VW man finishes 2nd at national tourney

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

While many people play pool for fun and recreation, a local man has taken his game national and he had a very impressive showing at a recent competition.

Josh Hanicq of Van Wert finished second out of a field of 495 at the BCA Pool League World Championships, 8-Ball singles double elimination gold event, which was held at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 25-28.

“They always have a national event and a buddy of mine threw out the idea of going to Vegas and I noticed I had enough available vacation time to make it work so I paid my entry fee and got entered into the tournament,” Hanicq said.

The field was mainly comprised of players from the U.S. and Canada, and the event was a “Race to 5” or the first person to five games format. It was the highest personal finish recorded by Hanicq at a state or national event. He previously played in a state tournament and made it “into the money” and placed 17th at a national event in 2019. He also placed eighth at a tournament in Indiana in 2018.

The person who won the 8-Ball singles gold event was Robbie Garza from California. The top prize was $10,000 and Hanicq’s runner-up showing earned him $7,000.

Despite a field of nearly 500 other top players, Hanicq said he didn’t feel intimidated during the tournament.

“I tried not to get into ‘oh my goodness I’m playing so-and-so,’” he explained. “The way the divisions were broken down, everybody was essentially near the same capabilities so I kind of envisioned playing myself. If I could outplay an opponent as good as I normally play I liked my chances.”

“It was all about not looking ahead, trying to go one game or match at a time,” he added. “The way I’ve always walked into any tournament, whether it’s a weekend bar tournament or something that’s bigger, I just look at it one match at a time. I don’t ever have an expectation that I’m going to finish in the top three or whatever – I just want to play spoiler to everybody and that will snowball and I’ll put myself in good position.”

Hanicq also gave thanks to his family for their support while he plays a game he enjoys.

“My wife (Alexis) kind of gives me crap every now and then,” he said with a laugh. “Ultimately she knows that pool is my one passion as far as hobbies go and she held the fort down with our two kids and she was following everything I was doing while I was out there.”

He also said he was able to keep people up to date via Facebook Live, which led to a lot of support and positive energy from the area.

Hanicq has been playing league pool since 2005 and is the league operator of the Van Wert BCA Pool League, which currently plays at the Old South, Olympic Lanes and Cheers and Gears. He also gave credit to Bob Hufford for helping him develop his game to where it is today.

“I was the guy that thought you had to hit the ball 100 miles per hour to make it as opposed to what the game is really about as far as finesse and things like that,” Hanicq said. “Bob kind of took me under his wing, not to formally teach, but to practice with me, point things out and pick his brain to really start understanding the game.”

At one point, Hanicq was laid off from work, which allowed him and to practice with Hufford at least 3-4 times per week for a year.

“We would go up to CJ’s in Van Wert when they were open and play pool all night,” he said. “That’s where I really started to get a little bit better and I learned how to learn, if that makes sense. I was able to watch what people were doing and how they were playing.”

At some point, Hanicq said he’ll play in another national event with an eye on a possible first place finish.

“I don’t know when my vacation time in life is going to allow for me to get out there again but I’ll definitely be back,” Hanicq said. “I don’t want to say I’ve got a foul taste in my mouth from getting that far but it makes you want to get back and you know what it felt like to play in the final match and win it all. It was an awesome feeling and I want to see if I can get over that hump and actually win it.”