LAKELAND - A recent trip to the 2024 8-Ball World Championship in Las Vegas was, “An awesome time and a chance of a lifetime to play in the tournament,” according to Dwayne Yaremkevich.
Along with his teammates - Clever Ortiguero, Shauna Campbell, Curtis Porcina, Doug and Charmaine McLeod and Don Schultz - the group made up the team known as ‘124 Play.' The team returned home last Wednesday after finishing in the top 64 of a total of 765 teams from around the world.
A team from New Jersey won the tournament and a team from Toronto placed second. This year, ‘124 Play’ and fellow Bonnyville-based team ‘Forbidden 8’, were Alberta’s representatives in the world tournament.
Bonnyville's Forbidden 8 team is captained by Corey Styba and includes teammates Terry Seward, Boyd Stuckless, Chris Melnyk, Greg Schultz, Jessica Gergely, Ron Savill, and Natasha Piercey.
Piercey reports, "We were the only two teams in Alberta to qualify, beating out all Edmonton and surrounding areas teams for the 8-ball APA World Tournament. We played some fantastic talented teams."
"Bonnyville runs two 8-ball sessions, fall and spring, each lasting between 16-17 weeks. From here, the winners play tri-annuals in Edmonton. The top eight teams in Alberta qualify for the World qualifier in June. The World Qualifier winners, usually two teams, go to Vegas in August," explains Piercey.
"It truly is the experience of a lifetime," according to Piercey.