Nine teams from the Metro Detroit chapter of the American Poolplayers Association have qualified for the World Pool Championships, currently being held in Las Vegas.
A team of eight players from the southeast region — known as the Geriatrics and Youngins team in Wayne County — qualified for the nine-ball tournament. Among their group of veteran players is 84-year-old Lilian Martin of Allen Park.
She’s been playing for 25 years, even signing up for a league in 2005 as a way to play with a few of her seven children.
Over the years, she’s earned MVP honors nine times and has made six trips to Las Vegas, including five as a competitor at Worlds.
When she’s not enjoying time around her 29 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, she’s playing in local leagues four nights a week.
She even has a pool table at home to keep her sharp.
“I enjoy coming here every day, being surrounded by all these people, because it feels like a family to me,” Martin said before a league night last week at the Loyal Order of Moose in Lincoln Park. “I enjoy it so much because you get to be part of everyone’s lives, and everybody is just so friendly.”
That’s not to say she’s not competitive about the sport.
While she loves supporting her teammates and the family atmosphere that comes with playing in several leagues, what drives her is chasing the grand prize.
Over 13,500 players and 1,800 teams from 49 states and four countries are expected to participate this month at Worlds. On the line is $1,321,730 in prize money, with $20,000 earmarked for the nine-ball tournament that Martin’s in.
There are 297 tables set up inside Westgate Resort & Casino, but Martin has always had her eyes focused on one table in particular.
“We’re hoping to get to that white table,” said Martin, referring to the table used for each tournament’s finals.
Giving the Geriatrics and Youngins the best shot at reaching the finals will be their star player, Mike Smith Jr., 38, of Ypsilanti Twp. In fact, if it wasn’t for his heroics at the World Qualifier in June at Waterford Lanes, their team wouldn’t even be in Las Vegas right now.
While growing up in North Carolina, he accompanied his parents to various bars and began playing when he was in elementary school.
His love for the sport only grew over time, inspiring him to sign up for competitive tournaments around the south. When he was only 20, he made it to the semifinals of a Southeast regional with about 160 participants, eventually tying for third place — the best finish among North Carolina natives.
A marriage and his studies in finance at Wayne State brought him to Michigan in 2021.
“When I moved here, I really didn’t know anybody, so I got to do something,” said Smith, who searched online for local leagues and discovered APA Metro Detroit.
He’s been playing with the Geriatrics and Youngins since 2022, and, boy, did their team need him in Waterford.
With a trip to Las Vegas up for grabs, it came down to his match.
Smith needed to sink 12 balls for his team to win. His opponent? They needed to make only one. Smith ran the ensuing rack, making all nine shots to come within two points of the win.
“My body was shaking,” Smith admitted. “I’ve played for a couple of thousand dollars and have been fine. But there was something about this moment, with my teammates relying on me, that had my body vibrating.”
After breaking the next game, Smith’s opponent missed his first shot, and then Smith made his. The next ball would decide the winner. His opponent missed again, setting up Smith for a gimme ball to seal the win for the Geriatrics and Youngins.
“Up until then, I was still vibrating,” Smith said. “But as I’m approaching the table for that last shot, a sense of calm came over me, literally, and I was like, ‘You just won this.’ I knew it as soon as I walked to the table. I knew the ball was going in.”
Also on the team with Martin and Smith are Tom Beaudoin, Cory Dwornik, Mike Englehardt, Joe Ouellette, Debbie Overbee and Samantha Witmer.
“Every single ball everyone made mattered in that (World Qualifer) final,” Smith said. “It was a huge team effort.”
APA Metro Detroit teams playing in Las Vegas
8-ball World Pool Championships qualifying teams
Out Of Control (Southeast region)
Stacy Wiggins, Rodney Cooper, Angela Dasgupta, Katrina Hayden, Crystal Mitchell, Ken Wilson, Kevin Wilson and Rebecca Venson.
That’s A Lot Of Green (Southwest region)
Mike Brewer, Mike Davis, Scott Folske, Bob Jenkins, Tiffany Luttrell and Pat Ogden.
Fast & Loose (Northeast region)
Carl Leone II, James Leone, Ric Briener, Scott Kastelic, Terry Lang, Carl Leone and Grant McElwain.
Scratch & Sniff (Northwest region)
Paul Smith, Camiel Carnahan, Jerry Allen, Cody Anderson, Tim Becker, Charles Carnahan, Rodney Cole and Justin Everts.
9-ball World Pool Championships qualifying teams
Geriatrics & Youngins (Southeast region)
Tom Beaudoin, Mike Smith Jr., Cory Dwornik, Mike Englehardt, Lilian Martin, Joe Ouellette, Debbie Overbee and Samantha Witmer.
One Ball Run (Southwest region)
Josh Barnett, Andrew Thyrion, Ron Colombo, Alex Ruchala, Everrett Shoats, Randall Shropshire, Robert Thyrion and Sean Waynick.
On The Snap (Northeast region)
Racheal Micyus, Tony Wright, Fritz Burt, Robert Debro, Gwenn DeMaria, Mike DeMaria, Koree Micyus and Matt Wright.
Lone’s Rangers (Northwest region)
Julie Juenling, Steve Lone, Scott Fishbeck, Theresa Graves, Tyler Herling, Dan Lone, Jerry Richway and Laurie Ziga.
APA Team Captains Championship qualifying team
Playing In The Desert
Lisa Thomas, Tom Beaudoin, Marc Hofmeister, Dora Johnson and Michael Smith Jr.
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at @folsomwrites.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: An 84-year-old Allen Park woman is playing in the World Pool Championships in Las Vegas
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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