Western BCA

VEGAS NATIONALS 2008

2008-06-09T19:06:00.003-07:00

The Western BCA was present in force in Las Vegas at the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships this past May. Below is the complete list of how our players finished.

Congratulations to all.

MEN'S OPEN SINGLES
Lawrence O (Larry) Sowell, Klamath Falls, Oregon 49th $550.00

Kenneth E (Ken) Bower, Auburn, Washington 49th $550.00
Daniel C (Dan) Rodriguez, Damascus, Oregon 65th $400.00
Harold L Prine, Cusick, Washington 65th $400.00
Adam J Stromberg, Everett, Washington 65th $400.00
Sean A Lewis, Lake Stevens, Washington 97th $300.00
Edward F Slade, Everett , Washington 97 th $300.00
Steven D (Steve) Tune , Oregon City , Oregon 129th $250.00
Brad A Hornshaw, Lynnwood, Washington 129th $250.00
John K Marshall, Mead, Washington 129th $250.00
Donald K Wright, Bonney Lake, Washington 129th $250.00
Roberto M (Randy) Baker, Coos Bay, Oregon 193rd, $200.00

Darrold A Crain, Klamath Falls, Oregon 193rd $200.00
Joseph A (Joe) Evinger, Milwaukee, Oregon 193rd $200.00
Vernon S (Scott) Nelson, Edgewood, Washington 193rd $200.00
Ernest Y Omori, Seattle, Washington 193rd $200.00
Pete J Semoe, Tacoma, Washington 193rd $200.00
Shawn Gibson, Albany, Oregon 257th $150.00
Todd Gooch, Salem, Oregon 257th $150.00
Gary Hettrick, Corvallis, Oregon 257th $150.00
Andrew A Monstis, Portland, Oregon 257th $150.00
Robert L Alston, Tacoma, Washington 257th $150.00
LeRoy M Dorsey, Bonney Lake, Washington 257th $150.00
Edward M (Eddie) Mataya, Tacoma, Washington 257th $150.00
Miguel M Morfin, Lynnwood, Washington 257th $150.00
Scott T Thurston, Chehalis, Washington 257th $150.00
Raymond M (Ray) Galli, Portland, Oregon 385th $125.00
Steven Mendoza, Albany, Oregon 385th $125.00
Rick D Plummer, Oregon City, Oregon 385th $125.00
Sokvorn (Crow) But, Auburn, Washington 385th $125.00
Jeffrey R Jimenez, Everett, Washington 385th $125.00
Paul K Mullens, Olympia, Washington 385th $125.00
William S (Bill) Nelson, Graham, Washington 385th $125.00
Randy Ohrstrom, Spokane, Washington 385th $125.00
Michael J Wooden, Port Hadlock, Washington 385th $125.00

MEN'S SENIOR SINGLES

Edward S (Ed) Tarape, Spanaway, Washington 49th $150.00
Stanley R Alameda, Bend, Oregon 65th $125.00

MEN'S SUPER SENIOR SINGLES

Owen P Miller, Sumner, Washington 5th $800.00
Ralph V Belgarde, Auburn, Washington 13th $275.00
Henry F (Ford) Rice Jr III, Everett, Washington 25th $150.00

MEN'S MASTER SINGLES

Steven R Lingelbach, Troutdale, Oregon 33rd $200.00

MEN'S GRANDMASTER SINGLES

Glenn E Atwell, Vancouver, Washington 7th $450.00

WOMEN'S OPEN SINGLES

Faye Fang, Beaverton, Oregon 7th $1,200.00
Karla A Bagley-Tias, Warm Springs, Oregon 9th $900.00
Cynthia S (Cindy) Sliva, Tacoma, Washington 13th $650.00
Melissa C (Misty) Saldana, Burien, Washington, 25th $375.00
Sarah Jo (Josie) LeRoy, Newberg, Oregon 33rd $275.00
Margie E Avlon, Lynnwood, Washington 33rd $275.00
Robbin L Iredale, Port Angeles, Washington 33rd $275.00
Sheila (Ann) Aldrich, Humptulips, Washington 65th $150.00
Melanie A Elder, Lake Stevens, Washington 65th $150.00
Candy Knutson, Aberdeen, Washington 65th $150.00
Natalie A Seal, Sultan, Washington 65th $150.00
RoseAnn Wilson, Everett, Washington 65th $150.00

WOMEN'S SENIOR SINGLES

Pamela J (Pam) Carraway, Port Angeles, Washington 13th $200.00
Arlene P DeLaCruz, Taholah, Washington 17th $150.00
Joan A (Joanie) Beaty, Aberdeen, Washington 25th $125.00

WOMEN'S MASTER SINGLES

Phyllis M Fernandez, Spokane, Washington 17th $175.00
Mary F Olson, Snohomish, Washington 17th $175.00

WOMEN'S GRANDMASTER SINGLES

Jaclyn R (Jackie) Fitchner, Springfield, Oregon 5th $525.00

OPEN SCOTCH DOUBLES

Todd Gooch, Salem, Oregon and Eve Stockstill, Portland, Oregon 13th $550.00
Eddie Mataya, Tacoma, Washington and Cindy Sliva, Tacoma, Washington 17th $400.00
Steve Tune, Oregon City, Oregon and Faye Fang, Beaverton, Oregon 17th $400.00
Douglas D Schulze, Puyallup, Washington and Jo Woodward, Kent, Washington 25th $275.00
Michael J Poole, Bothell, Washington and Shari L Ross, Lynnwood, Washington 33rd $200.00
Angela Jensen, Kent, Washington and Edward F Slade, Everett, Washington 33rd $200.00
Lorraine Krom, Marysville, Washington and Phillip F Wilson, Everett, Washington 49th $150.00
Melanie A Elder, Lake Stevens, Wash. and Adam J Stromberg, Everett, Wash. 65th $125.00
Dave Medlin, Oregon City, Oregon and Kari L Stevens, Oregon City, Oregon 97th $100.00

MASTER SCOTCH DOUBLES

LeRoy M Dorsey, Bonney Lake, Washington and Kim Hole, Auburn, Washington 17th $200.00
Shane T Verhaaren, Vancouver, Wash and Cathy Duenas, Damascus, Oregon 17th $200.00

MIXED OPEN TEAMS

PC's Pub # One - Brad Hornshaw, Jeff Jimenez, Sean Lewis, Tien Pham, Mike Stephens, 97th
"No Clue" - Ralph Belgarde, Tony Costanzo, LeRoy Dorsey, Kim Hole, Tommy Sliva, 129th

Cards - Duey Bennett, Richard Campbell, Tom Griffin, Ray Hamness, Scott Hamness,

Dane Lovell, 193rd

EQC Rack Runnerz - Bob Alston, Bill Andreozzi, Bill Coats, Pete Semoe, LT Tulfo, 193rd

Misspent Youth - Joaquin Ada, Tony Bloom, Al Carver, Bob Cummings, Bill Harrison,

Kenneth Welch, 193rd

Q'z Cruisers - Nicholas Legerski, Owen P Miller, Bill Nelson, Dennis J Proia, Doug Schulze,

Ed Tarape, Don Wright, 193rd

MIXED MASTER TEAMS

KC Midway - Gary French, Steve Lingelbach, Mike Stevens, Bob Zack, Ivan Doty, 7th

WOMEN'S OPEN TEAMS

Turtle Doves - Carissa Biggs, Ann Brandt, Cathy Duenas, Faye Fang, Josie LeRoy, 9th

Hi M8-tenance - Karla A Bagley-Tias, Cindy Medina, Wanda Plummer, Kari Stevens,
Robyn Willits, 17th

Shotze's Billiardettes - Melanie Elder, Bernie Foster, Sherry Griffin, Lorraine Krom,

Shari Ross, RoseAnn Wilson, 17th

The Other Team - Margie Avlon, Phyllis Fernandez, Shelby Locati, Melissa Saldana,

Natalie A Seal, 25th

WOMEN'S MASTER TEAMS

N.P.L.-Chix - Liz Cole, Jackie Fitchner, Cindy Doty, Mary Hopkin,

Andrea Saenz-Maes, 2nd

Western BCA Starts 14th Season

2008-05-25T18:49:00.007-07:00

June 1st is the start of a new season for Western BCA Leagues. In the season just ending, we had more leagues, league players, tournament entries and added money than ever before and this year we expect continued growth. The 11th Annual Regional 9-Ball Championships are scheduled for the week of October 20, 2008. The 14th Annual Regional 8-ball Championships are scheduled for the week of March 9, 2009. Both of these events will be at Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City Oregon.

At the recent Annual Meeting of Western BCA there were several changes made which will affect some players in this coming season.

Players entering Master Scotch Doubles will be allowed to select a partner from throughout the region just like Master Teams.

Only one Grandmaster can be on a Master Scotch Doubles entry.

The policy of mandating only 2 original league team members on a men�??s open 8-ball team has been amended and has been returned to mandating 3 original members on a men�??s open 8-ball team with hardship exceptions on a case-by-case basis to be decided by the Board of Directors. The women�??s open 8-ball teams will still have the 2 original members requirement.

For 9-Ball Championships the opponent will rack the balls for the breaker. (No racking your own break for 9-ball)

The top 4 Open Men�??s 8-Ball teams and the top 2 Open Women�??s 8-Ball teams must play in the Master Team event during the next two 8-ball Championships if 3 or more players from those team rosters are on that team. This is retroactive to the 2008 8-Ball Championships.

