March 24, 2015 (Denver, CO): Let me start off saying, what a great bunch of young pool players. Not only did they show off some excellent sportsmanship, but they showed off some really great talent. There were many young guns coming for sure. We’d like to thank the sponsors of the event, Joe Tucker (joetucker.net), CDX Supershaft, Bullseye Billiards, Break Time Billiards, PhatGuy Sports Bar & Grill and, last but not least, the APA10KChallenge for hosting the event.
The event brought in 28 of the toughest juniors from Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Minnesota. We had two events; 14 and under division, and 18 and under division. Each event was limited to 16 player fields, but we had nineteen 14 and under players, so we let the other three play as well so no one was left out. I mean, this is who the events were for right? The 18 and under division only had 10 players, and tough ones at that.
There was Zach Lafferty, 16, from East Alton, Illinois, tearing through the competition and going undefeated through the tournament to take first place—and earning a spot in the BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships in Las Vegas.
Zach Lafferty, 18 and under 1st place
Second place finisher for 18 and under goes to Kindra Hurlbert from Northfield, Minnesota. Losing her first match to Zach, she fought her way back through the one loss to face off again against Zach. Third place goes to Morrisville, Indiana’s own Tommy Barnes. Finishing off the top four is Colton Adams from Cerro Gordo, Illinois; this was his first high level tournament and he played well.
Kindra Hurlbert, 18 and under 2nd place
In the 14 and under division were some of the toughest youngsters to play the game; Joey Brush out of Terre Haute, Indiana, also going through the tournament undefeated and winning the spot to BEF Junior 9-Ball Nationals in Las Vegas.
Joey Brush, 14 and under 1st place
It was Riley Adkins, son of the infamous Dee Adkins in Columbus, OH, taking second place—he has only been playing for about 4 months, losing to Joey early on in the tournament and fighting his way back through the competition to get another chance at Joey. It was a David vs Goliath match. Third goes to Kaleb Everly, and fourth goes to Quintin Scott.
Riley Adkins, 14 and under 2nd place
The tournament ran smoothly and, again, had some of the best sportsmanship I have seen. It was my first time running the event, and I believe it was a huge success. Can’t wait until next year. We’d like to give a shout out to Samm Diep, Executive Director at the BEF for building up this sport we all love for our youth.
For more information on sponsoring, hosting, or participating in a Junior State Championship, visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039. Complete list of nationwide junior events listed here.
About the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) The BEF was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area. Photos: provided by author Editor: Hannah Blue