The Oklahoma State 8-Ball Championships played host to a marquee battle over the weekend of August 3-4, as two of the area's more prominent players battled; twice, in fact. The battles were not, however, for the hot seat and finals. Shane McMinn and Chip Compton each played three matches on the loss side of this Open event, with McMinn's second, proving to be Compton's last. McMinn had been sent west from among the winners' side final four by Gordon Vanderveer. He returned to double dip Vanderveer in the finals and claim the OK State title. Chip Compton, who'd been sent to the loss side by McMinn among the winners' side final eight, won three on that side of the bracket and met McMinn a second time in the quarterfinals. The $1,750-added event, held under the auspices of the Midwest 9-Ball Tour, drew 64 entrants to Magoo's in Tulsa, OK. A concurrently-run, $250-added ladies event, won by Brittany Colbert, drew nine entrants.
Once McMinn had successfully negotiated his first encounter with Compton (7-5), he moved into the winners' side semifinals, and his first of three against Vanderveer. Andy Friedhofen, in the meantime, met up with Jaron Williams. Friedhofen and Vanderveer advanced to the hot seat with 7-4 wins over Williams and McMinn. Vanderveer picked up the pace, claiming the hot seat with a 7-3 win over Friedhofen.
Compton opened his loss-side campaign with wins over K.C. Massey and David Strawn, both 5-2, which set him up to face Williams. McMinn picked up Jim Weast, who'd survived a double hill fight against Jesse James and downed Ken Jennings 5-3. Williams went down, double hill, Weast was eliminated 5-2, and the quarterfinal re-match between McMinn and Compton was on.
McMinn won that battle 5-2, and gave up only a single rack in the semifinals against Friedhofen that followed. He then went on to take the opening set of the true double elimination final 7-5, and completed his quest for the Oklahoma State 8-Ball Championship title with a 5-2 win in the second set.
In the Ladies event, Brittany Colbert punctuated a four-match, undefeated run through the short field of nine entrants with a shutout victory in the finals over Connie Williams (mother to Jaron Williams, who finished fifth in the Open event). The two had battled for the hot seat, won by Colbert 5-3. Williams moved west for a semifinal match against Michelle Davis, who'd just survived a double hill battle against Kerry Williams. Williams downed Davis 4-2 for a second chance against Colbert, only to be turned aside without a single rack, leaving Colbert in possession of the Ladies title.
The Midwest 9-Ball Tour moves to Olathe, Kansas this weekend, where Shooter's will place host to a $1,000-added One-Pocket event, and a $4,000-added 9-Ball tournament. The One-Pocket event will get underway on Thursday, August 8, with the 9-Ball tournament to follow, on Friday, August 9.