Also at the Annual Meeting, Bill Henderson was re-elected as President and Darcy Moss was elected as the new Vice President. A new Board of Directors was voted in consisting of Mike Jensen, Sam Rabito, Terry Ludwig, Cindy Doty, Stacy Sherman, Andrew Monstis and Sassy Campbell. Player fees will remain at $10 for the coming year. Sam Rabito will continue as Tournament Director and Darryl Farley will continue as Head Referee.

Other items of note:

Chinook Winds announced today that the Top Slot Player for the 2008 Regional Championships was Ginger McInnis from Thurston County. This is the 2nd time in a row Ginger has won this award. The Top Table Player for the 2008 Regional Championships was Shane McKinley from Sno-King. Both will get a complimentary room for the duration of one of the next two Regional Championships. Congratulations to both Ginger and Shane.

From BCAPL Regarding National Tournament in Las Vegas

2008-05-03T17:08:00.002-07:00

Significant Changes for 2008 and Applied Rulings in effect for the BCAPL Nationals

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

�? Rack your own: See Rule 1.14 for details.

�? Open Break: This rule has nothing to do with the table being open after the break. That has not changed �?? the table is always open after the break. Rule 2.3.1 means that you must break the rack with a forceful stroke to try to scatter the balls. A �??forceful stroke�?? is not the same for all players. If there is a question, the referee will be the sole judge of whether or not a forceful stroke was used.

�? �??Accidental movement�?? is now limited to a single object ball. If two or more balls are disturbed it is a foul. See Rule 1.33 for details.

�? ALL combinations and banks MUST be called. Referee discretion is no longer allowed on considering combinations or banks to be �??obvious�??, regardless of how obvious they may appear to you. See Rule 1.17 for details

�? Conceding games: You must not concede any game at any time. Penalties are significant - see Rule 1.43 for details.

APPLIED RULINGS

For Rules 2.3 and 2.9(d)

DO NOT attempt to catch the 8-ball as it is falling into or moving toward a pocket on the break. If you do, it is loss of game. You will lose no money �?? a referee will retrieve the 8-ball for you. The phrase in Rule 2.3.1 that "The game cannot be won or lost on the break" applies only to the normal action of the balls on the break shot. The game can be lost on the break if rule 2.9d or any other rule requiring loss of game as a penalty is violated.

Calling Banks and Combinations:

Only the ball and pocket need to be designated. If calling a combination, you do not need to say the word �??combination�?? or specify the sequence of balls struck. If calling a bank, you do not need to say the word �??bank�?? or specify the number of cushions. See Rule 1.17 for details.

If you cannot find the rule references discussed here, the complete rule book can be found at the BCAPL website.

13th Annual Regional 8-Ball Tournament Over

2008-03-22T23:39:00.009-07:00

March 22, 2008

A few quick things regarding the 8-Ball tournament just over. The results are available here or can be gotten to via the 9-ball tab, results and payouts. If you are interested in watching video of some of the finals matches, go to OTBn TV and select the Western BCA 8-Ball Championships.The photo gallery is not available yet but photos can be viewed and purchased from Dave Schelske who is a Western BCA member and professional photographer. Our own gallery will be ready soon. We are already compiling a list of links to lodging in Lincoln City which will be posted on the website in the near future. These local merchants are offering very attractive discounts to Western BCA pool players for the upcoming 9-Ball Championships in October.

The four paid entries compliments of PlayBCA (BCAPL) to the Nationals in May in Las Vegas are Marvin Holmes and Kathy Duenas, the Open Champs from 9-Ball last October and Jackie Fitchner and Glenn Atwell, the Master Champs from the 8-Ball tournament just completed. Congratulations and good luck at the Nationals.

The winner of the grand prize drawing for the weeks paid accomodations from Horizon Rentals is Larry Maes of Tacoma, Washington. Congratulations.

Check back here often for updates.

TOURNAMENT UPDATES

2008-03-01T13:00:00.011-08:00

We're just 5 days from the start of the biggest regional 8-ball tournament in country. The entries are in and can be found here on the website under the 8-ball tab or you can get there by clicking HERE. If there is ANY problem with your scotch or singles entries, please contact the Tournament Registrar at tournamentregistrar@westernbca.org immediately.

Gary Benson, tournament director, has been working on scheduling the 15 separate events at this tournament, no small job. He has got start times for all events plotted out and they are as follows:

MENS A AND B 9:00 AM WED.
MENS/WOMENS MASTERS 1:30 PM WED
WOMENS OPEN SINGLES 1:30 PM WED
MENS SENIOR SINGLES 3:30 PM WED
WOMENS NOVICE SINGLES 3:30 PM WED
MENS NOVICE SINGLES 3:30 PM WED
WOMENS SENIOR SINGLES 5:00 PM WED

Scotch Doubles starts at 5pm Monday.

TEAM PLAY.

All Mens Open/Mixed Teams start at 6PM Friday.

All Womens Open Teams start at 6PM Friday.

All Master Teams, men and women, start at 11PM Friday EXCEPT:
EAGLE EYE BILLIARDS VS SHAFTED start at 6PM Friday

ALL OVER VS JACKS VOO DOO DOLLS start at 6PM Friday

NLP CHIX VS THE OTHER TEAM start at 6PM Friday

See you at the Beach!

TEAM PLAY RULES AND GUIDELINES as printed on page 2 of team score sheets

2008-02-16T13:56:00.004-08:00

Unless you have only five players and are certain there will be no changes to your lineup during the match, we recommend that you fill out the player names one round at a time. Please use first and last name of players the first time they appear on the score sheets.

In the Open Division: At least two (2) players from the original qualifying league team must compete in every round of every match. Place an �??X�?? immediately following qualifying team�??s original members.

Roster Changes: Changes to the team roster that differ from the team roster indicated on the Entry Form must be reported to the podium and approved by the Tournament Registrar or the League Administrator prior to the start of the team event, 6 PM Friday.

Substitutions: Substituting a player on the lineup must be announced prior the start of each round. The opposing team captain must be notified of any change in the lineup. All players must stay in their same numbered position in each successive round unless they sit out one round. Once the round has begun, no lineup changes may be made. A player cannot play the same player more than 1 time in a match. Should this occur, it will be a forfeit of that particular game by the team causing the double-play to occur. The home team must make their substitutions first in each round. A team captain can challenge the line-up of the opposing team or member only before the round starts or immediately after the round ends.

All players must have a picture ID on their person during competition and must provide ID on request of the opposing team captain, tournament director and/or referees.

Protest procedure: In the event a captain (and only the captain) wishes to protest a player�??s or team�??s eligibility, the captain will be required to deposit $100 with the tournament officials at the podium. If the captain is correct in the protest, the captain will be refunded the deposit and the tournament officials will take proper measures in dealing with the situation. If the protesting captain is incorrect in the protest, the captain will surrender the deposit. Deposits go into the general fund of the Western BCA. Decisions made by the tournament officials are final.

Dress code violation procedure and enforcement: During match play, any player found in violation of the dress code will be given 15 minutes by the referee staff to correct the violation and return to the match site. If the player in violation has not yet played his/her game in the round in which the violation occurs and has not returned to the match site in the time allotted, the player will forfeit the game in the round in which the violation occurred (provided the player has not already played in that round) and will forfeit one game in each successive round for each additional five minutes that he/she has not returned in the proper attire. A team captain may not substitute another player for a player found in violation of the dress code until after the player returns in proper attire. Only then may the team captain substitute another player and only at the beginning of a round.

Be aware that it is a foul if a player practices on any tables during a match even if that player is not playing in that round.

Unsportsmanlike conduct will be enforced. Time clocks may be used for slow match start and slow play.

NEW RULES IN PLACE FOR 8-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

2008-02-16T12:55:00.003-08:00

NEW RULES EXCERPTED FROM
BCAPL 2007-2008 Rulebook

These are some of the rules changes made this year by BCAPL. This is not to be considered complete. Refer to your BCAPL League Player Handbook for complete playing rules or ask a referee if you have questions. Final authority rests with the head referee in all matters regarding rules.

1.3 (a) You may use only your cue stick, held in your hand or not, to align a shot.

1.3 (f) You may not use any ball, your cue stick, the rack, or any other equipment or width-measuring device to determine if the cue ball or any object ball would fit through a gap or to judge what ball the cue ball would contact first. Violation of this rule is a foul, and an unsportsmanlike conduct warning must be issued; a second violation results in loss of game; a third violation results in loss of match. (Refer to your Player Handbook for other instances of unsportsmanlike conduct.)

1.4 (c) Once you use any cue stick, no part of that cue stick may be replaced or substituted for during that match, except in the event of accidental damage. Damage caused by an intentional act or unsportsmanlike conduct may not be corrected during the match.

1.8 No Practice Allowed During a Match. It is a foul if you practice at any time during your match, including time-outs and periods of suspended play. �??Practice�?? is defined as any stroke or shot that is not a part of your match, taken on any table at the event venue. In team play, this rule applies to all members of the team roster, whether or not they are playing at the time and whether or not they are listed on the score sheet of the match in progress.

1.14 Racking Procedures
1. All BCAPL events require you to rack for yourself when you are breaking. You must rack the balls as tightly as possible. That means that each ball should touch all balls adjacent to it.
2. After you rack the balls your opponent may inspect the rack but must not touch any ball. If your opponent is not satisfied with the rack, they may require you to re-rack the balls one time. After one re-rack, if both players cannot agree that the rack is suitable for play a referee must be called. The referee will then rack the balls for that game.

