Van Boening, Pinegar, and Ellerman take 10, 9, & 8-Ball Titles at 15th U.S. Bar Table Championships, February 25th - March 2nd at the Sands Regency Casino in Reno, NV.
Tight pockets and icy winds couldn't deter the more than 362 players from battling for the $24,500 added at the Playbca.com and Sands Regency sponsored event.
Coordinated by BCA Pool League staff Ric & Bonnie Jones, Bill Stock, Ken Shuman, and Gibby Tkatch, the matches ran on a tight, seamless schedule even with the additional $6000 added 10-ball division.
The 15th event commenced on a chilly, February Monday at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV. The conditions complemented the lightning fast Simonis 860 Tournament Blue cloth covering the 32 Diamond 7’ Smart Tables with tight, Pro cut 4-1/2” pockets, Red Circle cue balls and Super Aramith Pro balls. The BCAPL tournament lights, bristling with built in scoring beads, kept track of the action. The players enjoyed the best equipment in tournament play today.
Inaugurated this year, the $6000 added 10-ball division drew 85 players. BCA Pool League representative, and multiple, magazine Player of the Year Shane Van Boening showed no mercy as he plowed through the field with wins that included Justin Whitehead, Tyler Edey, Scott Frost, and Edwin Montal to place him comfortably in the hot-seat.
In the loser's bracket finals, Montal had a career defining moment as he defeated Rodolfo Luat. In his second attempt at Van Boening, Montal couldn't dethrone the 10-Ball king who pocketed the $4,250.
The 111 player 9-Ball division was dominated by Jonathan Pinegar who's best finish to date was a 7th at the Diamond Derby City Classic. Pinegar's confidence grew with wins over power players Jose Parica, Rudolfo Luat, Ernesto Dominguez, Stevie Moore, and young gun John Morra to snag the hot-seat.
Although, suffering an early loss to Larry Wilson, Gabe Owen recovered quickly to blow through the one loss side to freeze Scott Frost, Glenn Atwell, Larry Wilson, Van Boening, Adam Smith and, that other young gun just fresh from a 4th at the Swanee Memorial, Oscar Dominguez. He then ousted the always improving John Morra to earn a shot at Pinegar in the finals.
The question was could Owen defeat him twice? Owen got off to a healthy start and took the first set but, Pinegar was not to be separated from the title, or the $5000.
Kudos to Arizonan underdog Mitch Ellerman as he defeated the favored Parica TWICE to secure the Championship. With 140 plus players clammering over the $8000 added 8-Ball event, Ellerman was elated.
To get there, he clobbered Gabe Owen, Marshall Williams and Adam Behnke. Then in quarter finals Parica relegated him to the loser's bracket.
Parica had overpowered Stevie Moore, Justin Bergman, and Southern Californian's Ernesto Dominguez and, 3rd young gun to keep an eye on, Damian Alishan. Pinegar, with his sights on the All Around cash, was going for it before being overcome by Parica.
Pinegar's defeat pitted him against Ellerman who was just too tough. Ellerman now, with his shot at glory, was not intimidated by the prospect of defeating Parica twice as he collected the $6000 and the 8-Ball title.
Jonathan Pinegar's 1st and 3rd place finishes earned an additional $2000 and the honor of All Around Champion. Gabe Owen, earlier in the event and not quite warmed up, was heard muttering, "I don't know why I'm here." Well, with a second and two 4th place finishes, he secured second and an extra $1000. That seems like a good enough reason. Shane Van Boening took 3rd and $500.
Our Congrats to Andrea Wilson, Julie Hunter, and Tara Vreeland for their $600, $300, and $100 wins, respectively, in The Women's All Around.
US Bar Table Championships Results: 10-Ball: 1st-Shane Van Boening, 2nd-Edwin Montal, 3rd-Rudolfo Luat, 4th-Gabe Owen. 9-Ball: 1st-Johnathan Pinegar, 2nd-Gabe Owen, 3rd-John Morra, 4th-Oscar Dominguez. 8-Ball: 1st-Mitch Ellerman, 2nd-Jose Parica, 3rd-Johnathan Pinegar, 4th-Gabe Owen.