Jana Montour maintained her top ranking on the Northwest Women's Pool Association (NWPA) Tour by going undefeated on a tour stop on the weekend of August 14-15. The $750-added WPBA-sanctioned event drew 34 entrants to The Parlor in Bellevue, WA, with major matchups, including the finals streamed via UStream.
From among the winners' side final four, Montour sent June Maiers (at # 2 on the NWPA list) west in a double hill battle, as Kimberly Kirk (# 6) sent Shelby Locati (# 5) over 7-5. Montour dominated the hot seat match that followed, sending Kirk to the semifinals with a 7-1 victory. Montour waited for what turned out to be the return of Jackie Karol (# 8), whom she'd sent to the one-loss side 7-4 from among the winners' side final eight.
Karol began her five-match return to the finals by giving up only a single rack against her first two opponents – Eve Stockstill (0) and Shari Ross (1) – which set her up to face Locati. Regene Wentzel, in the meantime, got by Suzanne Smith 7-5 and Andrea Saenz-Maes in a double hill contest, which put her up against Maiers. Karol dropped Locati into the tie for fifth place 7-3, as Maiers got by Wentzel 7-5. Karol survived a double hill quarterfinal against Maiers to face Kirk.
Karol defeated Kirk 7-4 for a second chance against Montour. In the beginning of the final race to 9 that followed, Montour looked to be in command, jumping out to a 5-1 lead, before Karol began to chip away at it. Montour appeared to be tiring as Karol caught up and then battled to double hill. Shooting at the 7-ball in the final rack, Kirk missed, but when the cue ball came to rest, the 9-ball stood between Montour and a clear shot at the 7 in a corner pocket. Montour played the bank first, and though the 7-ball did not drop into the opposite corner pocket, it did hit the rail and return to fall into the other corner. The cue ball also came out in perfect shape for the 8-ball in the side pocket and an easy lay-up for the 9-ball, still in its original position in front of the pocket where the 7-ball had dropped. Montour sunk them both to complete her undefeated weekend.