1.15 Deflecting the Cue Ball when Breaking. When breaking, it is a foul if you stop, grab, or deflect the cue ball after your cue tip strikes it.

1.17 Calling a Shot.
1. This rule applies only to games designated by specific game rules as Call Shot games.
2. If you are not certain what shot your opponent is attempting, it is your responsibility to ask. You must ask before your opponent is down on the shot.
3. Regardless of whether or not your opponent asks, and regardless of how simple or obvious a shot may appear to you, bank shots and combination shots are defined as not being obvious and must always be called. If you do not call a bank shot or a combination shot and you pocket any ball on that shot, your inning ends and the incoming player must accept the table in position.
4. If a shot that was obvious prior to the stroke inadvertently becomes a bank shot because the ball did not go directly into the called pocket but instead contacted two or more cushions prior to being pocketed in the called pocket, the shot is scored for the shooter and the inning continues.

1.32 Miscues. Unless it occurs on a jump shot or masse shot, a miscue is not a foul.

1.33 Cue Ball Fouls Only.
1. It is not a foul to accidentally touch or move a single object ball, with any part of your body, clothing or equipment, unless the accidental movement has an effect on the outcome of the shot.
3. If there is no effect on the outcome of the shot, your opponent has the option to leave the disturbed ball in position or restore it to its original location on the table. If the disturbed ball is to be restored, only your opponent or a referee may restore it. If you touch or restore the disturbed ball without your opponent�??s permission it is a foul.
7. If you accidentally move more than one object ball, or if the accidentally moved ball contacts any other ball, it is a foul. Your opponent receives ball in hand and has no restoration option.

1.40 Intentional Foul Penalty
It is an intentional foul if you do any of the following during a game:
Intentionally strike the cue ball with anything other than your cue tip;
Pick up the cue ball in order to end your inning;
Stop or deflect any ball that is in motion;
Catch any ball that is falling into a pocket;
Place your hand into a pocket while any ball is in motion;
Cause a ball to move by contacting or moving the cloth, bed, or table in any way.
In addition to any penalty required by specific game rules, the mandatory penalty for these fouls is an unsportsmanlike conduct warning. A second violation results I loss of game; a third violation results in loss of match.

Tidbits

2008-02-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

We are welcoming a new league into the Western BCA. It is the Tioga BCA Pool League out of Coos Bay, Oregon. Rick Tillett is the League Operator. Welcome, Tioga, to the "family."

Bulletin Board: don't forget the bulletin board is up and running. This is the place to get the word out that you need a master player for your master team or housemates for your stay.

Accommodations: Chinook Winds Casino Resort is a great place to stay while you are at the tournament. If you have a winners circle card, you will get a discount off the already very reasonable room rates so mention that you have a card when you book your room(s). Horizon Rentals is also offering great rates to tournament players as well as the opportunity to win a weeks accommodations at a future tournament to one of our lucky players, check them out. For general information on the Lincoln City area (places to stay, things to do, etc) go to http://www.oregoncoast.org/home.php.

Entries: As the entries come in, they will be listed on the website so you can check and see that your entry was received as well as see who else is entering in your division. Click on the 8-Ball tab and then click on "See Entries". Entries will be categorized by division and will be available shortly after the entry deadlines come and go. Start looking February 18th.

There are some significant rule changes that will be in force at this tournament. Some are a little confusing. There is much emphasis on sportsmanship and the penalties for sportsmanship violations are quite severe. Some are concerned with behavior rather that play so don't inadvertently commit a sportsmanship violation and lose a game or even possibly a match for something that didn't happen on the table. Familiarize yourself with and get comfortable with the rule changes prior to the tournament. For more information go to http://www.playbca.com/Downloads/Rulebook/SignificantRuleChanges/tabid/442/Default.aspx.

As the 8-Ball Championships Near

2008-01-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

By now, players and League Operators should be very aware of the deadline to qualify for entry into the upcoming tournament - February 11. By this date all players must have played at least 8 weeks in their leagues. This is also the early entry deadline to get your entries and fees postmarked or in the hands of your League Operators. The late entry deadline is February 19 and don't forget to add the late fees of $10 per event per player. The Refund Request deadline is February 29, 2008. You must notify the Tournament Registrar by email at tournamentregistrar@westernbca.org or phone - (541) 517-9816. Beyond this date a refund is not automatic and will only be allowed following submission of a written request with a valid excuse routed through your League Operator.

The Player Rankings page on the website has been updated to include the new Master men and women and Open-A men. Please take a moment to check and see that you are in the proper category and if you have any questions, contact your League Operator or the Competition Committee Chairman at ratingscommchair@westernbca.org.

Here is a list of the new Masters and Open-A men as well as the players who graduated from novice to open. Congratulations to all.

Men�??s Open A to Masters: Jason Evans, Marvin Holmes, Larry Sowell, Scott Thurston, Brent Langley, Gary Givens.
Men�??s Open B to open A: Scott Brasher, Dave Kartcher, Marc Cowling, Marc Cowling, Randell Milhoan, Gary Bryson, Joe Chun, Steve Baumann, Johnny Carr, Jim James, Steve Graham, Anthony Littleleaf, Paul Johnson, Bob Sandy, Danny Quince, Jer Scheroski, Sonny Boggs.
Women�??s Open to Masters: Dove Thompson, Melinda Childers, Cathy Duenas.
Women�??s Novice to Open: Jean Snow, Lilian Duren, Liz Green, Sandee Curran
Men�??s Novice to Open B: Shane Swenson, Jay Rinehart, Mark Yamato.

The Bulletin Board is up again. This is the place to look for Master players for your Master team, find people to share housing with in Lincoln City or advertise an upcoming event in your area. Feel free to use it for contacting members throughout our association.

The gallery is almost up-to-date. Because of the size of the photos, there is much editing that has to be done. Eventually, all the photos from the 2007 9-Ball tournament will be resized and will load much faster. Thank you for your

patience.

That's all for now. Check back from time to time, information will be posted
as it becomes available. In the meantime, practice, practice practice!

2008 8-Ball Regional News

2007-12-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

As March, 2008 approaches, your Western BCA Board is hard at work so this tournament will be bigger and better than any in the past. The dates are now fixed. The 13th Annual 8-Ball Regional Championships are scheduled for March 10-16, 2008. Scotch Doubles will start at 5 PM on Monday, March 10, Singles play begins Wednesday, March 12 at 9AM and Teams will start Friday, March 14. We will be playing on Diamond tables with red circle cue balls. Gary Benson will again be our Tournament Director. Due to the growth of the tournament and the need for table space, there will not be a designated smoking room. Tuesday night will be a Fun Night with 10-Ball ring games and a variety of mini-tournaments. Chinook Winds will again be tracking usage of our Winners Circle Cards and will award prizes for Top Slot Player and Top Table Player.

The winners of the �??Top Slot Player�?? and 'Top Table Player' awards for the 2007 9-Ball Championships have been announced and are Ginger McInnis from Thurston County League and Julie Fraser of NPL respectively. Ginger and Julie will each receive a free oceanview room at Chinook Winds Casino Resort for the duration of one of the next two championships. These awards are given by Chinook Winds to the players who play the most during our Championships using their Winners Circle Cards. Congratulations to Ginger and Julie!

The Western BCA is dedicated to putting on the best regional tournaments in the country. The amount of work required to make that happen is staggering. We are very lucky to have so many board members willing to give of their time and energy. As players, make sure you are qualified by the deadline and get your entry in on time. Make sure you are aware of all the rule changes, we will be using them at this tournament. And practice, practice, practice!

Western BCA Completes Successful 2007 9-Ball Championship Tournament

2007-11-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

It was an outstanding 9-ball tournament. The 2007 Tenth Annual Western BCA 9-Ball Championships opened play Tuesday night Oct. 22 with mini-tournaments and ring games. The �??real�?? competition started Wednesday morning with Scotch couples playing in Open and Master divisions. Singles followed Thursday and Friday and teams competed on Saturday and Sunday.

This year�??s tournament was bigger and better than ever. The 131 men�??s teams and 39 women�??s teams were the most ever to play. Attendance was up 20% from 2006, with 719 players this year. Total entries rose 17%, and payouts totaled $60,045. Added money increased to almost $22,000. This year event saw an added division with Men�??s and Women�??s Novice Singles play.

Master Scotch winners were new to the top spot. Jay Krause and Susan Preston tore through the brackets undefeated. Their opponents included second place finishers Carissa Biggs and Steve Linglebach. Josie Leroy and Shane Verhaaren took third. Fourth place finishers were defending champs Andrea Saenz-Maes and Glenn Atwell. Susan snagged Jason at last year�??s 8-ball event after she became a master player and realized she'd have to play in masters scotch. The two came with focus and heart, and the formula worked for them. Opponents Carissa Biggs and Steve Lingelbach showed their professionalism by playing quickly and efficiently, however, Jay and Susan prevailed with their steady determination.

In Open Scotch play Jason Evans and Francie Johnson took first from J. Keith Johnson and Alisha Rogers, second place finishers. Tony Tipton and Trish Tipton took third place; and Darcy Moss and Jon Letson took fourth.

Men�??s Master division was won by Todd Marsh. Todd had to beat strong competition on his way to the top of the heap. Beginning with his first match he played, in order, Colin McMurphy, Ken Dodd, Steve Lingelbach, Chad Bisconer, Cedric Sloan, and Don Wirtaman (who played Todd for the point and lost and then came back around after defeating Ken Dodd). Todd went through the field in the Men�??s Master Singles by not losing a match. Impressive win, Todd.

