8-Ball Pool: Wanganui Association winners found for shootout and club divisions

The Wanganui Pool Association's finals day and prize giving function were held at Barracks Sports Bar on Sunday.

The morning saw the 'Top 16 Singles Shootout' competition played between the 16 best-performed players over the first round of competition, involving representatives from all eight club teams.

Competition co-ordinator Allan Pond said the knockout competition went "true to form" with the Top 4 seeds reaching the semifinals and then Top 2 going on to the final.

Top seed Nik Hinga (Castlecliff) beat No 4 Neville Edwards (Wanganui East) 4-2 in their semifinal, while second seed Mike Watson (Wanganui East) came from behind to beat Matiu Williams (St Johns) 4-3 in the other playoff.

In the final, Hinga went on to beat Watson 4-2.

After lunch was the Team Finals in both Divisions 1 and 2.

Pond said both were comparatively one-sided affairs, again going true to form, with the top-qualifying sides taking out the titles.

In Division 1, Wanganui East Gold beat Wanganui East Red 13-5, with the last pairs round not required.

Division 2 saw Marton beat Bulls RSA 11-4, with only the first of the three pairs rounds needed to find a winner.

The Association's prizegiving followed.
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The Wanganui Association's representative team to contest this season's three-way competition against teams from Manawatu and Horowhenua-Kapiti in Palmerston North was then announced, although the date for the event is is yet to be confirmed.

2019 Trophy Winners
Most Improved Woman: Ingrid Gawler (St Johns); Most Improved Man: Chris Waller (Club Metro); Sportsmanship Woman: Trish Amoroa (St Johns); Sportsmanship Men: Steve Cain (Wanganui East); Ladies Singles: Carole Hunt (Bulls RSA); Men's Singles: Nik Hinga (Castlecliff); Top 16 Shootout - Winner: Nik Hinga (Castlecliff); Runner-up: Mike Watson (Wanganui East); Open Pairs: Nik Hinga, Alton Heaslip (Castlecliff); 1st Division Championship: Wanganui East Gold; 2nd Division Championship team: Marton.

Representative Team
Captain Neville Edwards (WE Red), Paul Gudsell (WE Red), Sam Haapu (Castlecliff), Mike Healey (WE Red), Nik Hinga (Castlecliff), Aran Lilley (WE Gold), Steve Matthews (WE Gold), Willie Matthews (WE Gold), Steve Robertson (WE Gold), John Te Huna (Castlecliff), Mike Watson (WE Gold), Matiu Williams (St Johns), Trish Amoroa (St Johns), Carole Hunt (Bulls RSA), Tracey Holdaway (Bulls RSA), Tina Simpson (Castlecliff). Reserves – Men: Ritchie Hall (WE Gold), Harry Parslow (WE Red), Tama Te Patu (St Johns), Allan Pond (Marton); Women: Angie Teki (St Johns), Tina Downs-Johnston (Club Metro), Jacqui Johnson (St Johns).