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VALLEY-DYNAMO VNEA International Championships Showcases Great Pool Competition

SpeedPool Excitement and Industry Honors Best players from around the world compete in Las Vegas

Players competing in the Valley Cup Competition included soldiers from the United States Army and VNEA Hall of Famers.

GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, – Almost 6,000 players migrated to Las Vegas to compete in the Valley National 8-Ball Association’s International Championships, held May 24 – June 2 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Players from around the globe competed on 240 Valley tables for their share of $600,000 in prize money.

International players, including teams from Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, Finland, France, Germany, New Zealand and Spain competed in the week-long event. The largest international delegation came from Canada.

“There’s only one word to describe this year’s tournament: Wow!,” said David Tomizuka, president of Valley-Dynamo. “In meeting with players and charter holders, they certainly echoed the same sentiment. The efforts put into making this tournament so successful can certainly be seen. It was a first class event that truly drew the best players from around the world. The competitive spirit among the players and the commitment to building the event among the tournament committee and charter holders was great to see. The result was a fantastic tournament from the standpoint of players, operators and charter holders alike.”

In addition to some exciting pool competitions in 36 separate divisions, several additional activities, including artistic pool competitions and the World SpeedPool finals, were scheduled during the event. Memorial Day was capped off with Opening Ceremonies, which included the Suds & Chips Mixer culminating in a fantastic fireworks display above the Riviera. During the ceremonies, the VNEA inducted five new players into its Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees included Bill Beyer, Duluth, Minn., Twin Ports Amusement; Jay Huffman, Ft. Pierce, Fla., Perry Music Co.; Bryan Penner, Calgary, Alberta, SML Entertainment; Lloyd Spier, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Camden Amusement; and Pat Stransky, Evansville, Wy., Juke Box Jack.

“I would like to congratulate all the inductees of this year’s Hall of Fame class,” said Dave Courington, vice president of sales and promotions for Valley-Dynamo. “Each one has been playing pool for over 40 years, with decades of involvement in the VNEA. Their sportsmanship, professional attitude and service to the VNEA should be commended.”

Wednesday night’s festivities included the Valley Cup competition. Soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Bragg, Fort Stewart, Fort Knox, Fort Gordon and Fort Benning represented the United States Army as they took on the VNEA Hall of Famers team. The soldiers were coached by SpeedPool World Record Holder David Pearson, who has visited numerous bases throughout the year. At the conclusion of the event, the VNEA presented the soldiers with a $1,000 check for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Thursday included the VNEA President’s Reception on the top floor of the Riviera. During the reception, several awards were presented, including the Warren Kelly Meritorious Achievement Award and President’s Choice Award.

The Warren Kelley Meritorious Achievement Award, which was established in 1983 to honor the efforts of an individual that goes above and beyond the call of duty, was awarded to Judy Mehle from Fort Collins, Colo. Eleven previous recipients were on hand to see Mehle receive the award, including Gary Benson, Dick Hawkins, Gene Urso, Jim Mason, Vince Leavey, Gregg Elliott, Tom Elam, Jerry Derrick, Roberto Aparicio, Dave Courington, and incoming VNEA president Bruce Bauldridge.

Current VNEA President Elmar Klapstein presented the President’s Choice Award, which is given to an individual for their efforts in advancing the game of pool and enhancing the profile of the game. The award was given to Gregg Elliott, executive director of the VNEA, for his 20 years of service to the association.

After a week of qualifiers, the finalists for the Artistic Pool competition began Friday morning. The finalists played for their share of the $3,300 purse. The competition, which incorporated eight different artistic shots, was won by Jamie Moody of Texas. Moody, who scored 52 points and placed fourth in the preliminary competition, walked away with $1,000 in prize money. Mike Henderson from Nebraska, who also scored 52 points but came up one point short in the tie breaker, received second place and earned $750. Brian Haffner of Minnesota, who placed first in the qualifying round, came in third with a score of 48.

On Friday night, the World SpeedPool Championships took place. The qualifying rounds, which took place all day Thursday and included 136 players, provided eight players from the event. The top time in the qualifiers was 50.3 seconds, while the lowest time of the top eight players was 1.10 minutes. The championships provided head-to-head competition with the winner receiving a $15,000 game room, including a Valley home pool table and Tornado foosball table. The winner of this year’s SpeedPool competition was Bobby McGrath from Bee-J Amusements in East Peoria, Ill.

The tournament was capped off with an Awards Banquet, held June 2 in the Riviera’s Royale Ballroom. Winners in each division were honored during the banquet, with comedian David Brenner providing the entertainment for thousands of attendees. “The VNEA has truly created a competitive event for all skill levels. Valley is proud to be associated with such a great organization, and we offer our sincere thanks for a job well done,” said Courington.

For complete tournament results, visit the VNEA Web site at www.vnea.com.

The VNEA presented the United States Army with a $1,000 check for the Wounded Warrior Project.	Judy Mehle received the Warren Kelly Meritorious Award during the VNEA President’s Reception.
VNEA President Elmar Klapstein (left) presented Gregg Elliott, VNEA executive director, with the President’s Choice Award.	Jamie Moody, Texas, scored 52 points to win the Artistic Pool competition.
Moody is pictured with Dr. Cue. Moody received $1,000 in prize money for placing first in the Artistic Pool finals.	Mike Henderson from Nebraska also scored 52 points during the Artistic Pool finals. He came up one point short in the tie breaker.
Henderson is pictured with Dr. Cue. He walked away with $750 for his second place finish.	Bobby McGrath from Bee-J Amusements in East Peoria, Ill. Won the World SpeedPool Championships. He is pictured with Dave Courington, vice president of sales and promotions for Valley-Dynamo.
	The VNEA tournament committee at the Awards Banquet.