As an added note, Todd finished second in this year�??s 8 Ball Championships in the Men�??s Masters to Dan Louie from the Seattle area. This year Dan was unable to attend the Western BCA tournament as he was hospitalized back East with a serious medical problem that required him to stay in intensive care for several days. The problem occurred while he was playing in the U. S. Open tournament in Virginia. Best wishes on your recovery, Dan.

Jackie Fitchner clinched the Women�??s Master division. Jackie�??s route took her through matches with Barb Thompson, Heather Bullock, Josie Leroy, Cindy Doty for the point and Andrea Saenz-Maes for the final. Jackie won the Women�??s Master by never losing a match and won her final match over Andrea by a score of 9-1. This win was an early present to herself �?? her birthday was the following day. Incidentally, Jackie took second in the Women�??s Masters at Nationals in Vegas this year.

It was a Sno-King BCA Pool League final in the Men's Open-A division pitting Jason Evans against Marvin Holmes. Marvin worked his way through the loser's bracket to get to the final against Jason defeating Scott Thurston of Thurston County BCA (4th) and Larry Sowell of Players Club League (3rd) on his way there. The first match of the final was all Marvin Holmes as he defeated Jason 8-1. In the deciding match, however, Jason Evans was not to be denied, holding Marvin to 5 games to get the victory by a score of 8-5. Jason also won the Open Mixed Scotch Doubles with Francie Johnson and finished third in the Men's Team event. In addition, Jason turned a lot of heads with his play in the 10-Ball ring game on Tuesday night.

Scott Brasher did not look like an Open B player when he destroyed the field of 166 and became the Open B champion. Scott, from Kennewick, went undefeated in the Men�??s Open B. He beat David Kartchner in the finals after David beat Randel Milhoan (4th) and Marc Cowling (3rd).

Dove Thompson became the Women�??s Open champion by beating Melinda Childers in a hard fought match. Dove and Melinda had to wait until Sunday to finish the Women�??s Open Singles.

One of the two new events this year, Men�??s Novice, saw Shane Swenson double dip Jay Rinehart for a first place win. Jay finished second and Mark Yamamoto was third.

For the new Women�??s Novice division, Jean Snow took first place, coming through the brackets undefeated. Second place finisher was Lillian Duren, with Liz Green taking third.

Mens Team Winners, Soundview Bar and Grill of Everett Wash. (Jim Conway, Ed Slade and Lance Bauge), defeated Barely Legal (Darrold Craine, Steve Heiman and Larry Sowell) from Medford, Ore., by a score of 14 to 10. Barely Legal won the first two games but Soundview won the next five games and never looked back. Although about 500 miles separate the two teams, by the end of the match both teams had developed a great respect for each other.

In the Women�??s team event the finals came down to 2 Northwest Players League teams. Nuclear 9 Ball Nymphs (Mary Hopkin, Donna Totten and Sherrie Demke) won in a tough match against Jawbreakers (Liz Cole, Joy Pierson and Eve Stockstill). A Girl Thing (Johnnie Landis, Treya Rabel and Donna Taylor) finished third.

EQC Strokerz (Bill Coats, Bill Andreozzi, Doug Schulze and Larry �??LT�?? Tulfo) won the Second Chance team event in a single elimination format over 18 other teams.

The popular ring games were expanded this year. Once again the excitement of the 10-ball ring game was a real crowd pleaser and a true test of heart. Different events were added for both women and open men. The $100 per person entry, winner take all format had 12 entries in the first masters ring game. Glenn Atwell and Jason Evans took honors. In the second master ring game, 11 players fought it out and Glenn and Mike Stevens came out winners. In the women�??s ring game, Cindy Doty took the win on Tuesday.

On The Wire produced a professional full color tournament program, giving participants vital information about the event as well as a lasting memento of a week well spent. Venders were On the Wire, Billiards911.com (formerly Beads and Billiards), Palace Billiards and Dave Lauer Cue Repair. The Chinook Winds food court and beverage bar was kept busy the entire week and was appreciated by all.

Local Head Referee Darryl Farley put together a nationally certified professional crew. These top national BCAPL certified referees are the best trained anywhere.

Podium staff Stacy and Jennifer Sherman, Alex and Dayl Stroup, Sassy Campbell, Sam Rabito, Cindy Rosenthal, Joyce Gumm, Andrew Monstis, Darcy Moss and Bill Henderson spent many hours handling all sorts of issues, announcing giveaways, dealing with paperwork, making executive decisions and doing much more to help the tournament run smoothly.

Nine-ball 2007 tournament shirts sold like hotcakes. Most were sold out before the weekend. There were still some great denim shirts left and several sweatshirts in limited sizes. Be sure and buy your shirts early for 8-ball so you can get the size you want.

There were quite a few giveaways from Chinook Winds, totaling $500 in merchandise. Darcy Moss won a big raffle for the coveted Pechauer cue. Kurt Hamm spent time prior to the tournament collecting gifts and certificates from local businesses in Lincoln City for giveaways.

Cathy Dunford developed a new volunteer force for the tournament. Some of those volunteers got some very nice gifts, one of which was a week's stay at Chinook Winds Casino Resort for a future tournament.

Shirley Morgan worked with others to come up with the �??dynamite�?? shirt design. Joyce Gumm, Cindy Rosenthal and Sassy Campbell zipped out the payout checks, putting in endless hours so that members could collect their hard earned winnings in the shortest wait time to date. Tom Moss did a great job on table layouts. Alex Stroup and Stacy Sherman fielded as many mini-tournaments and second chance events as they could fit in, and there were plenty.

For those players between matches or out of the competition, there was beautiful weather and a windy but sunny beach to enjoy when they happened to get outside. It was a welcome change from the wet and strong winds that are usually present at the beach in October.

Gary Benson proved once again why he is such a good tournament director by keeping the tournament on schedule. Saturday night was the biggest challenge with all the teams playing in the room.

When the last 9-ball rolled in the pocket and Jim Conway let out a shout that echoed throughout the room, this year�??s championships finally came to an end. All the Western BCA board and volunteers hope that every player had a satisfying experience during this tournament and learned something new to add to their game for the upcoming 8-Ball Championship.

What a remarkable tournament! There were many upsets and many players reasserting their positions at a very competitive event. Generous congratulations are in order for all the players, including those who have demonstrated the talent to reach into the upper divisions, and those who come with little hopes of winning money, but with great heart and expectations of playing their best and having a ton of fun at the top regional event in the country. Thank you all for joining us in one of the biggest 9-ball tournaments in the United States. See you back in March.

For the upcoming 8-Ball Championships, Diamond tables and red circle cue balls will be used. The 8-ball tournament will begin on March 10 or 11, 2008, with the confirmed dates to be announced. Check on Western BCA Web site (westernbca.org) or check with your league operator for finalized dates.

The entries are in and the money is ready to be paid out

2007-10-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

There are a record number of entries for the 2007 Western BCA Regional 9-Ball Championships. Seven hundred and ten players are signed up to play, an increase of over 18 percent from last year. The total payout will be over $60,000 of which almost $22,000 is added money. There are 33 entries in Master Scotch Doubles and 78 entries in Open Scotch Doubles. In the singles events there are 66 master men, 29 master women, 114 open-A men, 167 open-B men, 91 open women, 8 novice men and 16 novice women. In the team events there are 131 men�??s teams and 39 women�??s teams. This should be a very exciting event and we hope you will all enjoy yourselves.

Don�??t forget that the tables will be set up and ready for play at 5 p.m. Tuesday night. It will be a fun night Tuesday evening with a variety of mini-tournaments for all skill levels and 10-ball ring games for men and women. There will also be tables for practice so you can get in stroke.

Remember we will be using the same 9-Ball rules we used last year. Some of you have received copies of the new BCA rules that came out in early October but many of you haven�??t. We thought there was not enough time for everyone to familiarize themselves with the new rules so we decided to use the same rules we have been using for many years. If you have any questions about the rules, check at the podium or ask a referee prior to your match.

Volunteers are the back bone of the Western BCA so we will be offering a chance for one of you to win a Chinook Winds Casino Resort ocean front room for the duration of a future event. For every hour you volunteer at the tournament you will be given a chance in the drawing for the room. The more hours, the more chances to win. The drawing will take place at the end of the tournament and will be announced on the website along with the tournament results. You can volunteer by emailing Cathy Dunford at volunteercoordinator@westernbca.org or by asking at the podium anytime during the tournament.

Don�??t forget the other two ways to win a free room from Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Use your Winners Circle card when you play the slots. The highest point getter will be the Top Slot Player and will win a room for a future event. Also new this tournament is the Top Table Player prize. The player who has the most play at table games will also win a free room for a future event. Be sure you let your dealers at the tables know that you are in the Western BCA pool tournament and show them your Winners Circle card. If you don't already have one, get a Winner Circle card when you arrive at the casino and use it so that you will also be eligible for the $500 in giveaways by Chinook Winds.

See you all soon at the best 9-ball event in the country.

The Latest on the 9 Ball Championships

2007-09-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

We will have tables up and ready to play on at 5 PM, Tuesday, October 23. Many of the tables will be available to practice on. We will have a variety of mini-tournaments and maybe some small double elimination tournaments. We also will have 10-Ball ring games for men and women. It will be a fun night. Come early and get in stroke for the main events.

