Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
High Voltage, a team from Muncie, finished runners-up at the 19th Annual Indiana APA State Invitational Championship at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie.
Front – Sarah Johnson, Cassie Blackwell and Patricia Young; back – Kevin Johnson, Kent Bailey, Wayne Reynolds, Michael Watts and Mike Rizzuto.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy Miss Cues & Tattoos won the 19th Annual Indiana State title on March 28 at the Horizon Center in Muncie. Front – Amanda Grant, Cole Simpson, Jessica Embry, Scott Blair, Brian Hinkle, Amber Capo and Fred Hinkle; back – Anthony Roy. 
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Anthony Roy, a Skill Level 5 for Miss Cues & Tattoos, lines up his shot in his match in the State championship against High Voltage’s Mike Watts. Roy made the game winning shot and won the championship.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Fred Hinkle lines up for a shot on a striped ball in his match against High Voltage’s Wayne Reynolds, part of the State championship.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Cole Simpson sets his sights on the 5-Ball in the fourth match part of the State championship. He won all five games and earned three points for Miss Cues & Tattoos.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Miss Cues & Tattoos’ Amber Capo begins to break in the final match part of the State championship.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Mike Rizzuto, a Skill Level 6 for High Voltage, aims for the 1-Ball in his match against Miss Cues & Tattoos’ Brian Hinkle.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Wayne Reynolds attempts to make the striped 17-Ball for High Voltage against Miss Cues & Tattoos in the State championship match.
Freelance Journalist / Patrick Murphy
Sarah Johnson, a Skill Level 2 for High Voltage, aims for the 9-Ball in the final match part of the State championship.
MUNCIE – The Miss Cues & Tattoos, a team from Evansville, won the 19th Annual Indiana American Poolplayers Association State Invitational at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie with a 7-2 victory over High Voltage, a team from Muncie.
The Indiana State Invitational includes APA 8-Ball teams from Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky. It began on Wednesday, March 24 and ended on Sunday, March 28, with the team championship. It was the first time the State tournament was hosted in Muncie. The venue was changed from the Wyndham Indianapolis West to the Horizon Center due to the venue being used.
Chris VanHoose, the League Operator in East Central Indiana surrounding Muncie, said hosting the state competition was humbling and a learning experience.
“The Horizon Convention Center was a wonderful host location,” VanHoose said. “I thank the Sales and Event Coordinator Desiree Soptelean for helping us coordinate the event in such a short period of just a couple weeks notice. I also think the players enjoyed it as well. I know I did although I was busy the whole time as I should be helping to run such a huge event.”
Championship match
Both teams came into the championship match after going 8-0 through the four brackets of 28 teams. Miss Cues & Tattoos advanced from the ‘C’ bracket while High Voltage advanced from the ‘A’ bracket.
In the championship match, Anthony Roy, a Skill Level 5 for MCT, needed to win one more game to clinch the match for the Evansville team. He faced off against Michael Watts, High Voltage’s team captain and a Skill Level 7, with both players needing to win one more game. Roy made a pulsating bank shot to win the match and the title.
“It was a sweet butt bank shot,” Roy said “If I missed it, then we would have lost. I don’t really practice bank shots because I would rather cut a ball.”
One of the matches that aided in MCT’s victory was Cole Simpson, a Skill Level 6, winning all five of his games over HV’s Cassie Blackwell, a Skill Level 4. Simpson totaled 20 innings and the most was six innings in the fourth game.
Another match that helped the Evansville team to victory was Fred Hinkle, a Skill Level 6, against Wayne Reynolds, a Skill Level 4 for High Voltage. Hinkle managed to win the first three games while Reynolds came back to win the fourth game in five innings. Hinkle won the fifth game in seven innings and earned two points for the Evansville team.
High Voltage started the championship match out on the right foot. Mike Rizzuto, a Skill Level 6, won two points over Brian Hinkle, Miss Cues & Tattoos team captain and Skill Level 4. Rizzuto won in 12 innings but it was HV’s only match victory.
