Nicole King, Chris Wilson (Eagle Billiards owner) and Linda Shea
As the J. Pechauer Northeast Women’s Tour rounded its final turn, headed for its season-finale home, its two top competitors were neck and neck. Approaching that last turn, going into Stop #7 on the tour, Kia Sidbury had a slight, five-point lead in the tour standings, just ahead of Nicole King, with Tour Director Linda Shea, 20 points behind King. Shea went undefeated through a short field of 15 entrants at Stop #7, held on December 13-14, at Eagle Billiards in Dickson City, PA, which allowed her to claim the $100-added (by Billy R. Bunn) event title and first place in the standings.
King, as runner-up, moved up a slot to the second position. Sidbury, who was sent to the loss side by Shea and eliminated by King on the loss side, slipped into third place. Karen Corr, who’s won three of the tour’s events, but did not compete in this event, remained in fourth place, just ahead of Judie Wilson in fifth place.
Following an opening round, 7-3 victory over Shelah Joner, Shea moved into what proved to be a double hill battle against Sidbury. Shea advanced to a winners’ side semifinal match against Elaine Wilson, as Melissa Jenkins and Sharon O’Hanlon squared off in the other one.
Shea downed Wilson 7-2 and was met in the hot seat match by Jenkins, who’d sent O’Hanlon to the loss side 7-4. Shea and Jenkins locked up in a double hill fight that eventually sent Jenkins to the semifinals.
On the loss side, Elaine Wilson met up with Anita Sowers, who’d been sent there by O’Hanlon and downed Denise Mangini, double hill, and Chari Slater 7-3 to reach her. O’Hanlon picked up King, who, following her defeat at the hands of Shea, had eliminated Sidbury 7-1 and Ada Lio 7-4.
Wilson got into the quarterfinal match with a 7-4 victory over Sowers and was met by King, who’d survived a double hill fight versus O’Hanlon. King ended Wilson’s weekend 7-4 and then got a shot at Shea in the hot seat with a strong 7-1 victory over Jenkins in the semifinals.
Both the event title and first place in the tour standings was at stake as Shea and King squared off in the finals. The winner would claim both. Shea completed her undefeated run through the field with a 7-4 win.
Shea thanked the ownership and staff at Eagle Billiards, as well as title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues, Coins of the Realm, ‘live stream’ sponsor Britanya E. Rapp (angle aim Art), Turtle Rack, and Baltimore City Cues. The next stop on the JPNEWT will be the tour’s season finale, scheduled for December 1-2 at Triple Nines Bar & Billiards in Elkridge, MD. Look for another tight race as the tour’s top competitors race for the finish line.