If you haven�??t got your accommodations yet, check with our major sponsors:

CHINOOK WINDS CASINO RESORT has oceanfront rooms right next to the casino. You can make reservations at Chinook Winds by calling 1-877-423-2241 or visit their website at www.chinookwindscasino.com.

HORIZON RENTALS has many rental properties to fit almost anyone�??s accommodation needs. Horizon�??s phone number is 1-800-995-2411 or visit their website at www.horizonrentals.com .

GENERAL INFORMATION can be obtained at www.oregoncoast.org/pages/lodging-packages.html . Not only does this site have accommodations but it has a great deal of information about Lincoln City for those times when you are not playing.

We hope your stay will be a great one. The weather is just a gamble like the casino. One time we had temperatures in the mid seventies. Other times the wind and rain has been typhoonish. Back to pool. Scotch Doubles start at 10 AM on Wednesday, October 24. Singles start at 9 AM Thursday, October 25. Teams start on Saturday, October 27. Be sure to check and double check your times on the brackets in the hallway. Missing a match is not a good thing. If you have a question ask the tournament directors. Be sure you know and abide by the dress code. The rules and dress codes will be in the Player Program.

Western BCA News

2007-08-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

We have a winner in the �??Top Slot Player�?? contest for the recent 8-Ball Championships. Frank McMurtry from the Sno-King BCA League is the winner of a free room for one of the next two championships. Frank won this prize by using his Winner�??s Circle card and playing the slots. Chinook Winds will again track Winner�??s Circle card usage at the upcoming 9-Ball Championships and award free accommodations in two categories this time - �??Top Slot Player�?? and �??Top Table Player�??. Good things can happen when you use your Winner�??s Circle card at Chinook Winds.

Western BCA would like to congratulate one of our own for being selected BCAPL�??s �??League Operator of the Year�??. Cindy Doty, League Operator of Northwest Players League, is the first winner of the award from Western BCA. Cindy has been a member of Western BCA from the beginning and is one of our most accomplished players. Congratulations Cindy!

Western BCA has voted to use Diamond Promotions as the table provider for our 13th Annual Regional 8-Ball Championships. Diamond Promotions uses Diamond tables and red circle cue balls. Diamond Promotions will also be the Tournament Director for the 8-Ball Championships using a new program developed by the BCAPL.

We have a new league in the Western BCA in the Coos Bay Oregon area. Last year many of the players played in a session under the Cascade League but this year they are on their own. Barbara Sisneros is the new League Operator for the Pacific Coast Pool League. We wish Barbara all the best with her new league.

New to this 9-ball regional is a Novice Division. This is a trophy only division with Entry Fees of $15 per player. Approximately 1 out of 7 entrants get trophies and also a free entry into the Open Division for one of the next two Championships. Once you get a trophy you can no longer play in the Novice Division.

Entry Forms for the 10th Annual Regional 9 Ball Championships are now being sent to the League Operators. The Early Entry Deadline is September 26. You must either submit your entry to your League Operator by that date or, if you mail it to your League Operator, it must be postmarked by September 26. The Late Entry Deadline is October 3. Late Entries will have an additional fee of $10 per player per event so get your entries in early.

The 10th Annual Western BCA 9-Ball Championships

2007-08-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

On October 24-28, 2007 the 10th Annual Western BCA 9-Ball Regional Championships will be held at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. There will be 72 tables for this year�??s Championships arranged in the same floor layout that was used for the last 8-Ball Championships. Last year we had around 600 players, an increase of 15% from the previous year. This 9-ball will have Novice divisions added to the singles in addition all the usual events. As time and tables become available, there will be 2nd chance and mini tournaments. Once again High Country Promotions will be providing the tables and tournament direction.

Chinook Winds Casino Resort is sponsoring the �??Top Slot Player�?? promotion during the 9-ball Regional. They will give a free room for the duration of a future Championship to the top slot player. Make sure you use your Winners Circle cards when you play the slot machines. Rose Wilson, the �??top slot�?? player during the 2006 9-ball Regional, used her free week stay at the 2007 8-ball Regional Championships. We will announce the �??Top Slot Player�?? for the 2007 8-Ball Championships soon. The winner can use the free room at one of the next two Championships. Chinook Winds will also give a future free room to the �??Top Table Player�?? for those of you who play blackjack, roulette or craps. Make sure you tell your dealer to track your play as a Western BCA pool player. These promotions are a great way to get rewarded for your play at the Casino.

There are many options for your stay in Lincoln City. Of course Chinook Winds Casino Resort has rooms with ocean views right next to the Casino. You can make reservations at Chinook Winds by calling 1-877-423-2241 or visit their website at www.chinookwindscasino.com . This year The Commodores will be playing Friday and Saturday nights while we are there. Get your tickets early to hear this legendary group. �??Brick House�??, �??Nightshift�?? and �??Three Times a Lady�?? are but a few of their memorable songs.

If you prefer a vacation rental, you might check with Horizon Rentals. They have been very supportive of Western BCA players in the past and even donated the Grand Prize of a week�??s stay at a future event at our 2007 8-Ball Championships. Horizon has many rental properties to fit almost anyone�??s accommodation needs. Horizon�??s phone number is 1-800-995-2411 or visit their website at www.horizonrentals.com .

Lincoln City is a great place to visit with great beaches, scenic drives, shopping and more. For information on Lincoln City, visit their Chamber of Commerce website at www.lcchamber.com or the Lincoln City Tourism Bureau website at www.oregoncoast.com.

It is always the goal of the Board of the Western BCA that each regional championship is bigger and better than any previous one. The competition is intense on all levels, from masters to novice. New friendships are formed and old ones renewed. Our association continues to grow and flourish. If pool is your game, this is where you want to be this October.

Western BCA Well Represented at Vegas Nationals

2007-06-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

172 of our fellow pool players from throughout the Western BCA entered 14 events this past May at the BCAPL National 8-ball Championships. 24 dedicated pool players entered the maximum - 3 events (scotch doubles, singles and teams). Of these, two cashed in all three of the events that they entered - Jamie Boothman of Sno-King BCA and Shane Verhaaren of Northwest Players League. A complete list of our winners follows and, as you can see, some of our association members did very well. Congratulations to all for a great tournament.

Master Scotch Doubles:

Todd Marsh & Julie Valdez, Sno-King BCA - 9th place.

Open Scotch Doubles:

Jamie Boothman & Phyllis Fernandez, Sno-King BCA - 7th place.
Shane Verhaaren & Cathy Duenas, Cascade Pool League - 9th place.
Bret and Julie Baker, Players Club GP - 49th place.
Kevin Fong and Pam Carraway, Juan de Fuca Pool League - 97th place.
Jeff Jimenez and Melanie Elder, Sno-King BCA - 97th place.

Super Senior Singles:

Owen Miller, Western Washington United - 33rd place.

Gary Timmons, Western Washington United - 33rd place.

Men's Senior Singles:

Pat Schumacher, Northwest Players League - 2nd place.

Women's Senior Singles:

Sherry Griffin, Sno-King BCA - 3rd place.

Joanie Beaty, Thurston County - 5th place.

Pam Carraway, Juan de Fuca Pool League - 25th place.

Women's Master Singles:

Jackie Fitchner, Northwest Players League -2nd Place.

Andrea Saenz-Maes, Northwest Players League - 17th place.

Men's Open Singles:

Todd Speakman, Northwest Players League - 3rd place.

Owen Grady, Northwest Players League - 13th place.

Shane Verhaaren, Northwest Players League - 17th place.

Cedric Sloan, Northwest Players League - 33rd place.

Mike Stevens, Northwest Players League - 33rd place.

Darrold Crain, Players Club GP - 49th place.
Brad Hornshaw, Sno-King BCA - 65th place.

Kenneth Bower, Western Washington United - 97th place.

Bill Nelson, Western Washington United - 97th place.

Bret Baker, Players Club GP - 129th place.

Mark Fenn, Players Club GP - 129th place.

Ray Galli, Cascade Pool League - 129th place.

Tavis Wagner, Cherry City - 129th place.

Randy Baker, Cascade Pool League - 193rd place.

Dave Butler, Roseburg - 193rd place.

Tom Huynh, Players Club GP - 257th place.

Scott Nelson, Western Washington United - 257th place.
Robert Niemeyer, Northwest Players League - 257th place.

Michael Poole, Sno-King BCA - 257th place.

Doug Schulze, Western Washington United - 257th place.

Dave Secord, Juan de Fuca Pool League - 257th place.

Steve Tune, Northwest Players League - 257th place.

Brad Westherbee, Juan de Fuca Pool League - 257th place.

David Bersenadze, Sno-King BCA - 385th place.

Jamie Boothman, Sno-KIng BCA - 385th place.

Danny Burdick, Players Club GP - 385th place.

Bill Meyer, Cascade Pool League - 385th place.

Andrew Monstis, Cascade Pool League - 385th place.

Women's Open Singles:

For unknown reasons, the results for this division are not posted

on the BCAPL website, when they are, they will be posted here.

Men's Master Teams:

Billiards and Barstools, Northwest Players League - 9th place.

Ivan Doty, Gary French, Steve Lingelbach, Mike Stevens, and Bob Zack.

Jillian's, Sno-King BCA - 9th place.

Dan Louie, Todd Marsh, Eddie Mataya, Tim Tweedel and Mike Zimmerman.

Women's Master Teams:

NPL-Chix, Northwest Players League - 3rd place.

