BEF Junior National Championships - Event Guide

Opening Letter

On behalf of the Billiard Education Foundation Board of Directors, it is with great pleasure and excitement that we welcome you to the BEF’s 35th annual Junior National Pool Championships in Quincy, Illinois.

This esteemed event brings together young cue sport athletes from across the nation, showcasing their talent, determination, and sportsmanship in a highly competitive environment. We are delighted to have you join us for this memorable occasion, where the next generation of champions will emerge.

The BEF Junior National Championships have always been a remarkable platform for young players to display their skills, learn from each other, and forge lifelong friendships. Our primary goal is to foster a positive and nurturing environment where everyone can thrive, grow, and have an exceptional experience.

We encourage you to take full advantage of the camaraderie and spirit of community that will permeate the event. This is an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who share a passion for pool and billiards, exchange ideas, and form connections that can last a lifetime.

Quincy, Illinois, serves as an exceptional host for the BEF Junior National Pool Championships. Its rich history, welcoming atmosphere, and central location provide the perfect backdrop for this prestigious tournament. We hope that during your stay, you will take the time to explore the city and experience its vibrant culture.

We extend our warmest welcome to each one of you and sincerely hope you enjoy and take advantage of your week in Quincy, IL. Your participation in the BEF’s Junior Pool National Championships is an honor, and we are thrilled to have you join us for this extraordinary event. We wish you the best of luck in your matches and hope that you embrace every opportunity for growth, camaraderie, and sportsmanship.

Yours in Sport, BEF

Board of Directors

Meet the Board

Philippe Singer is delighted to bring a multi-cultural and multidiscipline outlook to the BEF and help inspire new generations of billiard players to play. He has over 20 years of billiard industry experience on two different continents as VP of Marketing and eCommerce for Predator Group and General Manager of the Kozoom Store.

Steve Sherman is a PBIA Advanced Instructor, residing in Camarillo California. He has been a PBIA instructor since 2018 and is one of the lead instructors for the youth Break and Run Program He joined the BEF board in 2023.

Philippe Singer, President

Steve Sherman, Vice President

Meet the Board (cont.)

Roy Pastor, Secretary & Treasurer

Roy Pastor is a PBIA Master Instructor who specializes in training junior players. He was awarded the Jerry Breisath PBIA Instructor of the Year award in 2020, inducted into the New England Billiard Hall of Fame in 2018, is the league operator for the New England USA and BCA Pool League, one of the largest USA Pool Leagues in the US, and is the lead instructor for the BCA's Break and Run Premier Junior Instructor Program.

Mike Howerton, Board Member

Mike Howerton took what was meant to be a regional website and created a career in the billiards industry that has spanned nearly twenty five years. He is the owner of AzBilliards and Accu-Stats Video Productions. He has served as a WPBA & NAPT board member, tour director, league operator, tournament director. In 2019, Howerton was inducted into the Arizona Billiards Hall of Fame.

Samm Diep, Board Member

Samm Diep, a four-time national champion and PBIA Master Instructor, has devoted two decades to empowering players of all ages and skill levels. She is also a Billiard University professor, and teaches classes for youth and seniors at Denver Recreation Centers. She previously served as the U.S. Team Coach for Team USA and the WPA World Junior Championship. Emphasizing work-life balance, Samm cherishes family time and advocates for a healthy mind and body.

Ivan Lee, Board Member

Ivan Lee is the president and CEO of Iwan Simonis, Inc., located in Libertyville, Illinois, which is the U.S. office for both Simonis cloth and Aramith balls. Lee has over 25 years direct experience in the billiard industry and has been the Billiard Congress of America board chairman five times in the last 10 years. A proven leader in the industry, Lee has hands-on experience with virtually every aspect of the billiard industry.

About Quincy, Il

Founded in 1825 and known as “Gem City,” Quincy is named after President John Quincy Adams, who was in office at the time of the community’s inception. Quincy was a thriving transportation center linking riverboats and rail service to western destinations and cities along the Mississippi River.

Quincy celebrates its history as a key link to equality for those fleeing slavery, genocide and religious persecution. In 1838, Quincy found itself filled with members of the Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints fleeing hostility in Missouri. The influx of more people than the population of Quincy presented quite the challenge, but residents ensured the congregants were housed and fed. Later in 1838, the town was again host to the Potawatomie Tribe as they were forcibly relocated from Indiana to Kansas.

The founding of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad in 1855 and the construction of a rail bridge in Quincy was a major force for creating a transportation hub in the region. It is during this time that the population of the city grew

enormously, from a little under 7,000 in 1850 to 24,000 by 1870, helping Quincy surpass Peoria in becoming the second-largest city in the state, at the time.

