Billiards club beats IU, retains Old Oaken Cue
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 01/22/2007
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The Purdue Billiards Club was victorious against its rival for the second year in a row.
On Saturday at the Purdue Memorial Union Recreation Center, the Purdue Billiards Club won the second annual Pool Challenge against Indiana University, 23 to 9. The Purdue club won the first challenge 19 to 13, which was held at IU last year.
This year, six Bloomington players arrived to challenge eight Purdue players in games of nine-ball and straight pool. Both clubs hope to make this a lasting tradition.
Last year, the IU club e-mailed its Purdue counterparts in the interest of setting up a friendly tournament.
The IU club even provided a trophy, a pool cue that has been painted in red and gold. The trophy has been dubbed the "Old Oaken Cue."
Chris Polster, president of the Purdue club, said he hopes to have the trophy mounted in a case on the wall in the pool room in the Union.
Polster, a graduate student who has been involved with the billiards club since 2002, hopes the challenge will increase student interest in the club.
"We've got a good crowd of freshmen," he said. "People think that they have to be competitive to play, but we're trying to set up a monthly meeting where we pay for table time and where we can teach people new games."
At the challenge, Isaac Simonelli, IU's billiards club president, said he was excited about helping to start a tradition.
"It's fun to start a tradition. It will be nice to get the trophy back in home territory," he said. "It's a fantastic atmosphere, too; competitive, but not serious."
Polster described Brian Williams, a junior in the College of Technology, as the club's top player. WIlliams won all his games in the challenge.
"I've played pool all my life, worked in pool halls and the first thing I did when I got to Purdue was to find a table," Williams said.
The Purdue Billiards Club will be holding a callout at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Union Recreation Center.