Liz Cole, Cindy Doty, Cathy Gamble, Mary Hopkin and Andrea Saenz-maes

Men's Open Teams:

Da Vinci Code II, Northwest Players League - 33rd place

Pat Gamble, Mike Jensen, Dave Randall, Pat Schumacher and Steve Tune.

Chuck Wag'n, Northwest Players League - 129th place.

Owen Grady, Doug McMullin, Charles Mileur, Bryan Skinner and Shane Verhaaren.

Right Spot Strokers, Western Washington United - 129th place.

William Andreozzi, Kenneth Bower, William Coates, Nate Sandberg, and Pete Semoe.

Magnum Force, Cascade Pool League - 193rd place.

Ray Galli, Todd Gooch, Andrew Monstis, Ron Ok, Dan Rodriguez, William Ruddick, and Sean Stevenson.

McCorry's Parlor, Sno-King BCA - 193rd place.

Jamie Boothman, Marvin Holmes, Michael Poole, Henry Ford Rice, Marvin Seal.

Q'z Cruisers, Western Washington United - 193rd place.

Owen Miller, Bill Nelson, Dennis Proia, Doug Schulze, Ed Tarape, and Gary Timmons.

Women's Open Teams:

The Other Team, Sno-King BCA - 9th place.

Margie Avlon, Phyllis Fernandez, Sherri Griffin, Angela Jensen, and Shelby Lacoti.

It's All About the Rack, Cherry City - 17th place.

Lori Delauder, Cindy Garvin, Paula Heusinkveild, Donna Kingsbury, Linda McLaughlin, Theresa Palmer, and Charlie Saunders.

Midway's Magic 9-Ball, Northwest Players League - 33rd place.

Cindy Medina, Jennifer Nordling, Wanda Plummer, Kari Stevens and Robyn Willits.

Noel's Slick Stix, Sno-King BCA - 33rd place.

Elaine Eberly, Tamre Rogers, Fran Johnson, Cheryl Martin and Carol Mellors.

Many find pot o' gold at the end of Western BCA rainbow

2007-05-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Western BCA Regional 8-Ball Championships held at Chinook Winds Casino Resort March 13-18 turned out to be more than just another day at the beach. Leprechauns were �??sighted�?? at the event. It is even rumored that leprechauns were responsible for the record amount of added money. The excitement was so high that even members of the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce heard the buzz and turned out to watch.

This year�??s regional tournament attracted 1,105 player-members with more than 1,850 entries in 15 events. Entries increased a whopping 25 percent, with the biggest increases seen in Scotch doubles and women�??s events. A record of $95,525, composed of total entryregistration fees and $37,705.00 in added money from several sources ($10,000 from Chinook Winds Casino Resort, $2,200 from the national Billiards Congress of America Pool League, and $25,505 from Western BCA) was paid out in the different events. This record will most probably be broken at the 2008 8-ball regional but for now stands as one of the biggest prize purses in the country.

This tournament brings top-level players to one of the best regional pool tournaments in the country. Competitors began rolling in like waves on the shore on Monday evening prior to the Scotch doubles, which began Tuesday morning. Many top players came and showcased their skills, some playing for the first time in the regional championship, including nationally known players Glenn Atwell, Mike Zimmerman, Todd Marsh and world champion Dan Louie.

This was the 12th Annual Regional Championship and the ninth time that Scotch doubles has been an official part of the championships. The growth in this event has been staggering. Starting as an unofficial late-night mini tournament, the event has grown to a full-fledged part of the championships. Scotch doubles now fills the room�??s 72 tables for a day and a half. The 112 open couples and 35 master couples were both records for the event.

The Masters Scotch Doubles was a tight one. Glenn Atwell (Grand Master) and Andrea Saenz-Maes (Master) prevailed over Linda Carter (Master) and Mike Zimmerman (Grand Master) in the finals. In the open division, David Bersenadze and Margie Avlon from Seattle defeated the Tacoma brother and sister combo of Tommy and Cindy Sliva to capture the championship.

Mini-tournaments started on Wednesday night with formats ranging from Open B Singles to Master Scotch. Play finished for the mini tournaments on Friday night. In Second Chance tournaments, Western BCA added more than $2,200 to the pot. The Second Chance team tournament included some negotiation with the men�??s teams graciously agreeing to give the women�??s teams a 3-game spot.

The singles events got underway Thursday morning. Men�??s Grand Master Dan Louie of Seattle played like the champion he is, climbing to the top to become the Western Billiard Congress of America 2007 8-Ball Masters champion. He went through a tough field, defeating his teammate Todd Marsh in the final to win the toughest and largest Men'sMasters field ever.

In the women�??s Masters, Cindy Doty won over Barb Thompson in a classic battle, with Barb taking the first match from Cindy, who won the point. Cindy, however, came out the winner. Both Dan Louie and Cindy Doty will receive free entry into the singles events at the BCAPL national tournament in Las Vegas in May.

The Women�??s Open singles championship came down to a marathon match between Margie Avlon and Cindy Sliva. Margie won two sets to capture her second championship of the week.

Jonathan Hahn from Longview took the Open A division. He played steadily and did not let anyone down who predicted his eventual win. Rich Duffy from Thurston County took second. Welcome to the Masters, guys.

The third time was the lucky charm for Ron Ok who finally won the Men�??s Open B, playing like a champ, running through everyone undefeated. Runner-up Herb Johnson could not unlock Ron�??s game. They are both from Portland�??s Cascade League.

A pair of Seattle area players finished first and second in the Men�??s Senior singles. Mike Mooney took the championship and Bob Sandy was runner-up. In the Women�??s Senior singles, Bonnie Mahaffey won the championship over Lou McCarthy. Griffin Dunagan of Astoria survived a hill-hill match with Chance O�??Neill of Port Angeles to capture the Men�??s Novice championship. Molly MacCorkle won the Women�??s Novice championship over Julie Elce.

Just when everyone thought that it was not going to happen, the ring game materialized. Just like last year, it provided some great viewing and good match play. Glenn Atwell and Jeff Jerome played the finals in the two-hour fight.

Team events started Friday night and once again, the room was filled to the max. One hundred and seven men�??s open teams and 32 women�??s open teams were vying for titles. McQ�??s �?? Q�??s from Spokane, with team members Duane Bumgarner, John Marshall, Bob �??Deacon�?? Pike, Bob Riddell and Carl Tibbetts, won the men�??s open championship, playing neck and neck before finally pulling away from Short, Yellow Bus # 6, Northwest Players League (Mike Crenshaw, John Evans, Steve Myers, Kevin Parr, Darrell Schulden and Mike White). Going through the winners side, Driving 101 Again with Nikki Bisconer, Cathy Dunford, Eve Stockstill, Linda Knight and Shirley Morgan, won the women�??s open championship by defeating Shotze�??s Gals in a hard fought match.

The Billiard and Barstools team of Mike Stevens, Ivan Doty, Bob Zack, Steve Linglebach and Gary French defeated Team Seattle to win the Masters team championship. The men�??s master division had a record 22 teams competing this year. The women�??s master team champion NPL �?? Chix made up of Liz Cole, Mary Hopkin, Andrea Saenz-Maes, Crystal Opoka, and captained by Cindy Doty, won by beating 7 Cedars Firebirds. That gave Cindy two championships in the two events she entered.

Players not only had a great time at the beach, but also showed their concern for a fellow player. Dave Schelske who has played in Western BCA events for years with Cascade Pool League and Northwest Players League, has developed Guillain-Barré syndrome and could not attend the event. A fundraiser was developed and many of the Western Billiard Congress of America players donated money to help the family. One team, Sandy Clinic, donated their winnings to the family. It is reassuring to see such an awesome outpouring for a colleague.

Throughout the entire tournament, Chinook Winds and Western BCA gave away door prizes to lucky players. Brian Roberson was the winner of the biggest prize, a mini-vacation at the beach provided by Horizon Rentals and valued at $800. Jump cues, billiard tools and Western BCA embroidered jackets were also given away.

A tournament of this scope would not be possible were it not for the vision and dedication of the officers and board members of the Western BCA. A big thank you goes out to all who were instrumental in coordinating this event. The Western BCA Board led by President Bill Henderson is responsible for this very successful event. The St. Patrick�??s Day shirts, designed by Shirley Morgan, sold out in a couple of days; the vendors profited from the new layout set up by Tom Moss; and the tournament podium staff, headed by WBCA vice-president Sam Rabito and anchored by Stacy Sherman, Sassy Campbell (back after a few year�??s layoff) and Cindy Rosenthal, kept everyone one informed. Andrew Monstis, Membership Committee, gave away over $2,000 worth of prizes. Darryl Farley brought in a crew of refs with national credentials who did an outstanding job. Not enough can be said about the job our Secretary/Treasurer Joyce Gumm did in gathering and verifying the entries, getting out the checks in record time and answering all the little questions that needed answers. As always, Gary Benson and High Country Promotions did a great job of running the tournament and providing the tables. The Break produced the full-color tournament program this year. A huge thanks to goes to BCA Pool League Mark Griffin�??s national team for their support. both here and nationally. Many others volunteered countless hours so this tournament would run efficiently and competitors and spectators alike would enjoy the event. Again, thanks to all.

As this tournament ended, it was very gratifying to hear the many positive comments made by players and spectators. �??I have attended many of the Western BCA�??s regional tournaments, and this is the best 8-ball ever held,�?? one player said. Countless others echoed these sentiments.

