2003 BILLIARD CONGRESS OF AMERICA
NATIONAL 8-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Colorado Springs, CO) The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) hosted 8,055 competitive 8-Ball enthusiasts at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 9-17, 2003 for nine straight days of great pool in the 27th annual BCA National 8-Ball Championships. Often referred to as the "BCA Nationals", this is the world's largest amateur 8-Ball tournament, with over $786,000 in prize money and more than 15 divisions played on 234 Valley tables. “We were very pleased with this year’s number of entrants,” reported BCA Executive Director Stephen Ducoff. “The number of players is up by more than 545 compared to 2002 despite the economy, the war and the SARS epidemic. We look at this increase as a big vote of confidence in our event and the sport of billiards itself. We are very pleased with the organization, production and success of this year’s event,” he concluded.

It was a spectacular event, with the largest field and payout it the tournament's 27 year history. Event sponsors included: Division Sponsor - Mueller Sporting Goods; Gold Sponsors - Frank's Center, Viking Cues, McDermott Cue, Jump Daddy Custom Cues, Ozone Billiards and Bobby Schulze; Silver Sponsors - Championship Billiard Fabric, CueStix International and KC Innovations and Product Sponsors - Aramith and Silver Cup Chalk. Over 40 vendors participated in the BCA Marketplace, selling a wide variety of cues, cases, cloth, apparel, gift items and accessories.

SCOTCH DOUBLES

The nine-day gala kicked off Friday, May 9, with vendors in place and prepared to attend to the first wave of players: Scotch Doubles enthusiasts! There are two divisions in the Scotch Doubles competition: Master and Open. The Masters division had 85 team entries and $5,000 added to the prize fund for a total purse of $17,750. Play started on Friday morning and continued late into the evening. Play was suspended for the next three days to allow the Singles divisions to take over, and resumed on Tuesday for the final brackets. The Texas team of Paul Guernsey and Cathy Vanover overcame Jeff Sergent and Amy Latzko of Illinois in the finals for the prestigious title, as well as $3,000 as top prize money. Sergent and Latzko earned $2,400 for second place, followed by PJ Massicotte and Tasha Thomas of Alberta, winning $1,850 for third place and Glenn Atwell and Andrea Saenz-Maes of Washington in fourth place with $1,300.

In the Open Scotch Doubles division, there were 517 entries for a $51,700 purse. Two teams from Iowa dominated the event, capturing both first and second place. The finals pitted Ronald O’Meara and Dawn Spencer against fellow statesmen Lloyd Spier and Paula Kelley. O’Meara and Spencer seized the title and $3,000 top prize, while Spier and Kelley took second place and $2,500 in prize money. Finishing out the top four spots were Tom Seymour and Teresa Oliver from California in third place and David Harry and Janice Stromar from British Columbia in fourth place.

SINGLES

The Singles divisions started early Saturday morning. There are a total of seven different Singles divisions; something for everyone: Men’s Master, Women’s Master, Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Men’s Senior, Men’s Super Senior and Women’s Senior.

In the Men’s Master Singles division, Brian Groce from Columbus, Indiana, clawed his way to the top via Tyler Edey of Calgary, Alberta. There were a total of 194 entries and $10,000 added for a total prize purse of $43,950. Groce earned not only the title, but also $7,000 in first-place prize money and an invitation and paid entry into the 2004 BCA Open 9-Ball Championships (May 16-22, 2004). Edey pocketed $4,950 for his efforts, while Jeffrey Heath of Loyalton, California, took home $3,000 for third place and Lee Kendall, hailing from the Stoke on Trent, England, earned $2,000 to finish off the top four spots.

The Women’s Master Singles division had 93 entrants and $10,000 added for a total prize fund of $26,275. Jeannie Seaver from Florida took it one step at a time on her way to the finals, where she met up with and proceeded to defeat Tammie Jones of Indiana, a former champion of this division herself. After a hard-fought battle, Seaver captured the first-place title, an entry into next year’s BCA Open 9-Ball Championships and a $5,000 prize check. Jones took home $3,875, while Terri Kelley of Dallas, Texas, went home with $2,900 for third place, and Martha Hartsell of Junction City, Oregon, rounded out fourth place with a $2,000 payday.

The Men’s Open Singles division consisted of 1,829 entrants for a prize purse of $228,625. Carlos Santos of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, won the hot seat and decided he would stop at nothing to ensure his victory. Tyler Luce of Seattle, Washington, came out strong, but fell just short of the finish line when Santos overtook the score and finished off the set. Santos was paid $7,000 for his title finish, while Luce took home $5,500. Frank De Castecker of Illinois placed third, earning $4,425, while Scott Herbeck of Wisconsin placed fourth and earned $3,500.

