessing the high school billiard program firsthand and remarking that this could be a program that could spread around the United States.
Tom Rossman understands the need to promote billiards to the youth in this country and has many years of experience working with youth, having served on the Billiard Education Foundation board and promoted and run the annual Artistic Pool Championships held jointly with the BEF Junior Nationals. Everyone in attendance was awed and thankful for the visit, and talks were of hopefully them visiting again in the future and giving an exhibition at several of the Dallas-area high schools.
For more information on high school billiards, please contact the Billiard Education Foundation at Billiardeducation.org.

2008 BEF Junior Nationals ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball Championships Head to the University of Arizona Tuc

Posted by admin as Juniors and Collegiate - BEF Billiard Education Foundat

2008 BEF Junior Nationals ACUI Collegiate 9-ball Championships Head to the University of Arizona Tucson
The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) has scheduled the 20th Annual Junior Nationals to be played in conjunction with the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Collegiate 9-ball Championships for the 4rd consecutive year. The University of Arizona, Tucson, will host this prestigious tournament July 8th – 13th, 2008. ACUI competition will be held July 8th- 10th, while the junior excitement will take place Thursday thru Sunday, July 10th – 13th.
The Student Union Memorial Center (SUMC) will be the stage to an expected 250 young athletes competing for scholarships, prizes and invitations to represent the United States at the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Junior World Championships.
To participate in the BEF Junior Nationals, players must earn an entry through a BEF qualifier or must be appointed by their local junior league. Qualifiers for the 4 divisions: 19 Under Boys, 19 Under Girls, 14 Under Boys and 14 Under Girls will be held through May 2008. For more information about hosting a qualifier, league guidelines or upcoming qualifier dates and locations, visit www.BilliardEducation.org (http://www.billiardeducation.org/) . Collegiate participants must be invited to participate through an ACUI regional tournament, visit ACUI.org for more information.
A warm thanks to all the contributors and supporters of the BEF and junior programs. In addition, thanks to the event sponsors: Brunswick Billiards, the official table sponsor; Iwan Simonis, the official cloth sponsor; Billiard Congress of America (BCA) and Predator Products.
The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.
To become a sponsor, make a donation or inquiry, please visit BilliardEducation.org or contact Laura Smith at 303.926.1039 or LauraSmith[at]BilliardEducation.org

Scholarship Opportunities for High School Billiards Players

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Scholarship Opportunities for High School Billiards Players

The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is pleased to announce that they are accepting applications for the 2008 scholarship awards. The BEF Academic Scholarship Program is administered annually under the direction and guidance of the BEF Board of Trustees. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 15, 2008 and can be downloaded by going to the BEF website at www.BilliardEducation.org (http://www.billiardeducation.org/).
The BEF Academic Scholarship Program is divided into two categories: Excellence in Education scholarship (one $5,000 scholarship awarded over a two-year term) and Aiming for Higher Education scholarships (seven individual scholarships at $1,000 each). The objective of the BEF Academic Scholarship Program is to grant scholarships to high school seniors who have benefited from the sport of billiards and are pursuing a college education.
Prospects must adhere to the following scholarship criteria: 1) hold a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale); 2) must have an ACT score of at least 23 or SAT score of at least 1050; 3) submit a 500-1000 word essay on how billiards has been an integral part of their life; 4) must be accepted to an accredited undergraduate academic program by June 1, 2008; 5) must attend an accredited undergraduate institution and carry at least 12 hours per semester. .

The final application must also include a letter from the applicant outlining academic achievements, leadership and/or community service work, a description of the applicant’s background and career objectives, personal and professional (academic) goals, and chosen discipline of study. Applicants must also submit an official High School Transcript and SAT/ACT scores.

The BEF would like to thank all the contributors that make this scholarship and other BEF programs possible. If you would like to become a donor and make a difference in the growth of billiard programs for our youth, please contact the BEF office at 303.926.1039
The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.
For more information about the BEF, please visit www.BilliardEducation.org (http://www.billiardeducation.org/), contact Laura Smith at 303.926.1039, or e-mail info@BilliardEducation.org (mailto:info@BilliardEducation.org).