The caliber of pool continues to grow at the Western BCA tournaments and when you add players of the caliber of National Grandmasters Dan Louie and Mike Zimmerman the future looks bright. Next up is the Tenth Annual 9-Ball Championship on October 23-28. Stay tuned �?? it will be a dandy.

To join the fun and excitement of the Western BCA, find a league near you or start your own. Check us out online at www.westernbca.org.

By Western BCA - March 27, 2007

UPDATED START TIMES FOR REGIONAL 8-BALL TOURNAMENT

2007-03-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

DUE TO THE INCREASED NUMBER OF ENTRIES, GARY BENSEN HAS FOUND IT NECESSARY TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULING OF SOME EVENTS AT THE UPCOMING 8-BALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT. NEW START TIMES FOR THE SINGLES EVENTS WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:

MENS A, MENS B AND MENS MASTERS: NOON ON WEDNESDAY.
WOMENS OPEN SINGLES: 6PM WEDNESDAY.
WOMENS SENIOR SINGLES: 4:30PM ON THURSDAY.
WOMENS MASTER SINGLES: 5PM ON THURSDAY.
MENS NOVICE AND SENIOR SINGLES: 6PM ON THURSDAY.
WOMENS NOVICE SINGLES: 7:30PM ON THURSDAY.

THOSE OF YOU NOT PLAYING IN THE SCOTCH DOUBLES EVENTS MAY NOT NEED TO BE IN LINCOLN CITY AS EARLY AS YOU HAVE PLANNED. WE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THESE CHANGES MAY CAUSE. THESE CHANGES ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE TOURNAMENT WILL RUN SMOOTHLY, UTILIZE THE TABLES EFFICIENTLY AND ALLOW FOR THE COMPLETION OF EVENTS WITHIN THE TIME FRAME OF THE TOURNAMENT. IT IS ALSO VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE MATCHES DO NOT RUN LONG UNNECESSARILY. THE SHOT CLOCKS WILL BE STRICTLY UTILIZED ANY TIME A MATCH APPEARS TO BE RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WESTERN BCA. WITH EVERYONE'S COOPERATION THIS CAN BE A MEMORABLE EVENT FOR US ALL.

SINCERELY,
BILL HENDERSON, PRESIDENT WESTERN BCA
(GARY BENSEN)

12th Annual Western BCA 8 Ball Championships

2007-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

The 8-Ball Championships are just around the corner. Remember,the new dates are March 13-18. The Mixed Scotch Doubles start Tuesday March 13th at 9 AM. The Singles start Wednesday March 14th at 1 PM. The team event starts Friday March 16th at 6 PM. This should be the best Lincoln City tournament ever. We are expecting to go over 1000 players at the Championships for the first time. We have adverised guaranteed added money of $24,000 but the actual added money should go over $30,000. We have more prizes and merchandise to give away than we have ever had. The Grand Prize drawing at 7 PM on Saturay night, March 17, will be for a 5 night stay at one of Horizon Rentals great locations on the beach at Mariners Point. This prize will be good for one of the next two championships. All total we will be giving away over $2000 worth of prizes. $500 worth of these giveaways will be from Chinook Winds Casino Resort and will only be given to those players that use their Winner Circle cards. There will be lots of mini-tournaments and we will have as many 2nd Chance tournaments as we can fit in. If we are able to find time for the popular 10 Ball ring game, we will post it at the podium.
For this tournament we will have a new table layout which we tested at the last 9 Ball Championships. Everyone seemed to like the new configuration but now we will have 72 tables which is the maximum number of tables we can fit in the tournament room. This layout will allow for easier access to the tables, the food consessions and the bar. We will have the brackets in the hallway to keep down the congestion in the tournament room. Once again we will have the smoking room with 2 pool tables and a Big Screen TV. No smoking will be allowed in the tournament room or in the hallway. Cell phones in the tournament room must be off or on vibrate mode. No flash photography in the tournament room. We have a new Dress Code and the main change is that all shirts must have a fold over collar.
Due to the expected large number of participants we will have to make sure that matches run according to schedule. Referees will be keeping an eye on matches that are running late and that may cause use of the dreaded shot clock. We hope this will keep matches from being played after 3 AM.
We are looking forward to seeing you all in Lincoln City. Bring your best game.

Bill Henderson,
President, Western BCA

New 2007 8-Ball Dates for Chinook Winds

2007-01-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, but the new official verified dates for the 8ball Regional Championships are Tuesday March 13 through Sunday March 18, 2007. The later dates were chosen so as to not shorten eligibility requirements. Chinook Winds was not able to alter a contracted groups banquet date.

Dates for 2007 regional 8-ball tournament may change

2006-12-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

We have a potential problem with the dates we have advertised for our regional 8-ball tournament at Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City.

We have been holding our Regional Championships at Chinook Winds for many years. Earlier this year the Board voted to move the dates for the event to a week later than our normally scheduled time to avoid conflict with the Reno Bar Box Tournament.

On June 10 of this year, Sam Rabito, our acting President at the time, met with Chinook Winds management. They discussed the move to what Sam understood to be our new tournament dates of March 6-11. Evidently there was a miscommunication. Chinook Winds now says that another group is scheduled for March 6-11. They say we are scheduled for our usual week, February 27-March 4, that we had before their meeting with Sam.

Sam and I are pursuing all avenues to keep the March 6-11 dates, but in the interim, I suggest you not book any rooms in Lincoln City yet. Also, try to keep your options open with your employers regarding the days you need off to attend the tournament.

I will have a more definitive statement by January 5th as to when and where our tournament will be held. This is a very difficult situation involving many factors and we will try to solve it quickly and satisfactorily for our members. If we are unable to keep the March 6-11 dates at Chinook Winds, there will be many who will not be able to attend, and to those I apologize. We will work as hard as we can to right this situation and make sure it never happens again.

At this time, this is all the information that I have available and I am providing it to both you and your league operator. I ask for your patience and restraint over the next few days. I'll provide more information as it becomes available.

Bill Henderson
President
Western BCA

A touch of class

2006-11-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

Western BCAs ninth annual regional 9-ball tournament

A sunny day, mild breeze, the surf rolling onto the shore, waves breaking on the rocks, a blue sky, salt in the air, and seagulls hovering overhead. Sound like a dream vacation or a picture hanging on your living room wall? It was the location of Western BCA Pool Players Association�??s ninth annual regional 9-ball tournament, held at Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, Oregon, Oct. 25-29.

The tournament hosted 600 players, with more than 1,000 entries in nine events and almost $52,000 in total prize money. Added money included $5,000 from Chinook Winds, $1,000 from BCA Pool League and more than $13,800 from Western BCA - a total of $19,845 added.

The tournament led off with mixed scotch doubles on Wednesday morning. The Masters event was a nail biter with two teams from Northwest Players League battling it off in the finals. Grand Master Glenn Atwell and Andrea Saenz-Maes prevailed over Liz Cole and Darrel Schulden, an Open-A player. In the Open event, two teams from Seattle's Sno-King BCA Pool League battled it off. Crystal Opoka and Sean Lewis took home the bacon, defeating Ernie Omori and Vickie Knutson. Opoka, only 21 years of age and originally from Portland, showed a lot of promise, a force to reckon with in years to come.

The singles events got underway Thursday morning. Men's Master Todd Speakman of Northwest Players League, Vancouver, was a man on a mission climbing to the top to become champion. He went through a tough field beating some great players handily. Todd Marsh of Sno-King put up a fight as a classy competitor. In a classic battle, women's Master Carissa Biggs, also of the Northwest Players League, won over defending champion, Kris Robbins of Emerald Valley BCA League.

New at this tournament was the splitting of the men's Open singles event into A and B divisions, which helped create a more balanced competition. Many pre-tournament favorites dropped like flies early, making room for some new winners to rise to the top. Cedric Sloan, Northwest Players League, Beaverton, took the Open-A division. He played steadily and did not let anyone down who predicted his eventual win. He played from the loser's side and beat a worthy opponent, Mike Stephens from Seattle. New player Micah O'Malley from Sno-King won the Men's Open-B undefeated. Northwest Players League's Wendy Sedlacek whipped through a hard-hitting field and won the women's Open division, beating Sno-King's Julie Valdez.

The team events began Saturday morning with a packed house. Cathy Duenas, of the Billiard and Barstools' Babes team from Northwest Players League, Oregon City, played like a demon to help her teammates Carissa Biggs and Ann Brandt triumph over Sno-King's The Other Team (Margie Avlon, Sherrie Griffin and Angela Jensen). (Later, Avlon won a flaming one-of-a-kind cue holder made and donated by Rick Plummer and Bob Palmer, one of the many items raffled off at the tournament.) The men's team event was very competitive. Many favorites were missing in action in the top 16. Lights Out (Todd Speakman, Steve Meyers and Herb Johnson) from Northwest Players League, Vancouver, ran out of fairy dust as Classic Billiards (Glenn Atwell, John Lewis, Don Iverson and Scott "The Shot" Simpson) from Cascade Pool League, Portland, put out the lights on the Vancouver team.

The popular ring game was just that. Once again, the excitement of the 10-ball ring game was a real crowd pleaser. The $100-entry, winner-take-all format had twelve players: Chad Bisconner, Matt Bryan, Liz Cole, Ken Dodd, Todd Gooch, Jeff Jerome, Ernie Omori, Shad Pantle, Pat Schumacher, Mike Stevens, Don Wirtaman and Bob Zack. Cole played strong and led for several rounds. After about three hours two combatants remained, Zack and Bryan, who put on a show playing eleven more games, fighting back and forth until midnight when Bryan had $1,120, Zack had $80 and the other 10 players were penniless. They called it a night when Bryan gave Zack $200 "to just go away." A ring game depends on the rolls and the ability to take advantage of opportunities when given them. That is what makes the ring game so exciting and fun to watch.

