A group of Latonia residents are $30,000 richer after a recent visit to Sin City. But their good fortune didn’t happen in the casino.
A team dubbed “Shoot to Thrill” won the 2025 APA World 8-Ball Championship earlier this month in Las Vegas.
Shoot to Thrill were one of 793 teams to qualify for the American Poolplayers Association’s (APA) World 8-Ball Championship held at the Westgate Las Vegas.
Shoot to Thrill took home $30,000 and ultimate bragging rights upon returning home to their local poolroom. Team members include: Bobby White, Rob Boschert, Rick Turner, Tonya Hildebrand, Phil Hamilton, Don Meinze and Garrett Miller.
The teammates are members of the American Poolplayers Association (APA) Pool League in Latonia where they play pool regularly.
The championship match was live-streamed and can be viewed at: 2025 APA 8-Ball World Championship Final.
The World 8-Ball Championship, held Aug. 5 – 10, was part of the APA’s World Championships which featured nearly 14,000 total players and more than $1.3 Million in prize money.
The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, known as the APA Pool League throughout the United States, and as the Canadian Pool League in Canada. More than 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9‑Ball League play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.
The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA World Pool Championships, the APA Poolplayer Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out nearly $2 Million in cash and prizes annually!
The APA and its championships are sponsored by Aramith, Action Cues, Diamond Billiard Products, Kamui Tips and PoolDawg.com.
For more information on the American Poolplayers Association, visit poolplayers.com.
American Poolplayers Association