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The Southwest Challenge gets "huger and huger" every year, and
this
year's event was no exception! Two hundred thirty-three teams (thirty-five) from our area) battled it out over two days for a total purse of
more than $25,000!
With the main event set to start bright and early Friday morning, everyone made sure to be there early Thursday evening to register their teams, get in some practice, and play in the mini tournaments. We set up fifty tables in the Riviera convention center, and kept them all busy Thursday night!
The spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship was evident throughout the weekend. That's really the whole idea behind the Southwest Challenge - a fun-filled weekend of pool, making new friends, and reuniting with friends made in previous years.
As an added bonus for the players this year, WPBA touring professional Melissa Herndon made five appearances throughout the weekend, signing autographs and taking on all challengers. Melissa was a hit with the crowd, and those lucky enough to win their challenges get to brag to their friends about the time they beat a pro!
The top-finishing South Coast team this year was South Coast #19 (Mark Bacon, Andy Cathcart, and David Flittner) - they finished ninth, and received $450 for that achievement. Congratulations guys!
Click here for a complete list of our teams and how they finished. (You'll need Adobe Reader to open the file, you can get it here.)
The finals on Sunday pitted Las Vegas against San Gabriel Valley, two areas that had never crowned a Southwest Challenge champion. Congratulations to San Gabriel Valley #6, who earned $3,599 for first place and the Southwest Challenge trophy for the next year.
Who would have thought that a little tournament at Sam's Town would turn into something this big? The Southwest Challenge has become the premier regional-type tournament in the country, and has gone through some dramatic changes in the process. Just ask Pam and Eric Hulsey, they've STILL been to every single one!