Pic taken June 2005 by Adam
Zayas. All photos copyright of AZBilliards.com
Tara has been playing since
1998. She started playing pool because she moved to Denton to
live on her own and began playing at the local bar as something to do
besides "sit on my butt at home."
She loves most about pool, "all the interesting people that you
meet. You may not care for all of them, but you cannot deny that
it is a very interesting mix."
Two people in her life have influenced her the most. Adam Zayas
was the initial catalyst for her game to improve. When they first
met, they played a game of 8-ball at the local bar. At the
beginning of the game he asked how many shots she wanted that game, She
replied with a grin, "26." She then broke and ran to the 8,
but missed. He then proceeded to hook her until she got all 26
shots, then ran out. Tara was so mad that she told herself
she would be able to beat him some day and she is "just about
there." The other big influence in her game has been Charlie
Brown. The knowledge he has shown her when they practice
together has "allowed me to continue my progress forward and he is a
major reason that I am able to compete on a professional level today."
What does she want people to know about her? "I just want to have
fun when I play. There is no point in dragging yourself all the
way to a tournament if you can't enjoy yourself. And I like to
talk...alot, so watch out."
Tara's highest finish so far as been 2nd Place at Big Daddy's in Nov
2004. She also earned Player of the Year for 2004!
Here is what was printed in Inside Pool:
Tara McCracken, from
Dallas, TX, had an amazing year in 2004 on the Hunter Classics Amateur
Women's
Tour. She fought through the brackets at all 7 stops this year to
become the Regional Tour runner-up. Tara
is not only a very personable lady, she is also a very confident,
dedicated, and talented pool player (funny,
smart, pretty...c'mon Mika might be reading it). This is the
first year Tara attended every stop - and her
improvement and consistency are impressive: she had FIVE top 5
finishes, including a fourth place finish,
a third place finish, and TWO second place finishes. Before this year,
she hadn't placed higher than eighth
on the Hunter Classics Tour. Tara is only 26 and ready for the
pros. She has yet to win a coveted WPBA
Qualifier, but she already has two sponsors backing her towards her
goal. Tara's skills are remarkable,
especially considering she has only been playing for 5 years. The
Hunter Classics Amateur Women's Tour is
honored to name Tara McCracken as the Player of the Year for 2004.
