So many divisions! So many winners and multi-division champions! As with each of the six National Championships produced by the American CueSports Alliance (ACS) – and this year welcoming its new league and championship sponsor: Lucasi Hybrid Cues – the annual spectacle at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, June 6-12, showcased formats that encouraged many different winners…in many different formats…for many different skill levels…along with multi-titlists in the higher-skilled divisions.
Multi-titlists included the likes of: Debra Aarens (Las Vegas, NV) who anchored the Women's Open 8-Ball Team Champion “Smokin' 8s,” the same Women's Open 9-Ball Team runner-ups, and placed as the Women's 9-Ball Singles runner-up; Dustin Gunia (Omaha, NE) who won the Men's 9-Ball Singles crown and shared top honors as well with his Master 8-Ball Scotch Doubles partner, Jessica Frideres (Fort Dodge, IA) [Jessica also anchored the champion Women's Open 9-Ball team “Which Witch Is Which” as well]; Christy Goldsmith (Henderson, NV) who won the Women's Speed Pool Challenge, placed 2nd in the Women's Open 8-Ball Singles and 2nd again on Vegas's “I Had A Plan” team in the Women's Open 8-Ball Teams; Beth Fondell (Owatonna, MN) who won the coveted Women's Master 8-Ball Singles crown and placed runner-up with partner and Men's Speed Pool Champion, Jerrod Frideres in the Master 8-Ball Scotch Doubles category; Edward Mataya who was runner-up in the Men's Open 8-Ball Singles and anchored both the repeating champion “Malarkey's” Men's Open 9-Ball team from Tacoma, WA and the same “Malarkey's” Men's Open 8-Ball Team 3rd-place finisher; and Mary Rayner (Calgary, AB) who captured the Women's Standard 8-Ball Singles title and placed 2nd with partner Brian Bird in the Open 8-Ball Scotch Doubles division.
The Championships also highlighted its share of first-time national champions: Standard player Kassandra Bein (Virginia Beach, VA) outdistancing some much stronger players to take the handicapped Women's 9-Ball Singles title; Ray Skenandore (Las Vegas, NV) who has improved in the Men's Open 8-Ball Singles field every year until finally claiming the title in 2010; Jeff Heath (Reno, NV) who has always threatened but never claimed the Men's Master 8-Ball Singles title until this year; York Haven, PA's Christine Chamberlain in the Women's Open 8-Ball Singles; Robert White (Conception Bay South, NF) who probably traveled the farthest to take down a title – that of the Men's Standard 8-Ball Singles; Pat Mowdy (Longview, WA) who improved on his runner-up performance in 2008 to take down the 2010 crown in the Men's Senior 8-Ball Singles division; Shawn Modelo (Antioch, CA) who claimed the top award in her rookie year in the Women's Senior 8-Ball Singles; and Milton Strack (Monticello, IL) who – after thirty years of competing in various national championships in Vegas - finally claimed a national championship trophy for his case against a very formidable Super Senior 8-Ball Singles field.
In the Open Scotch Doubles contest, Lexington, Kentucky's Samantha Patton teamed up with her league mate, 2009 Super Senior 8-Ball Singles champ Madison Adkins, to claim the top spot; and Madison went on to help his “American Legion Post # 313” (KY) team to win the Open 8-Ball Team title after knocking on that door for the previous five years. Lexington, Kentucky's other powerhouse team, “Mike's Team/Silver Cue,” almost brought another national trophy home with a runner-up performance in the Open 9-Ball Team division won by defending champs, Malarkey's of Tacoma, WA. Las Vegas struck again, with the “Tuesday – Rich” team capturing top honors in the Men's Standard 8-Ball Team division, while Texas claimed honors thanks to the performance of team “Flawless” in the Women's Standard 8-Ball Team class. Aside from Scotch Doubles honors, Canada claimed further team honors by capturing the Men's Master 9-Ball Team competition, courtesy of team “Fort McMurray” (AB).
In 2011, the ACS is excited about moving the newly titled Lucasi Hybrid Cues ACS National Championships to the newly renovated Tropicana Las Vegas – a month earlier – May 7-14 ! Players will be royally entertained at this legendary anchor on the southern Vegas strip that is transforming itself into the best modern, mid-priced value in Las Vegas. The ACS looks forward to continuing to build its ranks in 2010/2011 through its twelve state associations and championships and its independent leagues, its Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour, and to welcoming players to its $10,000 added 2011 Midwest 8-Ball Championships, January 20-23 at the Riverside Casino in central Iowa, and to the 2011 ACS Nationals at the Tropicana Las Vegas in May !! Complete results and winners photos may be viewed online at www.americancuesports.org.