In 1858, three brothers founded one of the largest breweries in the United States in Quincy. In the early part of the 20th century, Dick Bros Brewery was larger than Anheuser-Busch. When the Dick brothers built their original brewery, it had an annual capacity of about 1,500 barrels of beer, within the next 15 years, it would produce about 70,000 barrels. Prohibition and finally the effects of WWII caused the brewery to be auctioned off under bankruptcy in 1951.

The matter of slavery was a major social issue in Quincy’s early years. The city was separated from the slave state of Missouri only by the Mississippi River. This made Quincy a hotbed of political controversy. Dr. Richard Eells, a staunch abolitionist, built his home in Quincy in 1835 and sheltered people escaping enslavement on their way to Chicago, making it a major stop on the Underground Railroad.

The divide over slavery climaxed in 1858 when Quincy hosted the sixth Senatorial debate by U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas and his challenger, Abraham Lincoln.

Throughout the 19th Century, Quincy progressed from a backwater hamlet along the Mississippi River and became one of the state’s most important cities and ports. It was during the early decades of the 20th Century that many of the historic buildings in the Downtown Quincy Historic District were constructed, including the city’s first skyscraper, the Western Catholic Union Building, in 1925.

In 1930, the Memorial Bridge, a two-lane truss toll bridge, was opened connecting Quincy to Missouri. In 1987, the cable-stayed Bayview Bridge was constructed to help alleviate traffic on the aging Memorial Bridge. Today, both bridges complement each other by carrying westbound (Bayview) and eastbound (Memorial) traffic.

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2022

WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships, Puerto Rico

Bethany Tate receiving the Bronze Medal U19 Girls Division

There is only one Master.

Often Imitated, Never Duplicated.

2022 Defending Champions & Medalists

U14 Boys 9-Ball

Eddie Vonderau

Jayce Little Jordan Witkin

16&U Boys 9-Ball

Adrian Prasad

Harry Leinen Niko Konkel

18&U Boys 9-Ball

Landon Hollingsworth

Joey Tate Niko Konkel

18&U Boys 8-Ball

Trenton White

Jacob Kohl Brent Worth

14&U Girls 9-Ball

Savannah Easton

Sofia Mast Noelle Tate

16&U Girls 9-Ball

Precilia Kinsley

Bethany Tate Hayleigh Marion

18&U Girls 9-Ball

Skylar Hess

Kennedy Meyman Courtney Hairfeld

18&U Girls 8-Ball

Savannah Easton

Sofia Mast Jordan Helfrey

22&U 10-Ball

Landon Hollingsworth

Nathan Nunes Adrian Prasad

Academic All Americans

Alessandra Alejandro

Wyatt Andrist

Stephen Bao

Zack Bryan

Mackenzie Cuda

Marissa Du

Savannah Easton

Hayden Ernst

Jamison Gall

Brayden Gallegos

Brendan Greene

Johnny Hammontree

Jordan Helfery

Sam Henderson

Skylar Hess

Kaden Hillman

Carlos Jinez

Ava Johnson

Justin Kim

Hank Leinen

Rosa Martinez

Sofia Mast

Payne Mcbride

Joseph Mcginley

Kennedy Meyman

Javian Moreno

Gage Mouret

Kiiley Mullenix

Kiley O'Connor

Jaiden Oglesbee

Robert Orta

Jayce Pena

Adrian Prasad

Addysen Ruiz

Donovan Seymour

Ezra Seymour

Iris Shia

Ace Smith

Declan Sommers

D'Angelo Spain

Franki Spain

Bethany Tate

Chloe Tate

Joseph Tate

Noelle Tate

Jayden Terrazas

Mason Terrazas

Adrian Tremillo

Tanvee Vallem

Garrett Vaughn

Eddie Vonderau

Kyle Yi

Ashton Yoon

Eli Zahavi

Michael J. Repici Memorial Scholarship Just for the GIRLS

The Michael J. Repici scholarship award is awarded annually to three young, female pool players at BEF Junior National Pool Championships. This scholarship is awarded to the top-place finishers in the 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 14.1 and 10-Ball divisions. This performance incentive-based scholarship is intended to help these young pool players with their expenses for competing in these events and encourage them to continue to strive for excellence in the sport that Michael loved and endlessly worked to promote and grow.

