Sandusky pool player racks up wins in Vegas

SANDUSKY — Sandusky's Amy Theriault is one of the amateur best pool players in Ohio, the nation and even the world.Playing in Las Vegas, Theriault won or placed in a string of competitions, putting her on the first-string, all-star team for all of the women who competed in the 2016 VNEA World Pool Championships. Only eight women made the all star team, and only four are first string, said Edie Dean of Attica, a teammate of Theriault.That's out of about 2,500 women from the U.S. and several countries who competed in the tournament, May 26 through June 4 at Bally's in Las Vegas."I really worked hard this year, and it finally paid off," said Theriault, 51, a utility operator at Sandusky's wastewater treatment plant.Theriault, a U.S. Army veteran who was an MP for 10 years, serving part of her time in Saudi Arabia, is a 1984 graduate of Perkins High School. She lives in Sandusky and has many family members and relatives in the area.Theriault explained that the VNEA contest and the Billiards Congress of America, also in Vegas, are the two top competitions for amateur pool players.She's competed in both before, but the recent tournament was her breakthrough.Theriault came in first place for Regular Women's 9-Ball Singles, winning $1,000, and led her four woman team to first place in the Inter Women's 8-Ball Teams competition, winning $3,200 for the team. The team included Dean and two women from Columbus, Gail Schaefer and Dana Gilmore.She and male teammate Mike Dunn came in fifth and sixth place (a tie) in the Regular Scotch Doubles Final, winning $350, and she came in 9th-12th place (another tie) in the Regular Women's 8-Ball Singles Final, winning $300.She placed and won money in all four competitions she was registered in, a remarkable achievement.Theriault said she likes pool because everyone can compete."Anybody can play it, at any skill level," she said. "My dad taught me how to play years ago in the local bars here."Theriault never played at all while in the service, though. She enjoyed the Army, but left to come home because her father was ill.Since then, she's worked as a city dispatcher and now works at the wastewater treatment plant.She credits her recent success to "practice, practice, practice." For two months before heading for Nevada, she tried to get in two hours of work every day. She said her husband, Joe Theriault, has been supportive."Without his support, I wouldn't be able to do what I do," she said. While in Vegas, she gambled a little in the evening when the competition was done. But during the tournament, she kept her focus, resting in her room between matches.Theriault says her experience as a city employee has been "awesome. No complaints."She said her boss, Jeff Meinert, has been supportive in letting her take time off to compete."He knows how important it is to me," she said.Amy Theriault, of Sandusky, stands by her pool table and awards she has won over the years. Theriault recently won a tournament in Las Vegas.