Area 8-ball team heads to Las Vegas on title chase

The Billiard Center of Cape Girardeau will send an eight-ball team to Las Vegas to play for a national title Aug. 18 to 24.

Two teams from the center actually qualified, but one was dismissed this week because the team's overall skill level did not meet qualifying standards.

"We appealed the disqualification. We did what we could do," said Jamie Dodd, a member of the disqualified nine-ball team. "The president didn't feel like she could overturn it. There isn't anything else we can do."

However, the center's eight-ball team will still make the trip and attempt to bring back another victory to a Cape Girardeau, believed to be the only city to have produced three previous national titles in the annual Las Vegas event. Cape Girardeau has had a victory from a nine-ball team, and twice an eight-ball team has brought back trophies.

To reach the national event, all teams play a regular season in the APA eight-ball league, and throughout the season teams have the abililty to qualify for the area-wide tournament at the end of the year. This year 22 teams competeted in a single-elimination event that ended June 1 at the A.C. Brase Arena Building.

Although this year's eight-ball team will sit out, the nine-ball team will try to bring back a $25,000 grand prize and the fourth title back to Cape Girardeau. More than 500 teams will compete.