$500 awarded to the 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 14.1 Division Champions

$1,000 awarded to the 10-Ball Champion

2022 Winners: Savannah Easton, Presila Kinsley, Skylar Hess Micheal J. Repici and his wife Laura Repici

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Title Event Sponsor

Gold Level Sponsors

Silver Level Sponsors

Bronze Level Sponsors

BEF & Team USA PUERTO RICO RICO

Center Spread – will now feature - Past World Jr Championships – base layer will be

Bronzes Medalists, Cyprus 2019, Kahlid Alganhdi & Joey Tate

Bronze Medalist, Puerto Rico 2022, Bethany Tate

Gold Medalist, Russia 2018, Mahkeal Parris

Bronze Medalists, Russia 2017, April Larson & Kristina Tkach

Around the World

Savannah Easton Las Vegas, NV

Cues: Predator Blak 4-5, Predator Z shaft, Predator

BK Rush, Air Rush

Favorite Pool Hall: Griff’s Bar & Billiards

Favorite Discipline: 10 Ball

Favorite Memory: Playing Kelly Fisher on TV table at Predator Pro Billiard Series Puerto Rico open

Biggest Victory: Placing 5th at WPBA

Sledgehammer Open

Favorite Pro: Alex Pagulayan because his cue ball control is top notch

Sponsors: Predator Cues, Taom Billiards, Global Resources & Support, Digital Pool, Salotto, Jam Up Apparel, Carom Sports, Griff’s Bar & Billiards, Hard Times Billiard of Sacramento, Bangin’ Ballz Billiards, Shepherds on Schlinger

Favorite Subject in School: English writing

Plans After High School: College

Hobbies & Interests: Piano, guitar and baking

Top 3 Favorite Songs/Artists: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars

Top 3 Favorite Movies: Enola Holmes, Home Alone, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Most Embarassing Moment: There was a crowd of people at WPBA watching me practice applauding how great I was playing, I was so dialed in and went for the break, I went through the cue ball and completely missed the cue ball ��

What does the BEF mean to you? Highest level of competition amongst junior pool players in America

Eddie Vonderau Rapid City, SD

Cues: Cuetec cynergy playing shaft, Jacobi playing butt, Dark Horse Cue break and jump cue

Favorite Pool Hall: Breakroom Billiards

Favorite Discipline: 10-Ball

Favorite Memory: Winning the South Dakota state 9-Ball tournament

Favorite Pro: Shane Van Boening because he's also from Rapid City and I admire his work ethic

Sponsors: Jam Up Apparel, Taom Billiards, Dark Horse Cues, Breakroom Billiards

Favorite Subject in School: Geography

Plans After High School: College and maybe pool

Hobbies & Interests: Fishing and basketball

Most Embarassing Moment: Missing a 9 ball at worlds

What does the BEF mean to you? It's a great opportunity to use and show the skills that God has given me

THE GREATER MIDWEST POOLPLAYER’S ASSOCIATION

THE BILLIARD CONGRESS OF AMERICA

LOLLA-POOLOOZA

TO featuring

Billiard Education Foundation

35th Junior National Championship

Midwest Pocket Billiard Championships

Artistic ‘Trick Shot’ Classic

ACS/PBIA Inaugural Instructors Summit

Tom ‘Dr Cue’ Artistic Show

BCA Annual Board Meeting

GMPA Tournament Staff

ACS Professional Referees

Billiard Vendors, Commemorative Shirts

Two Professional Streamers

Sponsored by

THE CITY OF QUINCY WELCOMES

THE BILLIARD CONGRESS OF AMERICA

Players, Friends & Family to the Oakley Lindsay Center

Billiard Education Foundation

35TH ANNUAL JUNIOR

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Sponsored by

Things to Do in Quincy

Rack Daddy’s

As a Billiard Education Foundation sponsor, we encourage everyone to stop by this local pool room. The Rack Daddy’s team captured gold at the BCA Pool League World Championships in Las Vegas and will roll out the red carpet for BEF Junior competitors. Located in the heart of Quincy’s town square, this pool hall features plenty of 7-foot Diamond tables, a 9-foot Diamond, dart boards and much more.

Main Street Stroll

Take an hour to decompress from the tournament and stroll along Quincy’s Main Street Smile Mile. Explore the city’s oldest parks and enjoy the cultural and culinary wonders in between. This self-guided tour of Quincy’s most notable thoroughfare offers 15 stops along Main Street.

Villa Kathrine

The Villa Kathrine is a four-acre park that houses Quincy’s Tourist Information Center. Located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, the villa is a Moorish-style structure built in 1900 by the wealthy and eccentric George Metz. More information on their website at www.thevillakathrine.org.

