Qualifiers Advance to Open 9-Ball Championships

Winners Earn Draw Positions

Colorado Springs, Colorado: Following its series of qualifying events, the Billiard Congress of America [BCA] will welcome eight competitors to the field at the BCA Open 9-Ball Championships, scheduled at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, May 15-21, 2005. These winners have claimed spots in the draw and earned a BCA-funded $1,000 prize package:

Women Qualifiers

Wendy Jans (Belgium)

Julie Nogiec (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Mona Remedios (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Leslie Ann Rogers (Dallas, Texas)

Men Qualifiers

James Baraks (Rock Island, Ill.)

Tinsley Johnson (Oakdale, Calif.)

David Rowell (Birmingham, Ala.)

Shayne Waltrip (Corpus Christi, Texas)

These players will receive a $500 entry fee waiver for the event, plus a $500 travel/hotel allowance upon checking into the tournament. With luck, they could also get some exposure o­n ESPN.

For the seventh year running, the event will be filmed and re-broadcast by ESPN.  Since the event began airing o­n the channel in 1999, it has received added broadcasts each year, with 64 hours for the 2003 shows and a new record-high of 65 hours for the 2004 segments shown o­n ESPN and ESPN2 to date.

Tickets are o­n sale now via email to plpromotions@aol.com or by phone to 615-822-3779. Come to Vegas and become part of the studio audience!

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