2002 USBA
National Championship
United States Billiard Association

Pedro Piedrabuena
is Crowned
US National Champion

Ends Sang Chun Lee's Reign as US National Champion after Twelve Consecutive Years
Pedro Piedrabuena at the close of the 2002 US National Championship after capturing the title from Sang Chun Lee. This is Piedrabuena's first US National title. Sang Chun Lee dominated the sport in recent years winning twelve consecutive US National Titles.
In the impressive final match of the 2002 US National 3-Cushion Championships, Pedro Piedrabuena averaged 2.083 including a run of 12 to beat Sang Chun Lee 50-25. The players were tied for first place going into the match with 8-2 records in the 12-player round robin. Lee's losses had been to Frank Torres and Carlos Hallon, both former US champions. Piedrabuena had lost to Jose Villalobos and Michael Kang. Piedrabuena becomes the new US Billiard Association Champion, ending the 12-year reign of former World Champion Lee. Third place based on average went to Moon Bum Heo who had the best game of the tournament with 50 points in 21 innings (2.381).
Sang Chun Lee winning against third place finisher Moon Bum Heo before meeting Piedrabuena in the final. Piedrabuena was battling Carlos Hallon on an adjacent table.
A total of 45 players entered the event, which was played at South Gate Billiards in South Gate, California on eight heated tables including four brand new Chevillottes covered with blue Simonis Rapide cloth. The format for the prelims was round robin with five groups of nine players and matches to 35 points. The top two finishers in each flight advanced to the 12-player final round robin, along with two wild cards based on points scored from among the several players with 6-2 records.
Moon Bum Heo finished third in his first US National Championship and had the best game of the tournament scoring 50 points in 21 innings for an average of 2.381.
With $10,000 added money, the total prize fund was $23,500. Prizes ranged for $3600 for the Champion down to $300 for the five players who just failed to make it out of the preliminaries.
Playing better than ever, Adrian Viguera finished fourth this year. Last year Viguera had a third place finish in the nationals.
Qualification Rounds
Flight A
 W/L
1 Carlos Hallon
6/2
2 Jose Villalobos
6/2
3 Salvador Diaz
6/2
4 Norm Lofgren
4/4
5 Eduardo Borbolla
4/4
6 Hector Rosas
4/4
7 Saul Sanchez Cepeda
3/5
8 Bob Page
3/5
9 Spencer Winston
0/8
Flight B
 W/L
1 Sang Chun Lee
7/1
2 Timo Moreno
7/1
3 Danny Rhee
6/2
4 Young Gull Lee
4/4
5 Ignacio Barajas
4/4
6 John Powers
4/4
7 Charles Brown
2/6
8 Don Schall
2/6
9 Phil Panzera
0/8
Flight C
 W/L
1 Adrian Viguera
7/1
2 Sixto Jauregui
6/2
3 Sonny Cho
6/2
4 Allen Gilbert
5/3
5 Bill Johnson
4/4
6 John Magulas
4/4
7 Raye Raskin
2/6
8 Darrel Stutesman
2/6
9 George Theobald
0/8
Flight D W/L
1 Frank Torres
7/1
2 Pedro Piedrabuena
7/1
3 Michael Kang
6/2
4 Joe DeAmato
5/3
5 Gilbert Garcia
4/4
6 Carlos Rodriguez
2/6
7 Jorge Rodriguez
2/6
8 Tony Song
2/6
9 Robert Brook
1/7
Flight E W/L
1 Mazin Shooni
8/1
2 Moon Bum Heo
7/1
3 Neal Olson
6/2
4 Vikky Pineda
4/4
5 Khalil Diab
4/4
6 Carlos Mercado
3/5
7 Sid Banner
3/5
8 Kelly Kendrick
1/7
9 Luis Chavez
0/8
Charles Brown, Carlos Hallon, and Bob Jewett.

Qualification Round Robin Flight Charts in PDF format
FLIGHT A
FLIGHT B FLIGHT C FLIGHT D
FLIGHT E
Final Results
Place
Name
 Total Points

Total Innings

High Run

Best Game Grand Average Win/ Loss Prize Money
1 Pedro Piedrabuena
544
457
12
2.083
1.190
9/2
$3,600
2 Sang Chun Lee
500
417
12
1.923
1.199
8/3
$3,000
3 Moon Bum Heo
501
443
10
2.381
1.131
8/3
$2,600
4 Adrian Viguera
513
428
9
1.923
1.199
7/4
$2,300
5 Carlos Hallon
477
446
8
1.515
1.070
7/4
$2,000
6 Michael Kang
489
518
8
1.429
0.944
6/5
$1,800
7 Frank Torres
475
550
7
1.429
0.864
6/5
$1,600
8 Jose Villalobos
466
490
10
1.515
0.951
5/6
$1,400
9 Sixto Jauregui
468
530
8
1.136
0.883
4/7
$1,200
10 Mazin Shooni
452
507
11
1.136
0.892
3/8
$1,000
11 Danny Rhee
416
533
9
1.163
0.780
3/8
$800
12 Timo Moreno
402
596
7
NA
0.674
0/11
$700
Finals Round Robin Chart in PDF format

Jose Villalobos from California finished eighth.

 

Images courtesy: billiardsimport.com.

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