The Women’s Open division had 497 entrants, making the purse total $62,125. Jackie Broadhurst, who had reportedly been working on her game diligently all year, came through the field with little trouble. 25-year-old Broadhurst of Denver, Colorado, overtook Heather Shaddock of Austin, Texas, in the finals to earn the title as well as $4,500. Shaddock earned second place and $3,325. Kimberly Sanders, also hailing from Texas, placed third with $2,500, while Cristina Cid Sanchez of Pontevedra, Spain, finished fourth with $2,000 as her take-home pay.

The Men’s Senior Singles division was 1 entrant shy of 250, with a prize purse of $31,125. Lupe Rosas of Saginaw, Michigan, came through the field like a man on a mission. When he hit the finals, his attitude did not change. In a clenching finals match, Rosas overtook Robert Gawthrop of Baltimore, Maryland. Rosas earned the $3,500 top prize and Gawthrop received $2,825. Kerry Ames of South Fork, Colorado, came in third, winning $2,200, and Thomas Kozlowski of Dunkirk, Maryland, finished out the top four, earning $1,700.

In the Men’s Super Senior Singles division, 102 men entered for a prize purse of $12,750. Some of these men are professional caliber, close to it or played on the pro tour at some point in their life. Wally Schmidt is no stranger to the game of pool. Residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Schmidt earned his way to the finals and then overcame Chuck Dusbabek of Pueblo, Colorado, to capture the title and $2,000. Dusbabek took home $1,500 for his second-place accomplishment. Dustin Silver of Stockport, Iowa, earned $1,100 for third place, and Louie Roybal of Albuquerque, won $800 for fourth.

The Women’s Senior Single Division had 92 entries for a total prize purse of $11,500. Gisele Maurice of Hamilton, Ontario, went straight through the tournament undefeated. Becky Mowdy of Longview, Washington, met Maurice on the A-side of the bracket for the hot seat. After suffering a loss, Mowdy came back through to meet Maurice again. Revenge was not in the cards for Mowdy. Maurice excitedly accepted the title and $2,000. Mowdy went home with $1,500, while third place and $1,100 went to another well-known player, Anita Hill of Norman, Oklahoma. Jean Bartholomew of Portland, Oregon, earned fourth place and $800.

TEAMS

Opening Ceremonies for the coveted team events were held Tuesday evening with a parade of teams representing various countries and BCA State Associations. Twins Joanne and Bev Ashton wowed the large crowd with a beautiful rendition of "Oh Canada!" and Dave Seabaugh, whose wife played in the tournament, sang the "Star-Spangled Banner", looking sophisticated in his black tuxedo. The X-Treme Team Pool Party followed the Opening Ceremonies, where players were treated to complimentary beverages and snacks as they practiced for the next day's team events.

33 teams entered the Men’s/ Mixed Master Teams division. With $15,000 added by the BCA, the prize purse weighed in at $31,500. Ritchies of Chicago of Illinois ousted Minnesota Nice of Minnesota in the finals to take the well-earned title and $10,000 first prize check. Minnesota Nice earned $7,000 for their efforts.

26 teams entered the Women’s Master Teams division. $15,000 was also added to this division, bringing the prize purse up to $28,000. The Can-Am Roadrunners of Michigan pulled it together when it counted with solid play and a drive to win first place. They overcame Finders Keepers of Illinois for the $8,000 first prize. The women of Finders Keepers weren’t disappointed with their $5,500 in earnings, but they'll be back next year to try again for the championship title.

There were an amazing 756 team entries in the Men’s/Mixed Open Teams division. The prize purse was $189,000. Woody’s Wizards of British Columbia crushed the Smooth Operators of California in the finals. Woody's Wizards earned $10,000 and the Smooth Operators took home $8,500 after their four solid days of great pool.

136 teams entered the Women’s Open Teams division with a purse of $34,000. The California Cue T’s of Colorado stormed through their bracket straight to the finals where they were faced with the Greenfield’s Ladies of Colorado. The California Cue T’s refused to let it slip away and closed out the win for the $6,000 first place and coveted title! Greenfield’s Ladies took home $4,000.

In the Men’s/Mixed Trophy division, 21 teams entered not for prize money, but for trophies, jackets and 2004 entry fees. The Blues Crew of Georgia beat out Pickled Pete’s of Missouri for the title. 21 teams also entered the Women’s Trophy division. The Twisted Sisters of Texas beat out 5 Racks & No Balls of Minnesota for the title, as well as trophies, jackets and next year's entry fee.

