Skylar Hess, Savannah Easton and Courtney Hairfield
Two of the five divisional winners making their first appearance in 2023 JIC series
Where else but in Las Vegas might you encounter an event that defies the odds? At this past weekend’s (June 16-18) 5th stop on the 2023 Junior International Championship series, hosted by Griff’s Billiards in Las Vegas, new names emerged to take top spots in the event’s five divisions. One of the five ‘new’ names, Savannah Easton, making her first appearance on the JIC, won both of the female divisions, so actually, four new names, one appearing twice.
For most of its two-and-a-half year existence, the five divisions of the Junior International Championships have featured a small group of competitors at the top of each division that became ‘household’ names for anyone following the exploits of this very talented group of young USA pool players. Names like Tate (male and female), Hollingsworth and Mast. Hess, Worth and Spain (also male and female). These names, at the ‘top’ of the JIC heap, competed against each other, regularly.
There were ongoing rivalries, maybe not as well-known or as happening as long as Nadal/Djokovic in tennis, Yankees/Red Sox on the diamonds of baseball or Packers/Bears on the gridiron, but battles where player and spectators alike had expectations of tense, fierce competition, expectations that more often than not, were met. There were the match and ‘standings battles’ between Joey Tate and Landon Hollingsworth, Sofia Mast and Sylar Hess, D’angelo “Jawz” Spain and just about anybody.
There’s always been a second tier of names on the JIC roster. Players who competed regularly but spent a lot of time just below the radar of rivalry territory. And now, in the third year of JIC competition, these junior competitors are moving to higher steps on the JIC ladder. Some, but by no means all, of the competitors who formed the core group that began competing on the JIC series three years ago are moving on to regional-tour and professional arenas. As we’ll note, some are still at work on the JIC series.
Inevitable, of course. You’re only young once and youth, as defined on the JIC circuit, is limited on the upper end of the scale to about 20 years (the JIC’s ProAm division accommodates an open-gender group that has aged out of its four other divisions), while the lower end of the age scale has yet to be tested.
Jordan Helfrey, Savannah Easton and Aryanna Houston
The only winner at Stop #5 who wasn’t defying the odds by seeking her first victory on the JIC series was Savannah Easton (aka The Roadrunner), playing in her home ‘room’ at Griff’s. The 2022 BEF Junior National Champion (twice; 14U 9-ball and 18U 8-ball) was 29th on the WPBA’s ranking list in her first year of competing on the tour, at the age of 12. She appeared in the opening event of the JIC’s 2022 season and finished as runner-up to Sofia Mast (aka The Pink Dagger). The two of them performed as commentators for the hot seat match of the WPBA’s Iron City Billiards event a little over a week ago.
Easton entered three of this past weekend’s events, competing in both of the female divisions and the ProAm. She went undefeated in the three-entrant 13U Girls, came from the loss side to win the 18U Girls (six entrants) and finished in the tie for 5th/6th in the ProAm division (17 entrants).
Her undefeated run in the 13U girls tournament consisted of a single match. She was awarded a bye as Jordan Helfrey was meeting and defeating Arianna Houston 7-4 in the event’s first match. Easton defeated Helfrey 9-5 in the final.
In something of an ‘odds-defying’ single match, Easton, after being awarded an opening-round bye, lost her first match in the 18U division to Skylar Hess, who came in to the event as the #1-ranked competitor in that division, having won all three of the 2023 JIC stops in which she competed. Hess advanced and defeated Courtney Hairfield 7-5 to claim the hot seat. On the loss side, Easton won three straight, downing Mackenzie Cuda 7-1, Jordan Helfrey in the quarterfinals and Hairfield in the semifinals, both 7-4. She defeated Hess 9-4 in the finals rematch to claim that division title. More on her finish in the ProAm event, a little later.
