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Rhinelander dart player earns professional status at Bullshooter Challenge

Throwing darts is one thing. Throwing them accurately for fourteen hours a day for three days straight, is another target entirely.

“That was hard,” said Rhinelander's Pat Cleveland on a late-May competition in Chicago. “I've never had to concentrate that long before. It was exhausting.”

But well worth it.

Cleveland became Central Wisconsin Dart Association's first World Champion after he finished first overall in the Top Gun Triples with Lane Helgeson and Carolyn Nessman, both of Mukwonago, and went on to earn pro-status after competing in the Bullshooter World Challenge of Champions, May 25-29, in Illinois.

“It was something,” said Cleveland. “The competition was tremendous and it was just so much fun shooting against all the players from all the different countries.”

Players from all over the United States plus Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Japan, Mexico, Canada and England attended the 21st annual BullShooter World Championship at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, competing for over $120,000 in prize money.

Cleveland and the husband-wife duo from Mukwonago took first in Friday's Mixed Triples Top Gun, single-elimination event, going undefeated to win $2,100 and earn professional status.

Cleveland went on to tie for seventh in Men's Singles and second in the Monsters of The Midway Men's B division with teammates Scott Miller of Medford, Gary Wanta of Stevens Point and Adam Dunkel. Cleveland also finished second in Men's Doubles with Miller, which according to Ted Poplawski of the Central Wisconsin Dart Association, is the best finish by any doubles team ever in this area at the Worlds.

“I've really come up in doubles this year and it was just awesome to do that,” said Cleveland. “In general it was just great to shoot with my friends.”

In other events, Cleveland finished in a four-way tie for 13th in Mixed Cricket with Nessman and also tied for fifth in Mixed Triples with Nessman and Helgeson.

Sponsored locally by Elbo Room, Cleveland said he has been playing darts competitively for about three years and entered the Worlds competition with high expectations.

“My expectation was to get my foot in the door with Team USA,” said Cleveland, who works with his father William at Cleveland Signs when he's not tossing darts. “My goal for next year is to qualify for the team, and in order to do that you have to go to a number of international tournaments and show them what you can do.”

Cleveland said next season starts in October and runs until May with Worlds hopefully giving way to Nationals in Las Vegas.

For the time being, he's still enjoying the moment.

“The best part was the recognition I got from the professionals at Worlds,” said Cleveland. “It was something. I had a number of people come up to me and say, ‘Those were unbelievable darts.'

“It was the first year that the pros knew my name - and that is pretty cool.”

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