BIGGER and BETTER at 2nd BCAPL Southwest Regional Championship FOUR HUNDRED ENTRIES FROM 11 STATES COMPETED FOR $18,550 PRIZE FUND
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEVIN TANK ARCO
our hundred entries from 11 states competed September 1-4 at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona in the BCAPL Southwest Regional Championships. With an $18,550 prize fund, the event was played on Diamond 7’ Smart Tables provided by Bad Boy’s Billiard Productions and produced by CueSports International, the parent company of the BCA Pool League. The tournament had seven divisions: Scotch Doubles, Women’s Open Singles, Men’s Advanced / Master Singles, Men’s Open Singles, Men’s / Mixed Open Teams and Women’s Open Teams. While the event is open to all BCA Pool League and USA Pool League members, a special Arizona rating 6 and Under Singles division was also included. Starting Thursday, 32 teams played in the single elimination Jerry Stuckart Scotch Doubles event. Arizona husband and wife team, Mike and Susan Williams took home $500 for first place. Thursday evening was a special BCAPL swimming pool party in celebration of Labor Day Weekend. Players relaxed pool side with their friends, family and team mates under the warm Arizona summer night. Friday morning the four singles divisions revved up. The Men’s Open Singles (which also included any women master level players) had
71 entrants. In the finals were Benjamin Sutherland from Phoenix and Shaun Murphy from Ramona, California. Sutherland was the hot seat recipient after winning 7 consecutive matches including three hill-hill. However, Sutherland could not take out Murphy. After initially being tossed into the one loss side by North Dakotan Brian Erickson, Murphy rallied back winning 6 more matches before double dipped Sutherland 5-1 and 5-3. The Men’s Advanced / Master Singles division had 10 players Mitch Ellerman including top area players such as: Tres “Big Daddy” Kane, Carlos Avalos, Nick DeLeon and Pete Lhotka. A force on the AZ Desert Classic Tour, Lhotka defeated John Smith 6-5, Kane 6-2, Jeff Hagen 6-3 and Provencio in the finals 6-3 to take home the tidy sum of $500 for his 4 match win. This year the Women’s Open Singles field (which included Chad Barber Women Advanced players spotting a game) grew 38% from 23 players in 2010 to 37 this year. Sara “Millie” Miller, ranked 3rd on the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour (AWBT), cruised into the hot seat taking out Nancy Kennedy 5-0, Lori Kinny 5-2, Bianca Lindahl 5-2, Vilene Stutesman 5-2 and Sue Orr 5-2. Eager for a rematch, Orr dominated Miller in the finals from the beginning, winning set one 4-2, then
Stingers Venom
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The Babes Susan Williams
Sophia Morquecho
Sonia Flores
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Sara Miller
October 2011 - The Break 5