Just to finish off the younger divisions, North Carolina’s Jas Makhani, who came into the event as the #3-ranked competitor in the 13U Boys division, went undefeated to claim the six-entrant, 13U Boys title. In the absence of the division’s #1 competitor, Hayden Ernst, who’s won three of the four JIC stops this year, Makhani and #2 (Deke Squier) battled twice to claim the title and moved into the #1 (Makhani) and #2 (Squier) spots in the division. Makhani got by Maddox Griggs 7-2 in a winners’ side semifinal as Squier was surviving a double hill, winners’ side semifinal against Shane Petrick. Makhani defeated Squier 7-2 to claim the hot seat. Squier moved to the loss side and in the semifinals, faced Griggs, who’d defeated Diyin Biq and Shane Petrick, both 7-3 to reach him. Squier defeated Griggs 7-2 for a second shot at Makhani, who then prevailed 9-3 to claim the 13U boys title.
Landon Hollingsworth, Lazaro Martinez III and Niko Konkel
Whitaker & Martinez keep Landon Hollingsworth out of the winners’ circle in ProAm/18U boys
Landon Hollingsworth came into the weekend at the top of the JIC’s ProAm division and in third place among the 18U boys. He finished as runner-up in both of those divisions in this past weekend’s activities, which will allow him to retain his spot at the top of the ProAm standings, ahead of Brent Worth (finishing in the tie for 13th/16th) and Nathan Nunes (finishing 4th at this event). Hollingsworth will move into the top spot in the 18U division, ahead of the same two competitors, Worth (finishing in the tie for 13th/16th in this division as well) and Nunes (finishing in the tie for 9th/12th in this division).
The winners this past weekend in the 18U Boys and ProAm divisions were Lazaro Martinez and Logan Whitaker, respectively. It’s their first victory of the 2023 JIC season. It was Martinez’ first appearance on the 2023 JIC. It was Whitaker’s third appearance and he entered this past weekend at #11 among the 18U Boys and #15 in the ProAm. Whitaker competed in the season opener and in the 3rd event, finishing 3rd and 6th in the 18U Boys division and 6th, both times, in the ProAm division.
The two of them competed in both events and each went undefeated in their division. They actually faced each other in the 2nd round of the ProAm tournament. Whitaker downed Martinez 7-2 in that match, advancing further through the field to face and defeat Jas Makhani in a winners’ side semifinal 7-3 and Carlos Jinez 7-4 to claim the hot seat. Jinez had gotten into the hot seat match by surviving a double-hill challenge from Savannah Easton.
Jinez moved to the loss side and ran into Hollingsworth at the tail end of his five-match, loss-side winning streak that had recently eliminated Savannah Easton 7-4 and Nathan Nunes, double hill, in the quarterfinals. Hollingsworth punched his ticket to the ProAm finals with a 7-2 win over Jinez in the semifinals. Whitaker ended Hollingsworth’s streak 9-7 in the finals.
Landon Hollingworth, Logan Whitaker and Carlos Jinez
Martinez and Whitaker almost met in the 18U Boys event, as well. Twice, as a matter of fact. Each advanced through the field to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal that preceded the hot seat match; Whitaker, facing Niko Konkel and Martinez, squaring off against Hollingsworth. Martinez sent Hollingsworth to the loss side 7-4, but Konkel sent Whitaker over 7-3. Martinez claimed the hot seat 7-2 over Konkel.
On the loss side, Hollingsworth met up with Jaz Makhani, downing him 7-3 to meet Whitaker in the quarterfinals. He spoiled the possibility of Whitaker and Martinez facing each other a second time, in the finals, by eliminating Whitaker 7-5 and then, knocking Konkel out 7-1 in the semifinals. Martinez made Hollingsworth a runner-up for what was actually the first time (early, Saturday evening) with a 9-6 victory in the 18U Boys finals.
Tour director Ra Hanna thanked the ownership and staff at Griff’s, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues. The next stop on the JIC series, scheduled for the weekend of July 14-16, will be hosted by Railyard Billiards in Louisville, KY.
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