A SERVICE PROVIDED BY THINKTECHMD
This post is a bit overdue in that the tournament was held on 4/25/2021
It was nice to see players from all over the area coming together and supporting local tournament director Brian Kilgore. The Green Turtle has been stepping up and working hard to improve the tournament. The players were treated to new Dynasphere balls this time around.
Thank you to our teammates (SP) Mary Watkins, (SP) Nick Spriggs, (SP) Wayne Everhart, (SP) Kelly Daniel, (PR) Michelle Brigerman, (PR) Kan-Kan, and (PR) Kimberly Smith-Martin for taking the trip. Watching the team, cheering one another on was a great feeling.
Thank you Kelly Daniel and Kimberly Smith-Martin for the photos.
For Michelle, this was a very special day in that this was the highest she has placed in a non-APA singles event. We are very proud of Michelle for branching out into singles tournament play. She had a great showing besting some solid shooters placing tied for 9th.
Nick Spriggs was shooting some absolute stellar pool, jumping and kicking to get out more than once. Nick said he just ran out of gas, finishing in 3rd. We are looking forward to watching Nick’s game mature. The sky is the limit for this young talent.
The talent assembled made it clear that the tournament and the prestige associated with winning the event is taken very seriously. No matter who won the event; they were going to earn it and there would be no “lucky draw” or easy path to win the title.
Player Roster and Bracket Here
Heading into day two we had 3 of our 4 players coming back to do battle and we were feeling pretty good about our chances.
Day 2, TeamTTMD was lead by Jr Hepner who made it the furthest of our group, giving a valiant effort and suffering his second loss to Brandon Shuff 7-5. Brandon is currently ranked 36th in the US by FargoRate which speaks to the strength of the field.
We would like to give a shout-out to Dorothy Strater, who not only supported the team all weekend but competed in her very first Maryland State, title event. The courage it takes to compete in a tournament of this caliber is something to be proud of. Great Job!
Although TeamTTMD did not make it to the podium this time, we are thankful for the opportunity to compete and hang out with some of the top talents in our region.
Congratulations to both Shane Wolford on taking home the honor of the 2021 Maryland State Barbox 9 Ball Champion and to Matt Krah for taking home 2nd prize and playing like a beast all weekend.
To all the competitors that took the trip to Brews and Cues for a tremendous event, congratulations to you all for making it a success. It was apparent that everyone was there to compete– but also enjoy the comradery.
On The Hill Productions’, Rick Scarlato Jr., Loye Bolyard, and Beverlee Longstreet-Dillow; thank you for all you do for the sport.
Thank you to Tony Manning and his staff at Brews and Cues for a great weekend.
This was certainly one of the best tournaments in the area to date.
This tour is turning into a premier event around the DMV area, featuring top amateurs as well as league players looking to get their feet wet in an intermediate-level tournament, before moving into an open. This is a great tour to work on the mental focus and physical stamina that is often described as tournament legs, to compete at a higher level.
TeamTTMD was well represented with (SP) Wayne Everhart, (SP) Kelly Daniel, (SP) JR Hepner, (SP) Chris Funk, (PR) Brian Dietzenbach, and (PR) Lenny Valley, in attendance.
We’d like to congratulate (PR) Brian Dietzenbach on his flawless run going undefeated and taking home 1st prize, showing grit and determination– fighting through some tough matches.
We were fortunate enough to have Brian representing TTMD Billiards Streaming, during the US Amateurs, in Palm Harbor this year. We are looking forward to watching him compete in more DMVAT events as well as the upcoming TTMD Billiards Streaming 10 Ball Open Championship at On Cue Sports Bar and Grill in Front Royal, VA June 26-27th 2021.
Congratulations to Jim Davis and Bethany Sykes for finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Both players were playing fabulous pool all day.
(SP) Chris Funk had a strong showing placing 4th. Chris is an unflappable and respectful pool player– you will never see him lose his cool. Chris is the type of guy that will fight rack for rack in a match, but then take a few minutes afterward to work with a teammate on a particular shot or talk pool and share knowledge. We are looking forward to watching Chris compete at the MD State Bar Table 9 Ball Championship this weekend as well as the TTMD 10 Ball Open in June. Thank you Chris for all you do for our team and pool.
Congratulations to (SP) Kelly Daniel who had an absolutely fabulous run finishing tied for 9th. Kelly has been working very hard to elevate her game, focusing on tournaments like the DMVAT and the JPNEWT. Over the last few weeks, she has enjoyed 13th and 9th place finishes in some really strong fields. It is clear to everyone watching her play that she is working hard and gaining confidence. Kelly shared with us that her goal this year was to make it to the Day 2 of a JPNEWT event. We think she is well on her way!
Thank you to (SP) Jr Hepner for competing and giving your all. He and I finished 13th, played respectable pool– fought hard, and enjoyed spending time with our teammates and friends.
We wanted to give a special shout-out to (PR) Lenny Valley on his first DMVAT. Lenny was a trooper, taking the trip with no guarantee to be able to play in the event, however, he wanted to support his teammates and help out with the stream if we needed the help. Lenny was able to compete in the tournament and was “Johnny on the spot” when we needed help. Thank You!
We could not go without saying thank you to Chris Wilburn. The guy is a bundle of energy and works tirelessly to put on a fair tour for the amateurs, while also moving the event around to support many pool rooms in our region. It is not easy to be thoughtful about a tour schedule and work to avoid conflicts with other tours and tournaments. Thank you Chris for all you do to support the venues, the players, and pool.
Check out the stream from the DMVAT here
Some photos of TeamTTMD at the event, courtesy of Kelly Daniel.