Quincy History Museum

The History Museum on the Square houses permanent and rotating installations and features displays and artifacts from the

pioneer era through modern times. For more information or to schedule a tour call 217-214-1888.

John Wood Mansion

Once the home of Quincy's founder and Illinois' 12th Governor, the John Wood Mansion is one of the Midwest's finest examples of Greek Revival architecture. The 14-room mansion was built in 1835 and features four large Doric columns turned by Wood himself at a lathe he built for that purpose. To schedule a tour call 217-653-9982.

All Wars Museum

The mission of the All Wars Museum is to preserve and exhibit artifacts and equipment relevant to the history of America's military engagements. The museum has over 5,000 artifacts dating from the Revolutionary War through the current "War on Terrorism." To schedule a guided tour call curator Bob Craig at 217-640-5405.

Joker’s Lounge and Axe Throwing

Established in 2018, Joker's Lounge is the largest axe throwing venue in Illinois. Enjoy live music, great food, and drinks. To book online visit: www.rocketaxe.com.

Scotties Fun Spot

Scotties Fun Spot is a family fun center just outside of town. Enjoy go-karts, roller skating, laser tag, bumper cars, mini bowling, and

an arcade with 70 games. The grill serves pizza, burgers, salads, and ice cream. For more information visit www.scottiesfunspot.com.

Quincy Art Center

The Quincy Art Center is housed in the former carriage house of the Lorenzo Bull property. Started in 1923, it currently holds over 400 works by regional and national artists. In 1990, an award-winning addition was opened with galleries and a studio space. More information at www.quincyartcenter.org.

Indian Mounds Park

Indian Mounds Park is located at 5th & Harrison and is home to the heated Indian Mounds Pool, Quincy’s first public swimming pool. There are picnic tables, drinking fountains, and concessions. Enjoy a scenic view of the Mississippi River and witness some of the best-preserved Native American Burial Mounds in the country. A walking timeline tells the story of the region from the end of the last ice age until European settlement. For information call 217-222-8641

Mark Twain Museum

Explore the roots of Twain’s genius as you discover how a young boy from a small river town became America’s most beloved author and humorist. The Mark Twain Museum offers something for everyone in the family. For information visit www.marktwainmuseum.org.

BEF Professional Player Spotlight April Larson

April Larson, current touring pro player (and longtime BEF protégé) , with such accomplishments as; 2021 Ladies Rated Fargo Champion, 2019 Collegiate 9-Ball Women’s Champion, 2017 WPBA Masters Soaring Eagles Tournament Top 4, 2016 NAPT Division 1 Summer 10-Ball Classic Champion, 2016 Junior Valley National 8-Ball Champion, 7-time Team USA player at WPA Jr World Championships, 5-time BEF Junior National 18&U(G) Champion, the only 5-time Atlantic Challenge Cup Team USA member and 2015 Atlantic Challenge Cup MVP, took time to sit down and answer some questions about growing up playing pool, the Billiard Education Foundation and what it takes to be successful in this sport.

When did you begin shooting pool?

I was 9 years old, and I began shooting pool with my dad. I hardly ever saw his side of the family and I went with him one night to pool league and realized if I continued to go with him every week, I would see them all the time! I absolutely loved the thought of that. The pool room had 64 pool tables, so what did I do? I picked up a pool cue and the rest is history.

What players did you look up to in your youth?

Allison Fisher, Kelly Fisher, Jeanette Lee, Loree Jon Jones, Karen Corr, Johnny Archer, Nick Varner, Mark Wilson, and Fred Goodman

How did the BEF aid in improving your game and prepare you for professional competition?

Competing against the best in your age group helps prepare you to compete against the best all-around when you age out. It also introduces you to immense pressure, high stakes, intense nerve, and the expectations that you put on yourself and how to, as Mark Wilson says, “adapt to adversity!”

What does the BEF mean to you?

The BEF means everything to me. Without it, there would have been no exposure for me, not many chances to meet professionals and create relationships with them and to learn so much at such a young age.

Can you share some words of wisdom for today’s younger players hoping to compete competitively?

Please, please, please practice confidence. It doesn’t matter if everyone on earth believes in you, you must believe in yourself to make anything happen not only in pool, but in life. I struggled with that theory my ENTIRE junior career. But now I know I can’t control how my opponent is going to play so I am simply confident in what I am capable of. When I get to the table, all I focus on during a match is what I able to do. This is one of the most mental games in the world, so that is what I am constantly trying to improve, more than anything else, my mental game.

Notes & Autographs

Notes & Autographs

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