Buntrock and Doane traveling to Las Vegas for national tournament
Bob Buntrock and Dave Doane, the two top percentage shooters in the 2008-09 Sanibel 8-Ball Pool League, will compete in the 2009 BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships in Las Vegas, to be held May 8-16.
The national tournament draws more that 6,000 players and 2000 teams annually from the United States, Canada, and eight other foreign countries. More than $66,000 is guaranteed as prize money.
Buntrock shot .750 and Doane .700 as teammates on Bunt’s Ball Busters, first place winners in the second year of the Sanibel League. In that League, 60 Sanibel players compete on Monday nights from October through March on American Legion Post 123’s two pocket billiard tables. These are the only two tables available for League play on Sanibel or Captiva. Sanibel’s new $14 million Recreation Center has a bumper pool table and a foos ball table but no pocket billiard tables. How many persons participate in bumper pool or foos ball leagues or tournaments is not known.
The two Sanibel players are also members of a team in the Fort Myers 8-Ball Lounge League. Their team won the all-expense paid Vegas trip in a four-team playoff for the tournament spot.
Buntrock has been active in Sanibel real estate circles since 1972 when he came to the island as part of the development team for Loggerhead Cay Condominiums. From 1974 to 1989, he owned and operated three Sanibel real estate and vacation rental companies: Executive Services, Inc.; Out Island Properties, Inc.; and Sanibel Realty, Inc. Today, Buntrock is owner/broker of Buntrock Realty Group, Inc. and is active in the Sanibel, Fort Myers, and northern Minnesota real estate markets. He will participate in both singles and team play at the tournament.
Doane arrived on Sanibel in 1974 and has been active in the marine services business on Sanibel and Captiva for 30 years. He has been owner/operator of Island Marine Services, Inc. for the past 15 years. He will participate in team play in Las Vegas.
Both are planning to participate again in the third year of Sanibel 8-Ball League play starting in October. The League will expand to eight teams this year to better accommodate those islanders interested in pocket billiard table competition. Anyone interested in joining a team can contact Buntrock at 239-274-7881 or Doane at 472-3380.