SECOND CHANCE TOURNAMENT

The team events are double elimination, but a team's second loss doesn't necessarily mean the competition is over. On Friday, May 16, 137 teams signed up for one of four divisions of the Second Chance Tournament. Emerging victorious in the “Women’s No Wins” division was The Snap of Arizona that beat out three other teams for $200. Sharks Club of Michigan conquered 63 other teams in the “Men’s No Wins” division for a top prize of $1,000. The champions of the “Women’s Out of the Money” division were Howling Wolves of Ontario, earning $350 by beating out 12 other teams. In the “Men’s Out of the Money” field of 56 teams, Cue Joes of British Columbia came out on top and walked away with $1,000 in prize money.

SPEED POOL CHALLENGE

Two separate Speed Pool competitions for both men and women required participants to play against the clock in the preliminary rounds to see how fast they can pot all 15 balls, with the 8-ball being the last to go down. The top eight move on to the finals bracket and proceed to compete head-to-head until a winner is determined. The winners of the Speed Pool I Challenge were Dee McGrath of Washington, Illinois and Jason Kane of New York, New York. The Speed Pool II Challenge belonged to Laura Lo of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Scott Tollefson of Arvada, Colorado.

ARTISTIC POOL CHALLENGE

Tom "Dr. Cue" Rossman mesmerized huge crowds with his trick shot demonstrations and humorous dialogue. He actually made those crazy shots look easy! Dr. Cue also directed the Men’s and Women’s divisions of the BCA Artistic Pool Challenge, in which contestants perform six pre-determined shots that are judged by a panel of experts. This year's Artistic Pool Challenge crowned Jackie Broadhurst of Denver, Colorado, and Mark Dimick of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the 2003 champions. Competing against 12 other sharp shooters, Broadhurst earned $152 in prize money. Fending off 183 other entrants, Dimick earned $772. Entries for this event are taken on site, but if you want to be competitive in 2004, be sure to download the shot diagrams from the BCA website (www.bca-pool.com) in early January and practice, practice, practice!

BEST DRESSED CONTEST

A favorite contest each year is the BCA Best Dressed competition. The three divisions, Scotch Doubles, Women's Teams and Men's/Mixed Teams, all provided tough competition with Ron and Shawn Graves of Woodinville, Washington, taking first place in the Scotch Doubles competition. This creative pair went to E-Bay to purchase material featuring the Disney character Goofy playing pool. The hand-made shirts were a big hit with the judges, and the Graves each took home a first-place plaque. Noel's Slik Stix of Seattle, Washington, were judged to be the Best Dressed Women's Team. Their matching outfits were comfortable as well as stylish, with printed pants covered in flaming 8-balls. The best dressed Men’s/Mixed Team was B.C.'s Blasters of Denver, Colorado. They were not only stylish, but also patriotic, with matching U.S. flag shirts and baseball caps. Start planning and designing now if you are thinking about entering next year's contest!

BCA OPEN 9-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

For a taste of professional 9-Ball, the 2003 BCA Open 9-Ball Championships were held May 11-17 right next door to the amateur events. Produced by World Class Event Management, the event featured the top 64 men and top 64 women from around the world. They competed over a seven-day period on eight Olhausen tables for $160,000 in prize money in front of enthusiastic 9-Ball fans who enjoyed the upgraded padded bleacher seating.

Karen Corr of Ireland repeated as champion by defeating Allison Fisher of England. Ralf Souquet of Germany won this event for the first time after a close match with Francisco Bustamante of the Philippines. The professional event sponsors were Billiards Digest (Presenting Sponsor), Olhausen (Official Table Sponsor), Cuetec (Official Cue Sponsor), Econo Lodge (Official Hotel Partner), Championship Billiard Fabric (Official Cloth Sponsor), Imperial International (Official Ball Sponsor), Tweeten Fibre (Official Chalk Sponsor), Sardo Tight Rack (Official Rack Sponsor), www.poolplayers.com (Arena Sponsor) and McDermott Cues (Arena Sponsor). The semi-final and final matches will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2 starting July 7, 2003. Please check your local listings and the BCA website (www.bca-pool.com) for the complete TV schedule.

And if a player still hadn't had enough competition, mini tournaments were going night and day in the Royale Pavilion. Over 700 mini tournaments were held over the course of nine days, keeping players sharp and putting a little extra spending money in their pockets. To bring in customers, vendors held break contests, pro challenges, free raffles and paid raffles.

The action never stops! If pool is your game, this is your event! The Singles divisions are open to any amateur player who is a BCA Player Member (simply pay your $25 annual dues). Scotch Doubles and Team competitions are open to qualified BCA Sanctioned League Members. Entry forms for next year’s event will be available the first week of January 2004. If a tournament entry packet is not mailed directly to your home, you can get one from your league operator or from the BCA website. We invite you to join the BCA today as a Player Member or Sanctioned League Member. Find a league near you at www.bca-pool.com and join today so you can be a part of The Greatest Pool Tournament on Earth!

FINAL RESULTS (select a link below)