Young Champions Take Center Stage at APA Junior Championships

Jul 22, 2016

LAKE SAINT LOUIS, MO (July 22, 2016) — A record number of aspiring young APA members from across North America made their way to Davenport, Iowa in early-July for the APA Junior Championships.
 
After four-days of having fun, making new friends from across the country and playing their hearts out on the pool table, three champions were crowned in each tier of the Junior Championships.
 
In the finals of the Green Tier (Skill Levels 1-3), 14-year-old Deanna Wilder (SL 3) of Carthage, Miss., defeated Tanner Schurke (SL 2) of Buffalo, Iowa., by a score of 25-14. Schurke finished Runner-up. Jonathan Lynn of Huntsville, Ala., and Gracie Davis of Shelbyville, Ill., tied for 3rd Place in the Green Tier.
Deanna Wilder
Not surprisingly, the Green Tier featured the largest number of competitors in this year’s event with 160 participants.
 
In the finals of the White Tier (Skill Levels 4-5), 15-year-old Austin Le (SL 4) of Wilmington, N.C., defeated Skylar Brown (SL 5) of Cape Girardeau, Mo., 31-36 (Brown needed 38). Doug Tuttle of La Place, Ill., and William Haubner of Decatur, Ill., tied for 3rd Place in the White Tier. The White Tier had 69 participants.
Austin Le
In the finals of the Black Tier (Skill Levels 6-9), 13-year-old Nathan Childress (SL 9) of North Chesterfield, Va., defeated James Diaz (SL 6) of Phoenix, Ariz., 75-27 (Diaz was racing to 46). The Black Tier, featuring the highest skilled players, included 23 competitors. Tying for 3rd Place in the Black Tier were Tyler Anderson of Decatur, Ill., and Cole Bryson of Windham, Ohio.
Nathan Childress
 
Overall, more than 250 players competed in one of the three 9-Ball skill level tiers July 7 –10 at Sharky’s Billiards.
 
Champions each took home an X-Box One. Runners-up received Google Chrome Books. Third-place finishers received Beats headsets. Each of the top three finishers also took home a prize package that included a break cue, bridge, APA duffle bag and trophy.
 
The event also included a Junior/Adult Doubles event, recognition for Outstanding Academic Achievements and a special exhibition and autograph signing by Florian “Venom” Kohler.
Event sponsors included: Nationwide Insurance, PoolDawg.com, Frank’s Center Inc., GRIND’N Clothing Co., Jacoby Custom Cues, Kamui Tips, Khamsin Designs Inc., Kingery Printing, Meucci Cues, Midwest Illinois APA, OB Cues, Omega Billiards Supplies, Promotions Pronto, RT9 Designs Art and Apparel, Predator, Tiger Products Inc., Viking Cues and Venom Trick Shots.
 
The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States, and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada.  Nearly 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9‑Ball League play.  The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.
 
The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA World Pool Championships, the APA Poolplayer Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out more than $2.5 Million in cash and prizes annually!
 
The APA and its championships are sponsored by Aramith, Action Cues and PoolDawg.
 
For more information on the American Poolplayers Association, visit www.poolplayers.com.