It hasn’t taken Kyle Coleman long to find success in his relatively new hobby.

The Niles resident, who began playing pool just four year ago, finished second in a 9-ball competition last weekend at the American Poolplayers Association (APA) National Singles Championship in Las Vegas.

Coleman, a Brandywine graduate and electrician in the area, earned the right to play in the amateur national championships by winning a local qualifier in South Bend and a regional tournament in Indianapolis.

Coleman was runner-up in a field of 277 players in the 9-Ball Shootout in his first time playing in a national-level tournament.

“It just felt great to go out to Vegas, but to be a runner-up says a lot more,” Coleman said.

Coleman earned a $5,000 prize package, including a cash payout, a watch, a pool stick and pool case.

He also finished ninth in the 8-ball competition that weekend.

“It was just non-stop pool,” Coleman said.

He began playing pool just a few years ago at his step-dad’s suggestion and plays several times a week at the Hide-A-Way Lounge and the Round Table Bar and Grill in Niles.