Mini-tournaments, almost 40 in all, ran Wednesday through Friday nights with the formats ranging from Open-B singles to Master mixed scotch doubles. The format for the second-chance tournaments was single-elimination, $20 per stick (or $60 per team), race to 5 for Open singles, race to 6 for Masters singles, race to 11 for teams. The Open singles second-chance tournament started 10:30 a.m. Friday. Western BCA added $400 to the pot, giving $350 to the winner, Bill Ermatinger, and paying the remaining top 48 places, which included one woman, Vanessa Schwab. The Masters singles second-chance tournament had eight players with $100 added, giving the winner, Robert Neimeyer, $200. The second-chance team event, won by The Killer Bs, began 10 a.m. Sunday with 12 entries, which included two women teams and $210 added. The teams graciously agreed to give the women teams a three-game spot.

A tournament of this scope would not be possible were it not for the vision and dedication of Western BCAs officers and board of directors, led by President Bill Henderson. The vice president and tournament director, Sam Rabito, coordinated the event, and he, along with the numerous and invaluable volunteers and businesses, is responsible for its success. Gary Benson, High Country Promotions, provided 64 Valley tables and kept things running smoothly. After a serious bottleneck in the brackets, his expertise got a difficult situation back on track. The new floor layout, which relieved much of the previous layout's congestion, was the buzz of the tournament. Tom Moss of Emerald Valley BCA League put the careful measurements into play. On the Wire produced the tournament's program, under the direction of volunteer Vanessa Schwab, who also developed the annual event design for the shirts, added many new items to the fund-raising booth, created the web site, and prepared the event materials like the entry form and score sheets. Joyce Gumm, secretary�??treasurer, zipped out the payout checks with efficiency so that members could collect their hard-earned winnings with a minimal amount of waiting time. Kudos is due to Andrew Monstis and Rabito for coordinating the door prizes, of which Chinook Winds donated $500 to purchased giveaway items from the tournament�??s vendors. Cindy Rosenthal, Stacy Sherman and Monstis (to name a few) did a marathon of work at the podium. Western BCA thanks the many who volunteered countless hours to ensure that the tournament would be a success.

Vendors included On the Wire, Billiards911.com (formerly Beads and Billiards), Palace Billiards and Dave Lauer Cue Repair.

A huge thanks to goes to BCA Pool League for their support. It is the finest pool organization in the country, putting forth what the players want to see, an improved pool environment available to all regardless of age, gender or skill level.

As the tournament ended, players and spectators made many positive comments. "I have attended many of Western BCAs regional tournaments and this is the best 9-ball ever held," said Samantha Simatos of Spokane's Inland BCA, echoing these sentiments of others.

Henderson remarked, "I have been to all the Western BCA regional tournaments and this one stands out for several reasons. The quality of pool has risen dramatically over the years and this tournament was a showcase for some of the best pool I have ever seen at the tournaments. The referees were a seasoned crew and the best we have ever had. Probably the biggest change was the layout of the tables and everyone seemed to be happy with the change. By putting the brackets in the hallway, a lot of the congestion was eliminated and it made it so much easier to get around the room. Although I am not a great fan of a dress code, I have to admit that it did make the room look a lot classier. I hope we can always have tournaments where the class, style and skill of the players are the talk of the tournament. And let's not forget the weather, except for one rainy morning the days at the beach were sunny, warm and wonderful. Congratulations to the winners and to the non-winners like me. Just keep practicing because our day will come. I would like to thank everyone that came and played or watched and I hope we can make the next Western BCA regional tournament even more memorable."

The 12th annual regional 8-ball tournament is scheduled for March 6�??ll, 2007.

Western BCAs ninth annual regional 9-ball tournament

2006-09-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Western BCA is proud to announce that there will be guaranteed $12,000 added prize money at the ninth annual regional 9-ball tournament, Oct. 25�??29. This includes $5,000 from Chinook Winds Casino Resort and $1,000 from BCA Pool League. Along with the activities offered at Chinook Winds and Lincoln City, there will be vendors, giveaways, raffles, second-chance tournaments, mini-tournaments and ring games. You can expect all that and more at the premier 9-ball tournament on the west coast, if not the country.

The upcoming 9-ball tournament will see the split of the men's Open division into Open-A and Open-B divisions like those that the 8-ball tournament has. Placement will be according to the player�??s 8-ball ranking. Some of the reasons for this change are to alleviate any confusion about a player�??s ranking for either of the association�??s tournaments and level out the playing field in each division.

The revised dress code is available on the entry forms and on the Western BCA web site. Of special note, players on the tournament floor must wear sleeved shirts of polo/golf style or button-down style with a conventional fold-over collar. No T-shirts, sweats, warm-up suits or jogging suits are allowed. Players must keep their torsos covered at all times. For mixed scotch doubles and teams competitions, matching shirts are encouraged but not mandatory.

As Western BCA enters its 12th year, it continues to grow and attract more players from a wider area. We are happy to welcome back the Roseburg-area players. Bruce Deal, league operator, and Janet Thomas, secretary, have started up Roseburg BCA League in Oregon. Inland BCA, lead by Johnnie Landis in Spokane, Wash., is expanding to include teams from as far as western Montana. Applauded manager, Jeff Jackson, of the Island Casino�??s has added Western BCA pool leagues to their Kennewick, Wash. location under Cindy Doty�??s Northwest Players League. Cherry City BCA league operators, Shawn and Tracii Self in Salem, Ore., continue to add players, divisions and nights to their booming league and Cascade Pool League has an innovative way to qualify single players with their 14.1 night.

The board of directors looks forward to seeing the membership at the regional tournaments. Send comments or suggestions are encouraged; call Bill Henderson, president, at 360.477.1867 or send e-mail to president@westernbca.org.

See you at the beach and good luck to all.

Message from the Western BCA President, Bill Henderson

2006-06-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

I am very proud to have been elected to be president of the Western BCA Pool Players Association. I have been playing pool for over 50 years and even though my league in Port Angeles is geographically on the fringe of the association I have be working at the heart of the association for the last few years. I have played in every one of the Western BCA regional tournaments and I have played against and met many of the members. I think this association has done a very good job of giving the members a place to test their skills in a very competitive environment. The tournaments have grown a lot since the Longview and Seaside days. Since moving to Lincoln City, we have grown and matured as an association. As we continue to grow and increase our membership we will make our tournaments even better. Many improvements are in our future and I will work to see that all members have the opportunity to benefit from them.

I would like to thank Sam Rabito for the job that he did over the last year. As vice president, he had to become interim president and he did a great job. Sam was again elected vice president and he and I will work together manage the operations of the Western BCA. And let�??s not forget the job that Joyce Gumm our secretary has done. She makes it possible for us to succeed as an association. I would also like to thank the board of directors, the many volunteers and the membership in general for all they do to make this a great organization. Keep up the good work.

Our next event is the ninth annual regional 9-ball tournament, Oct. 25–29 at Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Lincoln City, Ore. We will continue to use High Country Promotions and Gary Benson for our tables and as tournament director. We have some slight changes to the dress code so make sure you read the back of your entry forms when they come out or review the dress code online.

As you start your leagues for the 2006–07 season, I wish you all the best of luck on the pool tables and I hope to see you at the Western BCA regional tournaments.

For more information about Western BCA Pool Players Association, send e-mail to me, Bill Henderson, at president@westernbca.org.

Annual meeting and election of new president

2006-06-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

The annual board of directors meeting of the Western BCA Pool Players Association was held June 11 at the Cadillac Island Casino, Longview, Washington. The purpose of the annual meeting is to wrap up the year just ended, elect officers for the coming year and generally evaluate the association and the direction it is heading. There were 25 league operators and representatives present from eight leagues throughout Washington and Oregon.

After reports from officers and committee chairmen, election of officers took place. Bill Henderson is our new president. Bill, league operator for the Juan de Fuca Pool League in Port Angeles, Washington, has been active in billiards as a player, local league official, tournament director and Western BCA board member for many years. He has served on several committees and taken an active role at our regional tournaments. In his new position he will continue to lead the Western BCA forward and strive to make our regional tournaments the best they can be.

Sam Rabito was re-elected vice president in a close race with Andrew Monstis. Sam has been serving as interim president for the past 10 months but feeling he could better serve the association as vice president, sought and won back his previous position. Sam has worked very hard this past year and will continue to assist the president and pursue the goals of the association.

Attention was then turned to the upcoming year. The ninth annual regional 9-ball tournament is just a few months away and work on making it a premier event is well underway. This tournament will be held in Lincoln City, Oregon at Chinook Winds Casino Resort from Oct. 25-29. High Country Promotions will again provide tables and Gary Benson will serve as tournament director. Tournament format will the same as past 9-ball tournaments except that the men's Open will be split into Open-A and Open-B subdivisions.

Newly elected president Bill Henderson made a brief statement to members of the board, thanking them for past participation and encouraging future attendance at board meetings. There is still much work to be done and future regional tournaments to promote and put on. The board and leadership of the Western BCA are looking forward to and working towards the continued growth of our association and regional tournaments.

For more information about Western BCA Pool Players Association, send email to Bill Henderson at president@westernbca.org, or Sam Rabito at vicepresident@westernbca.org.