Vickie McKillop (owner), Nicole Bacon, Leslie Rogers, Sarah Ellerby and Ed McKillop (owner)
48 women came to compete at the final stop of the Hunter Classics 2001 Season in Alvin, TX November 10-11. This Championship Stop would also crown the Tour Champion and it was a fight until the bitter end.
Gail Lave, Brenda Plantz and Leslie Anne Rogers were fighting for the title and even on Sunday morning no one was sure who would win. Only one point separated these three ladies, but in the end, Leslie Anne Rogers would win the Tour Championship title and also the tournament!
This is the 5th time in a row Big Daddy's has hosted the season finale of the Hunter Classics Tour. Many thanks for our wonderful hosts Vickie and Ed McKillop. Also, a big thanks to Rich Walkuski for being our referee and Mike Roles for being yet again a great Tournament Director for us. And thank you to Wes Hunter who donated a beautiful $1,900 Hunter Classics Custom Cue for this stop. Debi Goode, Heather Pratt and Andy Guerrero were wonderful help over the weekend working at Bid Daddy's and making the ladies feel at home.
Leslie Anne Rogers of Arlington, TX won $750 for her first place finish and fought all year for the Tour Champion title. Leslie has been placing high for several years now, including a runner-up finish in the main event in 1998 and three second chance tournament wins just last year. However, this year she has had two runner-up finishes in the last three Hunter Classics Stops, which help her to be in the running for the championship title. With this tournament win, it pushed her way ahead in first place in the points and now she can also claim the title of having won a Hunter Classics Event, after so many close times.
Sarah Ellerby, runner-up in the Amateur Nationals, received $550 for her second place finish, Nicole Bacon placed 3rd and received $400 and her highest finish yet! Jeannie Seaver, runner-up in the Regional Tour Championship the previous weekend, placed 4th and received $250 after going hill-hill her last two matches. Julie Stephenson, Hunter Tour Board Member, placed 5th as did local Dana Hanks - her highest finish yet. Karen Smith and Brenda Plantz, traveling buddies from Colorado, both placed 7th, with their other traveling roommate Lisa Preston placing 9th. The other three 9th-12th place finishers included last year's Alvin winner Sherri Hudson, Sherry Pouncey of Austin ,TX having her highest finish yet and Natalie Mans of Clearlake, TX playing in her first Hunter Tournament. Congratulations to all of the women!
Sarah Ellerby's road to the finals started off with a bye and then wins over Gail Lave 7-5, Sybil Wingard 7-1, Brenda Plantz 7-5, Jeannie Seaver 7-5 and Nicole Bacon 7-6 before playing Leslie in the finals.
Leslie's road to the finals started off with a bye also, and then wins over Melinda Bailey 7-2 and Sherry Romero before losing to Jeannie Seaver 5-7. At this crucial point in the tournament, Brenda and Leslie were both still in the tournament on Sunday, but on the one-loss side. When play began on Sunday, Leslie had beat Natalie Mans 7-2 while watching Brenda Plantz play Sherri Hudson. Sherri and Brenda went hill-hill and on the last game, Sherri missed the 9 and scratched which meant Brenda and Leslie had to play each other! When the smoke cleared, Leslie defeated Brenda 7-4 and Leslie was announced the Tour Champion. Brenda and Leslie will both receive invitations to the WPBA Nationals in December! Congratulations to both of these ladies for a hard fight all year long.
Leslie then went into high gear - wow stop now? And defeated Jeannie Seaver 7-6, Nicole Bacon 9-4 and then Sarah Ellerby 11-6 in the finals. Leslie won the tournament by snapping the 9 in on the break and finishing her great year in style.
Numerous raffle items were raffled off, but some of the main prizes were autographed balls signed by professional pool players. Winners of the autographed balls included Ismael, Robert Plata, Suzanne Walkuski, Linda Chestnut and Billy D. Another great raffle prize was a gift certificate to the local favorite restaurant, Joe's Bar B Q, which was won by owner Ed McKillop.
Several cues were also raffled off. The number one cue was the beautiful Hunter Classics Custom Cue valued at $1,900. June Walter of San Antonio was very surprised, but very excited that she finally won a Hunter Classic cue! The cue forearm is Goncola Alves w/5 ebony points, Ebony butt w/ Goncola Alves band and it has orange and white veneers and stitch rings, 5 Ivory inlays in butt and a black with white linen wrap.
The other cues for raffle were a $200 Rhino cue won by Jeannette Martinez of San Antonio, a $500 Olivier cue won by Audra Carter of San Antonio and a $1,200 Annie O' cue won by W.T. Wetsel of the Houston area. Anne Mays donated the Annie O' cue and also played in the tournament. She placed 1st in the second chance event, defeating Kawania Watson of San Antonio hill-hill. Mindy Williams of Houston - newly awarded Most Improved Player of 2001 - placed 3rd with Heather Pulford of Austin placing 4th.
The second chance tournament raised money from a Lucasi Cue donated by professional pool player Jeremy Jones, but also raised money for the fire fighter's fund of September 11th. $435 was raised for the fund, and will be sent to the "Widows and Children's Fund of the Uniformed Firefighter's Association." Theresa Murphy of San Antonio won the Jeremy Jones Lucasi Cue. Thanks to Jeremy for supporting us again this year in Alvin, TX.
The Hunter Classics members would like to thank Wes Hunter for his continued support and cannot wait to play in 2002! Thank you Wes for supporting women's pool! This tour would not be the largest, longest running regional women's tour without YOU.
