Tama Collins wins short-field Ladies event
Following a series of third place finishes, earlier this year, including the Derby City Classic's 9-Ball Banks event, Alex Olinger must have figured it was time to move up. On the weekend of June 11-12, he joined 63 competitors in Wichita, KS for the Midwest 9-Ball Tour's $2,600-added, 12th Annual Bobby Wells Memorial, hosted by Side Pockets in Wichita. After winning five on the loss side, Olinger double dipped hot seat occupant, Marshal Roney, to claim the title.
In a concurrently-run, $400-added Ladies event that drew 11 entrants, Tama Collins went undefeated to claim that title. Collins had narrowly defeated Taelor Parish in the hot seat match, double hill. On the loss side, Paula Goulden downed Debra Jennings 7-5 in the quarterfinals to face Parish in the semifinals. Goulden defeated Parish 7-2, and then, in the finals, fell to Collins in a single set 7-4.
In the Open event, Olinger was sent to the loss side in a winners' side quarterfinal by Sean King. King advanced to meet Terry Young in a winners' side semifinal, as Roney faced Cody Myers. Roney survived a double hill battle versus Myers, and in the hot seat match, met King, who'd sent Young over 9-5. Roney claimed the hot seat 9-4 and waited for Olinger to complete his five-match march on the loss side.
It was Myers who had the misfortune of picking up Olinger, three matches in to his loss-side run. Olinger had eliminatEd Scott Brown 9-1 and David Matlock 9-6. Young drew Manny Perez, who'd defeated Jason Sisler and Ken Jennings, both 9-4, to reach him.
Olinger moved into the quarterfinals after defeating Myers 9-4. Perez joined him with a 9-6 win over Young. Olinger's 9-7 win over Perez in those quarterfinals gave him a second chance against King, and he took full advantage. He defeated King 9-5 and moved into a double elimination final against Roney.
Olinger took the opening set 9-4. He repeated that score in the second set to claim the 12th Annual Bobby Wells Memorial title.
