Kraficzk makes APA's US Amateur Championship

Kimball local makes US Amateur Championship-American Poolplayers Association (APA) in Tampa, Fla.

The youngest player in the 2017 Championship tournament, Seth Krafczik won his spot in Flordia by winning one of the 38 preliminary rounds, at Match-ups Pool Hall in Fort Collins, Colo., at the end of Sept. Krafczik along with two other winners from Match-up won a spot in the US Amateur competition.

Out of nearly 2000 pool players in the preliminary rounds only 128 made it to the beach in sunny Florida.

The tournament set to run Nov. 10-12 Krafczik, dad Roger, and mom Brandy headed out. This tournament is a race to seven (first to win seven games wins the match), with the finals being a race to 11 games. All games are a combination of 8-Ball and 9-Ball with five games of 8-Ball and 8 games of 9-Ball, in the true double elimination set up. At the start of the match the two players lag, the winner choses if he gets to break or 8-Ball or 9-Ball will be played, the other player choses what the winning player didn't.

The tournament is set up with 13 standard nine foot tables, the time limit for each match is an hour and a half, with absolutely no practice time.

First round started at 9 a.m. on Friday with Krafczik's first game being with former champ Ernesto Bayaua, Krafczik sent Bayaua to the losers bracket early with one loss, and Krafczik moving on to the next round.

Krafczik played five more matches that weekend losing the second match, Krafczik came back to win his next three, however, came up short in his last match. During Krafczik's fourth match of the day he had the privilege of playing on the TV Table and was televised during his win in the fourth match.

The matches continued through Sunday Nov. 12 with Krafczik getting the opportunity to be a commentator during the Semi-finals matches.

For the fifth year in a row Brian Parks of Bakersfield, Calif., took the tournament defeating Jeremy Edwards of Farmland, Ind., 11-6.

All around Krafczik did great finishing 25 in the nation out of 128 players. "It was a total blast, we had such a great time down there," Krafczik said. "We had to dress up, slacks, collared shirts and all."

Small world it really is Krafczik's father Roger was wearing a Nebraska hat and many people asked if they were from Nebraska and where about, the guys replied "a small town called Kimball," and wouldn't you know it, they knew Kimball. Many people the family talked to were either from Western Nebraska or have family in these parts.

Krafczik at the young age of 19 has only been playing APA for 15 months, but has been playing pool for 10 years and has been playing in competitive tournaments and traveling for about the past five years. Speaking of more tournaments, he isn't anywhere close to done, as much fun as Krafczik had on this trip, he was a little up set he missed opening weekend of deer season, but it was well worth it. However, Krafczik is on a team for a Tournament in Cheyenne the first weekend of Dec., which also happens to fall on opening weekend of Muzzle Loader season.