Brian said it felt amazing to be a state champion.
“We put a team together just to have fun and here we are in the finals,” Brian said. “In this field of teams to go undefeated, it’s humbling and impressive. Last year we finished in the top eight in my second year playing in the State tournament. I want to thank the players, all of the people who had the faith in us to succeed to accomplish this feat. I want to thank Chuck and Tina Austin from the Evansville APA, our League Operators. If it wasn’t for them, then we wouldn’t have be able to play in this tournament.”
High Voltage was the highest East Central Indiana APA team to advance in the team tournament. There were more than 50 teams from ECI who participated in this year’s State tournament.
“High Voltage out of the Anchor Lounge in Muncie was a wonderful representation of ECIAPA not only by finishing 2nd but also by showing great sportsmanship throughout the whole tournament,” VanHoose said. “All of our ECIAPA teams and players performed well and showed Great sportsmanship throughout the tournament as well.”
By winning the State tournament, Miss Cues & Tattoos received both team plaques and split $4000 while High Voltage received plaques and split $2500 amongst the team players. VanHoose said he was happy about how the event went.
“I would like to add that we are lucky to live in an area where we can come together in the heat of competition while also showing great poise and sportsmanship,” VanHoose said. “I am very proud to be a League Operator for APA not just in East Central Indiana but in the APA as a whole. It is a wonderful organization that teaches sportsmanship while also giving people the chance to learn the value of comradery and the meaning of team while also giving our players a chance to compete individually in our singles competitions at our Indiana State tournament as well.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
List of winners
Team: Miss Cues & Tattoos, Evansville APA; 2nd: High Voltage, East Central Indiana APA.
8-Ball Scotch Doubles: Three Taps & Out (Doug O’Guinn and Ivy Crank), West Central Indiana APA; 2nd: I made Mine (Jennifer Davis and Levi Butler), Central Indiana APA.
9-Ball Scotch Doubles: Show Me The Money (Scott Blair and Jessica Embry), Evansville APA; 2nd: The Beard and The Bear (Jason Dillingham and Jeremy Dominiak), St. Joseph County APA.
9-Ball 3-Person Team: Names are Stupid (Dennis Landry, Allison Belmarez, Nicole Belmarez and Dustin Baker), St. Joseph APA; 2nd: Scott D.A.W.G. (Scott DeMasters, Mark Harvey, Scott Wagner and Ronald Harey), Louisville APA.
Ladies 8-Ball Team: Bad Beeches (Bobbi Robinson, Danielle Payne, Kelli Brewer and Tausha Beck), Indiana (Herb and Jami Wheeler); 2nd: Damn Tiddies (Kelly Ackerman, Julia Wilson and Eileen Hill), Monroe County APA.
Seniors 8-Ball Tournament: Evert Snow, Central Indiana APA; 2nd: John Lewis, West Central Indiana APA.
Singles (9-Ball)
1-2-3: Donna McCammon, Louisville APA; 2nd: Spencer Gaddie, Central Indiana APA.
4-5: Devansh Budhrani, Evansville APA; Jeffery Garner, Wabash Valley APA.
6-7: Satomi Nadeau, Central Indiana APA; 2nd: Chase Haney, North Central Indiana APA.
8-9: Brian Gregg, Central Indiana APA; 2nd: Dennis Outlaw, Monroe County APA.
Singles (8-Ball)
2-3: Amanda Grant, Evansville APA; 2nd: Jessica Francis, Louisville APA.
4: Julie Huffman, Central Indiana APA; 2nd: Josh Keaton, Wabash Valley APA.
5: Chad Barnes, Wabash Valley APA; 2nd: Daniel Henson, Central Indiana APA.
6: Sarmanya Bhiwaniwala, Monroe County APA; 2nd: Alton Berry, TriState APA.
7: Jonah Bunch, North Central Indiana APA; 2nd: Philip Smedley, West Central Indiana APA.
Patrick Murphy 