Cool Pool in Toasty Tucson ... The Junior & Intercollegiate 9-Ball Championships wrapped up its competition at the University of Arizona in Tucson, with a series of exciting victories for BCA juniors on Saturday afternoon. Age division playoffs shaped up to include all four defending champions in each of their respective finals, with only one upset. [ brackets ]

Leading off the day's rounds were the 14 and under finals, with a successful title defense by Austin Murphy (Folsom, Calif.) with his win over Ryan Dunn (Hillsboro, Tenn.), 7-5, and an upset victory by Elizabeth Lovely (Centerville, Ohio) over Chelsea Hardwick (Evansville, Ind.), 5-3. Both winners received some early press coverage, including a mention for Murphy in the Sacramento Bee and a feature follow-up for Lovely.

Acting on a tip from on site reporting by Alan Taylor Communications, the Dayton Daily News followed the results to learn about their local winner and interviewed Elizabeth Lovely for their Sunday online edition. In it, the young straight-A student talked about how she became hooked on the sport.

"I've been playing for a few years," she said. "We have a table at our house. My dad took me to a local pool hall, where there was a tournament. It looked like fun, so I started playing." Later this month, she's scheduled to compete in her first pro tournament in Peoria, Illinois.

Closing out the BCA portion of the tournament, the 19 and under finals ended with the re-crowning of winners Justin Bergman (Fairview Heights, Ill.) and Anna Kostanian (Albuquerque, N.M.), following decisive victories by both defending champs. As reported by AZBilliards.com, each ran away with their division; Kostanian with a 7-2 win over Mary Rakin (Daly City, Calif.) and Bergman with a 9-1 rout over Chad Palmer (Battle Creek, Mich.).

"The Scorpion" Johnny Archer ... was recently named as an official company spokesperson for the Poker Pool Company, according to a press release issued by the Scottsdale, Arizona corporate office.

The announcement came during the June Kick-off Gala Reception for the First Poker Pool Championship, where Archer and Jennifer Barretta were on hand to offer a demonstration and play against audience members who had pre-registered for the tournament. Sponsored by Olhausen Billiards, the debut event will offer over $15,000 in cash and prizes, and will be held at the Radisson Ft. McDowell Resort & Casino August 18-20. [ more ]

“We’re extremely pleased to have the Johnny onboard as our spokesman. We couldn’t have picked a better representative." said Johnny Dust, President of Poker Pool. "His credentials speak for themselves and we look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

DAVE PEARSON ... "The Ginger Wizard" started playing pool when he was 19, running six balls the first time he picked up a cue. Three months later he lost in the finals of the British Open. He later went on to win tournaments across the globe, but his talent evolved into entertaining millions as the top exhibition player in the world. [ more ]

He was 21 when he broke his first world record by running a rack of 15 balls, waiting for the cue ball to stop in between shots, and pocketing the 8 ball last, in an amazing 43 seconds. His latest attempt at another World Record will take place at the BCA's Ballbuster promotional event in Baltimore on August 12.

Dave has performed on network shows like Regis and Kathy Lee, Good Morning America, The Today Show, MTV, and NBC’s Dog Eat Dog. From tradeshows to charity events, Dave is a unique individual whose appearances support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Children's Cancer Foundation.

:: PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT

CURRICULUM GUIDE PREVIEW ... A new webpage on the BCA and BEF sites provides more information about the BEF Curriculum Guide, including excerpts and a complete table of contents. Learn more about this instructional aid online!