Champions Set to be Crowned Tomorrow in Willingen

Posted by admin as Juniors and Collegiate - BEF Billiard Education Foundat

Champions Set to be Crowned Tomorrow in Willingen
by Jerry Forsyth
Only four young ladies and four young men remain in the running in the WPA World Junior Championships in Willengen, Germany. On Friday all but one male and one female will fall to the wayside and make way for the new billiard champions.
On the ladies’ side, last year’s champion, Mary Rakin of the USA, has made it into the semifinals by turning aside the sharp cue of Kristina Schagan of Germany by the slimmest of margins, 9-8. She will find herself battling another German, Kim Witzel, in her semifinal match. Witzel earned her berth by destroying Si Ming Chen of China 9-4.
The other ladies’ semi will find Tina Buhnen of Germany matching up against the only remaining undefeated female, Sabrina Neverschnig (pictured) of Austria. Buhnen won 9-6 against Sina Petry, today while Neverschnig barely got by Denise Wilkinson of New Zealand 9-8.
The final four men include Kui Ming Lin of Taipei who will face his countryman, Pin Yi Ko. These two arrived here after Lin bested Tomoya Iima of Japan 11-8 and Attila Bezdan of Hungary 11-10, while Ko defeated Hao Xiang Han of Hong Kong 11-2 and Mathew Lawrenson of Great Britain by the same wide margin.
On the other half of the bracket the two advancing cueists are the defending champion, Yu Lun Wu of Taipei, and Yusuke Shibata of Japan. Wu remains undefeated this week, today overpowering Nico Wehner of Germany 11-6 and Hee Sup Kim of Korea 11-6. Thomas Luttich ended the run of the final American, Landon Shuffett, 11-6 and then lost to Shibata 11-9 after Shibata had already bested Rusian Chinahov of Russia 11-8.
For full brackets please see www.wpa-tour.com (http://www.wpa-tour.com) and click on “sheets” on the left-hand side of the page.

Junior Billiards Champions Take Aim at World Title

Posted by admin as Juniors and Collegiate - BEF Billiard Education Foundat

Junior Billiards Champions Take Aim at World Title
The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is excited to announce the junior players who have earned their right to represent the United States in the 2007 World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Junior World 9-ball Championships, November 26– 30, 2007, in Willingen, Germany.
The Billiard Congress of America (BCA), as the North American member to the WPA, has awarded and supports the BEF and seven (7) U.S. junior representatives, as well as three (3) players from Canada, with the opportunity to participate in this prestigious event. Approximately 56 players from 6 continents and 25 countries will compete for the world title in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
Among the top international players representing “Team USA” in the boys’ and girls’ division are:
Mary Rakin, 19, Daly City, CA – 2006 WPA Junior World 9-ball Champion, Girls’ Division
2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball Champion, 19 Under Girls’ Division
Nicole Keeney, 19, Littleton, CO – 2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball, Runner-Up, 19 Under Girls’ Division
Briana Miller, 12, Allentown, PA – 2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball Champion, 14 Under Girls’ Division
Richard Barney, 16, Mont Alto, PA – 2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball Champion, 19 Under Boys’ Division
Christopher Futrell, 17, Virginia Beach, VA – 2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball, Runner-Up, 19 Under Boys’ Division
Landon Shuffett, 13, Greensburg, KY – 2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball Champion, 14 Under Boys’ Division
Joshua Newman, 14, Bessener City, NC – 2007 BEF Junior National 9-ball, Runner-Up, 14 Under Boys’ Division
During the Junior World 9-ball Championships, parents, players and fans can follow the matches during the live scoring system. Please visit the BEF website at BilliardEducation.org or WPA-tour.com for more information.
The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.
For more information about the BEF, please visit BilliardEducation.org, contact Laura Smith at 303.926.1039, or e-mail LauraSmith[at]BilliardEducation.org.

Billiard Education Foundation Visits Dallas High Schools

Posted by admin as Juniors and Collegiate - BEF Billiard Education Foundat

Billiard Education Foundation Visits Dallas High Schools

The first night of the 2007 high school billiard season was a special one for the students and teachers in October. Four Dallas-area high schools—the Sachse H.S. Mustangs, Naaman Forest H.S. Rangers, North Garland H.S. Raiders, and the Garland H.S. Owls—started their season practice session off with a visit from two Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) directors, Laura Smith and Dawn Hopkins.

Smith and Hopkins give instruction to teacher sponsors. The BEF directors are also competing players on the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Tour. Smith is a longtime professional player with the WPBA and was this year appointed as the BEF Executive Director. Hopkins, also a longtime professional player with the WPBA and ESPN commentator for the WPBA, is also a newly appointed BEF Program Development Director.

Smith and Hopkins’ visit to Dallas was to observe and gather information on the pilot high school billiard program founded by Earl Munson, who is the current program director for the high schools. The program here in Dallas is the first of its kind in the U.S. and is in its seventh year of operation. The BEF’s objective is to educate and promote high school billiards across the U.S.

