Visit Cheyenne is sending its sponsored athlete to California for everyone's favorite dry pool party. Billiards, that is. 

Cheyenne is a city that is host to plenty of talent. It’s been the stomping grounds of famous rodeo champions, major league baseball players, artists, designers, and many more. Jon Goodman (no, not that Jon Goodman) of Cheyenne is good at many things and is one of those very talented people. He’s good at his job as a law enforcement officer in Cheyenne. He’s good at serving the community. He’s also good at representing his city on the national stage. Jon is a Marine Corps Special Forces veteran and a five-time national champion in billiards at the US Police and Fire Games (USPFG).

If you’ve never heard of them before, the USPFG is like the Olympics for law enforcement and firefighters around the country. The games promote camaraderie and physical fitness while giving states and cities around the country the chance to have some friendly competition. To compete, one needs to be an active or retired law enforcement officer or firefighter. The games include nearly 40 different sports, including weightlifting, shooting, soccer, softball, track and field, and billiards.

Billiards is Jon’s game. Commonly known as pool, billiards has been around for centuries. Developed as a lawn game similar to croquet, it began to look more like the pool we know today with the development of the pool cue stick in the 17th century. As it turns out, Jon is very good with a stick, and, like his actor counterpart, knows his cue (The punster in me cannot be helped…). Jon D. Goodman is a five-time billiards champion, including back-to-back-to-back wins in 2019, 2021, and 2022. The games were cancelled in 2020. In 2022, he brought home the gold medal in straight pool and the bronze in 8-ball.

Jon Goodman stands beside one of Cheyenne's Big Boots with his trusty pool cue. Photo courtesy of Megan Gilmore

Jon is a Cheyenne native, growing up working on his family’s cattle ranch in Buford. After graduating from Central High School, he joined the US Marines for a four-year stint and got stationed in Japan. It was there Jon was introduced to billiards. While being away from the States for more than a year and a half, a fellow marine who knew his way around the pool table got Jon started on the game. His friend ordered the 20-year-old Goodman his own pool cue and the young Marine channeled his boredom into the game, becoming an ace at it. After leaving the Marines, he went on to go to the University of Wyoming where he was the school champion in billiards, then became a Wyoming state champion in pool. His love affair with billiards continues today in his law enforcement career with the Police and Fire Games.

This year Jon returns to those games as Visit Cheyenne's sponsored athlete hoping to bring a sixth championship back to Cheyenne. 

“Being a Cheyenne native, I feel extremely honored to represent Cheyenne, Wyoming, on a national stage.” Jon told Visit Cheyenne, “As a regular old kid growing up in Cheyenne, I never dreamed of anything like this.  It truly is humbling.”

The US Police and Fire Games begin June 12th and run through the 16th. Join Visit Cheyenne in wishing Jon the best of luck as he reps the Magic City on the national stage once again.