2005 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT

PAPPAS STEALS THE SHOW AT CHICAGO EVENT

For the first time since 1983 the major professional tour returned to the city of Chicago, Illinois as the USTSA presented the annual National Foosball Championships this past July 4th weekend. There were plenty of sparkling performances and foosball fireworks in the “Windy City�, but no one burned brighter than 20-year-old Billy Pappas, whose explosive play led to wins in all three major events in yet another eye-opening performance by the young star out of Boston, Mass.

Billy claimed the Mixed Doubles title with first-time winner Melissa Kegg, won the Championship Singles final in a showdown with Terry Moore, and added the Championship Doubles title playing with Trevor Park, who also finally earned his first major title.

Pappas didn’t lose a single match in any of the three main events, and became the first player since Todd Loffredo in 1993 to accomplish a true “triple� (Doubles, Singles, Mixed) at the annual National Championships.

Billy, who reached a major tour final at all three 2004 events and has won nearly every regional title over the past six months, teamed with rising star Melissa Kegg to defeat Steve Mohs and Tiffany Moore in the Mixed Doubles final and win his first-ever major tour title. The win also represented the first career open victory for Kegg, who had previously reached the final with Pappas at last year’s Worlds in Dallas.

In Championship Singles, Pappas defeated Ron Sipiora in the round of 16, and second -rated Rob Mares to reach the semi finals, and then outlasted Terry Moore in one of the year’s best matches to earn a slot in his fourth career major final. In that match, Pappas trailed 4-3 in the fifth before fighting back with the final two points to win the winner’s side of the doubles bracket.

On the loser’s side, Nathan Winter worked his way back into the championship mix after an early round loss to Texan Ronnie Joyner. Winter, one of the tour’s most gifted performers, defeated Ron Sipiora, Tom Yore, Gregg Perrie, and Rob Mares before running into Moore, who defeated him in three games to earn a second shot at the red hot Mr. Pappas.

In the final, Pappas controlled the match throughout and defeated the great Moore in three games, 5-3, 5-3, and 5-3, to win his second title of the day in a truly outstanding singles performance.

Californian Trevor Park had also been a pretty regular visitor to major championship open finals over the past half-decade. Entering the 2005 Nationals, Park had appeared in seven different major finals during his seven year pro career, including Open Doubles World Championship matches in 2001, 2002, and 2004 with Louis Cartwright, without yet having broken through to the winner’s circle.

With Billy Pappas continuing to play at the peak of his game, and with the highly-skilled Park aggressively manning the goalie rods, these two talented Pro Master players dominated the winner’s bracket, defeating Steve and Gena Murray, Matt Steward and Terry Rue, and Steve Mohs and Brandon Moreland, who had beaten pre-tournament favorites Terry Moore and Todd Loffredo in a semifinal match, to reach the final in very impressive fashion.

In the loser’s bracket, Moore and Loffredo, who have a combined total of more than 110 career major titles, began to fight their way back into contention. Terry and Todd narrowly defeated Rob Mares and Gregg Perrie in a five game nail-biter, and then overcame the efforts of Tom Yore and Eddy Gartman, also in five very hard-fought games.

Terry and Todd then completed their comeback to the finals by avenging the earlier loss to Mohs and Moreland with a four game win in the loser’s bracket final. The two all-time greats defeated Steve and Brandon 5-4, 5-2, 2-5, and 5-2 to earn a showdown with Pappas and Park for the National title.

In the Championship Doubles final, Pappas and Park continued their march through the event by winning game one 5-3, and then coming from behind to steal the second game, 5-4, against Moore and Loffredo.

With Loffredo moving to the forward position, Terry and Todd fought back to win the next two games, 5-3 and 5-3, to tie the match at two games each. But Pappas and Park dominated the fifth game, winning 5-2, to win the 2005 national doubles title.

The win gave the amazing Pappas, who also tripled at the recent Texas State event, three titles on the day, the first three of his career. Trevor Park also finally earned his first career open championship in his eighth attempt.
Look for Billy and Trevor to be among the early favorites for World Championship honors as well.

Moya Tielens continued her assault on the record books in Chicago, adding two more titles to her growing list of major championships. Moya teamed with 2004 National Mixed Doubles Champion Tommie Bagley of Colorado to hold-off the hard charging Stayce Fowler and Becky Cherry, who won the first set of the finals before falling short to Tielens and Bagley in a tough second set.

Tielens then proceeded to win the Women’s Singles championship in a two set final against Dusty Bambanek. The win made it four years in a row that the talented Tielens had won the National Women’s Singles title.

Also at this year’s National Championships, Colorado superstar Rob Mares became only the second three-time winner of the Masters Singles title, winning a closely-contested match against the other triple-green-jacket winner Todd Loffredo 5-4, 5-2, 2-5, and 5-4.

The pro tour now moves to Dallas, Texas, site of the 2005 World Championships this August 31-September 5. Look for the young and uniquely talented Mr. Pappas to have quite an impact on the annual Texas event.