Students and teachers were thrilled to have the two professionals attending the opening night of the season, in which 12 area high schools will be competing to see which school is the best in Texas. Dawn and Laura were gracious and excited to share their experience and knowledge with the teacher sponsors and even offered challenge matches to the students. The students and onlookers were awed by their high level of play, making that a night to be remembered.

Also in attendance for the opening night were several professional BCA instructors assisting with training the students, including Carl Oswald, a newly certified BCA Master instructor, of which there are only 14 worldwide; and BCA-certified instructors Earl Munson, Bill Suden, and Mike Winger.

Thanks go out to all the students and parents in attendance, as well as a big thank you to the teacher sponsors—Ann Marin, Carla Green, Sue Ellen Spangler, Caryn Teeling, Colin Avant—and BCA instructors Carl Oswald, Bill Suden, Mike Winger, and Mike Vincent. Thank you to AMF Richardson Lanes for the new equipment, and a great big thank you for making the night special goes to Laura Smith and Dawn Hopkins.

We look forward to a great year.
More information about high school billiards can be found at www.billiardeducation.org (http://www.billiardeducation.org/) and www.betterplaybilliards.org (http://www.betterplaybilliards.org/).

Billiard Education Foundation Awards Academic All-Americans

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Billiard Education Foundation Awards Academic All-Americans

It was a proud day for the sport of pocket billiards as 39 of the 136 junior players competing in the 2007 Junior National 9-ball Championships were given the BEF Academic All-American award. Medals and Certificates of Achievement were presented to each youngster by BEF Executive Director Laura Smith and Director of Program Development Dawn Hopkins at the BEF Junior Nationals banquet. The stage was overflowing with smiling recipients as parents savored the moment.

The BEF supports and recognizes the student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and in billiard competition. Academic All-American honors are given to those who qualify for the BEF Junior Nationals, plus earn a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students must complete an application and submit their report cards to receive the award.

2007 Academic All-Americans

Chris Anderson
Spencer Moore
Chad Behnke

Logan Parker
Brendan Bennett
Alec Parker

Ryan Beutler
Tanner Pruess
Taylor Calderon

Angelo Quadara
Reza Dastmalchian
Daniel Rakin

Adam Davis
Dante Rakin
Tyler Dollar

Jack Sanchez
Ryan Dunn
Taylor Satterwhite

Caroline Egan
Landon Shuffett
Logan Elkins

Derrick Sims
Jesse Engel
Ricky Smiley

Carlos “Alex” Esparza
Rondell Smith
Christopher Futrell

Adam Tanner
Jeremy Gibson
Amane Tawarada

Chuckie Holyoke
Jason Trager
William Howard

Vince Villarreal
Nicole Jaynes
Schuyler Woodward

Kurtis Larkin
Amber Yniguez
James Lawrence

The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.
For more information about the BEF, please visit BilliardEducation.org or contact Laura Smith at 303.926.1039 or e-mail LauraSmith@BilliardEducation.org (mailto:LauraSmith@BilliardEducation.org).

2007 Junior National Artistic Pool Champions

Posted by admin as Juniors and Collegiate - BEF Billiard Education Foundat

2007 Junior National Artistic Pool Champions
Maestros in Mankato
The 15th Annual Junior National Artistic Pool competition took place July 12-13 concurrently with the BEF Junior National 9-ball Championships, held at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Once again, Tom “Dr. cue” and Marty “Ms. cue” Rossman provided the direction for participants to demonstrate their special cue sport skills. This special addition to the main event gave players of all four divisions an opportunity to take the artistic challenge. As always, it was an exciting and a highly anticipated event by young billiard enthusiasts.

Thank you Tom and Marty Rossman for your dedication and continued involvement with the junior artistic program.
Visit the BEF Nationals image gallery (/gallery2/v/Pool+Tournaments/acui_bef_2007/)
Congratulations to the following contestants:
19 Under Boys’ Division:
1st Alex Larson-Walker Chicago, IL
2nd Vince Villarreal Sachse, TX
14 Under Boys’ Division:
1st Mark Tafoya Albuquerque, NM
2nd Logan Ross Jerseyville, IL
19 Under Girls’ Division:
1st Taylor Satterwhite Houston, TX
2nd Mary Rakin Daly City, CA
14 Under Girls’ Division:
1st Nicole Jaynes Albuquerque, NM
2nd Amanda Rekdal Mendota Heights, MN

The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders.
For more information about the BEF, please visit BilliardEducation.org or contact Laura Smith at 303.926.1039 or e-mail LauraSmith@BilliardEducation.org (mailto:LauraSmith@BilliardEducation.org).