NIU to host national pool championships Aug. 8-10

by Joe King

They're coming to NIU from all over the country to stick it to each other … and that's a good thing.

NIU will for the first time host the U.S. youth pool championships in August. The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Junior 9-Ball Championships will be Aug. 8-10 at the Huskies Den in Holmes Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Approximately 150 of the best pool players under age 18 will vie for the national title, having competed in qualifying events throughout the country to gain admission to the championships. The winners will represent the United States at next year's world championships in Taiwan. Besides national honors, players also compete for an estimated $40,000 in billiard equipment.

Competition will be 9-Ball, the fast and popular game featured on ESPN and in "The Hustler" and "The Color of Money." Cory Deuel, Jon Kucharo, Michael Coltrain, Charlie Williams, Max Eberle and Tiffany Nelson are just a few top pro players who have competed in previous junior national championships.

Bringing the event to NIU is generating excitement both from campus officials and the Colorado Springs-based Billiard Congress of America. The BCA is the governing body of pool in North America.

"We're very pleased that NIU will host this prestigious tournament. We welcome the players and their families, and wish them the best of luck," said Anne Kaplan, vice president for Administration and University Outreach. "Billiards is one of the country's top 10 sports and is growing. By hosting the national championships at our wonderful facility, we bring an interesting new event to the NIU community, and we get to introduce NIU to an audience which otherwise might not know us."

"It's really exciting," agrees Donna Wargo, Huskies Den manager. "Our goal at the Huskies Den is to become the best collegiate bowling and billiard facility in the country, and hosting the junior national championships is a good sign that we're getting there." Stephen D. Ducoff, BCA executive director, says that having the tournament at a major university not only helps promote pool in a positive way, but also helps reinforce the requirement that would-be competitors be in good academic standing.

"We're very happy with the NIU venue; it is a great fit for the BCA Junior National 9-Ball Championships," Ducoff said. "The NIU staff we have worked with over the past few months have been wonderful, flexible and very supportive of this prestigious event."

Competition begins at 9 a.m. Aug. 8 in the Holmes Student Center Huskies Den. For information on billiards, please call the BCA at 719-264-8300 or visit www.bca-pool.com.