Cohen Captures All-American Title in Chicago

Cohen Captures All-American Title in Chicago
J. Pechauer All-American Tour / Dundee, IL

by Skip Maloney, Inside POOL Magazine

Though it looked to be easy going for Scott Cohen on the J. Pechauer All-American Tour stop in the suburbs of Chicago October 4, he had to deal with a strong challenge from Ike Runnels among the winners’ side final four and, later, in the finals. He dealt with that challenge twice successfully to go undefeated and win the $500-added event, which drew 28 entrants to Hammerheads in Dundee, IL.

Earlier in the day, Cohen defeated Runnels 5-3 to send him over to the battle for fifth place. He then faced Tommy Hernandez, who’d sent Henry Brodt west with a 5-2 victory, in the hot seat match. Hernandez was dispatched to the semifinals and Cohen waited for his final opponent.

On the one-loss side, Duane Tuula and Eddie Balderas were waiting for Runnels and Brodt. Balderas advanced with a hill-hill victory over Brodt, as Runnels dropped Tuula into the fifth place tie with a shutout victory. Runnels then moved Balderas into fourth place 5-2 and entered into what turned out to be a two-and-a-half-hour marathon in the semifinals against Hernandez. Hernandez took a commanding 4-0 lead into the fifth game of that match and then watched as Runnels tied and then passed him to earn a second chance at Cohen.

For the second time, Runnels watched his opponent jump out to an early lead—this time a 3-0 lead that included a run-out of the opening rack. Runnels battled back to win two and then joined Cohen on the hill. Cohen prevailed in the ninth and final game to capture the first-place prize.

Results:
1st Scott Cohen $336
2nd Ike Runnels $228
3rd Tommy Hernandez $156
4th Eddie Balderas $120
5/6th Duane Tuula $96
5/6th Henry Brodt
7/8th Kassy Werner $84
7/8th Gil Hernandez
9/12th Greg Chavera
9/12th Billy Jones
9/12th Dave Slaten
9/12th Marlon Angeles

ACS Elects New Directors

ACS Elects New Directors
At its recent Annual General Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) elected some new directors and officers. Janet Ybarra (Texas ACS) and Judy Griffith (Pacific ACS) joined the directors for the first time, while Dot Cyr (River City Billiards in Omaha, Nebraska) was elected to the Secretary position, joining incumbent officers Cecil Messer (IN) [President], Mike Wilson (VA) [Vice President] and Ray Lambotte (IL) [Treasurer].

The 2008-2009 board of directors now includes:
Cecil Messer (Portage, IN) – President…Director of Referees
Mike Wilson (Virginia Beach, VA) – Vice President…Non-State Association Director
Dot Cyr (Omaha, NE) – Secretary…Non-State Association Director
Ray Lambotte (Chicago, IL) – Treasurer…State Association Director
Terry Anderson (Davenport, IA) – Room Owner Director
Sandra Chamberlain (Tulsa, OK) – State Association Director
Judy Griffith (Vancouver, WA) - State Association Director
Ted Harms (Calgary, AB) – Director representing Canadian Cue Sport Association
Joseph Mejia (Millbrae, CA) – Director representing United States Snooker Association
Robbie Morito (Tampa, FL) - State Association Director
Rodney Morris (Humble, TX) – Director representing the United States Professional Poolplayers Assn.
Janet Ybarra (Grand Prairie, TX) - State Association Director

The ACS sanctions leagues, produces the national All American Tour, certifies coaches and referees, and is a non-profit, national organization dedicated to heightening the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States. Information on the ACS is available at Americancuesports.org.

Team Canada Regain Can-am Snooker Challenge

Team Canada Regain Can-am Snooker Challenge
Team Canada have repeated their success in the first Can-Am Team Snooker Challenge, after winning the third staging of this annual event by narrowly defeating Team USA 11-9 at the Riviera Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

After the first of the three days of competition played alongside the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) National Pool Championships and organized in partnership with the ACS, the Canadian Billiards Snooker Association and the United States Snooker Association, Team Canada held a 4-3 points advantage but it was Team USA’s Paul Kimura who won the first match point after he deafeated Team Canada’s Pat McCarthy 3-1.

However Team Canada were back on level terms after the first session’s play, as on the other table the reigning United States National Snooker Champion George Lai went down on the final black in the final frame to Team Canada’s Eriks Malderis.

The next two matches of the second session’s play were both shared as Lai, assisted with breaks of 31, 51 and 40, defeated McCarthy 3-1, and the former United States National Snooker Champion Kimura lost 3-2 to Malderis.

Team Canada, the 2008 Can-Am Team Snooker Challenge champions.
(Left to right) Odie Willet, Pat McCarthy, Eriks Malderis and Lester Mianskum

The next session featured a doubles match consisting of Team USA’s Jack Kung and Truman Wu against Team Canada’s Lester Mianskum and Odie Willet, which saw the Canadian pairing take the tie 3-2.

The final two matches of the first day’s play were also shared as Team Canada’s Mianshum defeated Team USA’s Kung 3-0, and Team USA’s Wu clinched a 3-2 success over Team Canada’s Willet.

A doubles match kicked off the second day’s play, and a 3-1 victory for Team USA’s Lai and Kimura over Team Canada’s McCarthy and Malderis got the Americans back on level terms at four match points each.

Though the next two sessions of play saw disaster for Team USA, as they went on a run of four successive match defeats which put a huge dent in their hopes to retain the Challenge trophy.

Team Canada’s Mianshum overwhelmed Team USA’s Wu 3-0 and on the other table Team Canada’s Willet inflicted the same scoreline on Team USA’s Kung, while in the following session Team Canada’s McCarthy and Malderis defeated Team USA’s Kung and Wu, 3-1 and 3-2 respectively.

At 8-4 down in match points going into the second day’s final session of play, Team USA’s Lai and Kimura rescued the situation somewhat by winning their matches over Team Canada’s Mianskum and Willet, 3-2 and 3-1 respectively.

A good start from Team USA on the third and final day’s play would have put the Canadians under real pressure, and Team USA’s Lai got off to a wonderful start for the Americans in the first session as he defeated Team Canada’s Willet 3-0 to close the deficit to one match point. It was victory however for Team Canada’s Mianskum over Team USA’s Kimura that concluded the first session’s play, and draw ever closer to that eleven-point match winning score.

In the next session, Team USA’s Kung had a comprehensive 3-0 success over Team Canada’s Malderis, but that was countered by victory for Team Canada’s McCarthy over Team USA’s Wu on the final colors in the final frame.

In reaching ten match point wins, Team Canada had now secured at least a playoff, but they wanted to claim victory with no need for a tense one-frame shoot-out that can go in anyone’s favor.

The final session’s matches were doubles ties involving Team USA’s Lai and Kimura against Team Canada’s Mianshum and Willet, with the other match consisting of Team USA’s Kung and Wu against Team Canada’s McCarthy and Malderis.

McCarthy and Malderis got the victory Team Canada needed to regain the Challenge trophy as they won 3-0, but it was better news for the Americans in the other doubles tie as Lai and Kimura gained a 3-1 success.

It was again a great conclusion to this year’s event, and the organizers would like to thank Pacific Billiard Sports of San Francisco for the supply and use of the two full-sized BCE Westbury steel-blocked snooker tables.

Next Page »