Very nice picture, thanks for posting it.
I'll bet on the top row!!!!!!
I'm not sure where Loni lived, but she played in the majority of the tournament, at least those held in the midwest, starting in the early 70's. I left Detroit area in Oct 1976 and lost track of her. She was a very nice player and capable of beating most on any given day, but not a champion. She was, however, a great lady to be around and a fierce competitor. She loved the game and it showed.
Allen Gilbert was the cream of the crop in America for many years and close to his peak during this time (peaked for 5-8 years, but continued to play great after his peak). In my opinion, Louis Campos was the next best player of this group. It's a shame he quit the game at an early age - maybe he moved back to Mexico. George Ashby may have been the next best & later proved to be the champion he aspired to. I think he won the US Nationals 2, maybe 3 times. Carlos Hallon just kept getting better and is still playing excellent billiards. Bill "The Hawk" Hawkins was just a blast to be around. Always had a joke, magic trick, whatever & his laugh was infectious. Bill held the high run in America for many years. Not sure what it was but I think it was 18 or something like that. He had it on his lisence plate.
That's all I can remember, but I had the pleasure to play against most of these folks, including Loni, over the years. It has been a great honor. But where's Shorty in the picture. He was very active in 3-cushion tourneys during this time?
Dave
Just for fun, here's a picture for you that Dino Andrews found & sent me. It's from a tournament held in Mike Donnelly's room in Monroe, MI in the erly 70's. I'm the young one with hair a little longer than the rest.
