OCONOMOWOC – Shullsburg’s Tim Appell chalked up quite an honor recently when he captured a State Champion 9-Ball title at the 2012 Wisconsin BCA State Pool Tournament held at the Olympia Resort and Spa in Oconomowoc on Feb. 22-26.
    “It was a great feeling. It was kind of overwhelming,” said Appell. “There are so many tables and so many people there. The shooters are incredible in all divisions.”
    Competing at the BCA State Pool Tournament for the first time, Appell finished first among a field of 120 state players to claim the Men’s Single B Division 9-Ball title and he added a fifth-place finish out of more than 250 players in the Men’s Single B Division 8-Ball tournament as well.
    “You’re always on the go. As long as you keep winning, you don’t ever stop playing. I hardly stopped playing the whole time,” noted Appell.
    He was so busy during the tournament that after advancing to the 9-ball finals he had to get in two matches of 8-ball before participating in the championship 9-ball match. Then, after winning the title, he had to go right back to playing 8-ball.
    “Maybe it helped me because I didn’t have time to think about things,’ he commented.
    Appell is looking forward to attending the BCA State Tournament next year, but with such a good showing at this year’s tournament he will have to move up a division and compete against higher ranked opponents.
    Appell gets in plenty of practice on the pool table as owner of Trailside Bar in Darlington, and he also competes in leagues two to three times per week during the pool season and up to 10 tournaments per year.
    Appell’s wife, Wendy, is also an avid pool player. The couple lives in Shullsburg with their son, Remington, and Wendy’s daughter, Jada.