Day one opened with a bang as JAKEMONNIG, who previously claimed the #1 seed at the Chicago Qualifier, stormed out to a massive 163-point score early in the day. JANTAWN followed closely behind with a 160, setting the tone for an intense competition. As the day wound down, the leaderboard was stacked, but JAKEMONNIG held the top spot.
On day two, competitors kept the heat on, with many pushing into the high 120s and 130s. By the end of the second day, the leaderboard was filled with scores over 124, but no one had dethroned JAKEMONNIG. Notably, 2024 National Championship runner-up BRETTKARZEN made a surprise appearance, drawing attention from fans and competitors alike.
Day three was where the magic happened. MURPH (Chris Murphy) arrived early and immediately put up a 155, showing that he was there with serious intentions. Meanwhile, AGNO, who had quietly been building momentum since day two, was landing in the 150s consistently. Then, with only three hours left in the event, MURPH dropped a stunning 164, becoming the new leader and forcing everyone else to chase.
With the clock ticking down, the energy in the arena hit a fever pitch. Organizers pulled the top seven competitors who were still present and moved them to two dedicated games for the final hour. These were the players who had been grinding since day one, many of whom had flown in specifically for a shot at Pop-A-Shot glory. The last hour produced some of the most competitive and high scoring games we’ve seen all season. A single ball bouncing the wrong way in the final seconds could be the difference between qualifying and falling short.
