James Winter ’09

UCLA philosophy grad student James Winter ’09 has demonstrated remarkable abilities in billiards. Though most widely known for its academic competitions, the College Bowls sponsored by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) also include some less academic-intensive competitions. Winter captured the Region 15 Men's Billiards competition for the third year in a row.

Winter advanced to ACUI's national College Bowl competition in June 2005. In 2003 he placed third, and in 2004 he nabbed the number two spot. On his third trip to the nationals, Winter placed fourth in the country.

A UCLA counseling assistant originally from Louisville, Winter's success at the ACUI pool table is no fluke. After earning his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., Winter spent three years playing pool semi-professionally before pursuing his graduate studies, first at Columbia University, then at UCLA. Currently, he also teaches a pocket billiards class at UCLA and pursues his other hobby, cycling.

For the record, UCLA's academic team placed second in the regional ACUI College Bowl.