Sofia Mast (Sandro Menzel)
Spokane, the 2nd largest city in the state of Washington, has hosted a springtime Lilac Festival since 1938, which has featured through the years, over 200 species of the plant, including a pink hybrid of the flower, known as Syringa, developed in the 1920s by a legendary female horticulturalist, Isabella Preston. This past weekend (Aug. 18-19), the Lilac City, as its known locally, played host to another pink breed of ‘flower.’ Known as the Pink Dagger, Florida’s 15-year-old Sofia Mast travelled about as far away from home as it’s possible to get within the continental US and became the youngest player to win an event on the Northwest Women’s Pool Association Tour. She went undefeated at the tour’s $2,000-added fourth stop, which drew 51 entrants to Legacy Billiards in Spokane.
The Pink Dagger cut through the field with apparent ease, though no match or series of them is ever as easy as the score might indicate. She didn’t give up more than a single rack in her first four matches against Lisa Van Winkle (1), Melissa Wilson (1), Mary Garcia (1) and Dynamelle Castilleja (0). With her aggregate score of 24-3, she arrived at a winners’ side semifinal match against the tour’s #2-ranked competitor, Kathie MacDonald. In the meantime, long-time NWPA/ WPBA tour veteran and #5 in the tour standings, Liz Cole, was working her way through the field. After sending Sarah-Danielle Bicoy (3), Chelsea Reiter (4), Amber Foster (4) and Katherine Robertson (2) to the loss side, she arrived at her winners’ side semifinal against Rego Hoko with an aggregate score of 24-13.
In their first of what would be two matches, the Pink Dagger downed MacDonald 6-4. Cole, in the meantime, locked up in a double-hill battle versus Hoko, which did, eventually, send Cole to the hot seat match against Mast. A more ‘irresistible force meets immovable object’ hot seat match in women’s pool is hard to imagine and predictably, it went double hill. Mast claimed the hot seat, as Cole moved west to tackle MacDonald in the semifinals.
Upon arrival to the loss side of the bracket, MacDonald picked up Dora Valdez, who’d followed her winners’ side quarterfinal loss to Hoko with victories over Reiter 5-2 and Robertson, double hill. Hoko drew Marian Poole, who’d eliminated Kaitlin Stengel 5-1 and Stephanie Drakulic, double hill, to reach her.
Hoko downed Pool 5-1, as MacDonald was eliminating Valdez 5-2. MacDonald kept Hoko’s loss-side wins to one, defeating her 5-2 in the quarterfinals.
MacDonald and Cole came within a game of making the semifinals a double-hill match, but MacDonald prevailed for a second shot at Mast, waiting for her in the hot seat. The Pink Dagger claimed her Lilac City title with a 9-6, second victory over MacDonald in the finals.
“I can’t believe it,” wrote Mast a day later in a Facebook post. “All the ladies here are great shooters and so nice.”
Mast congratulated Kathie MacDonald for her runner-up finish, letting her know that she’s “amazing and that (she, Mast) can learn a lot from her breaks.” She congratulated Liz Cole for her third-place finish as well, letting her know that she’s “a great shooter, too.”
“I knew,” Mast added, “(that) if I missed, I wasn’t getting back to the table.”
Mast made the trip to Spokane by invitation of her sponsor Damian Pongpanik from Jam Up Apparel, who hosted her and “(fed her) delicious food.”
“Even though,” she added, “I think I gained 50 lbs.”
Mast extended her thanks to Pongpanik and his wife, Mindy Maynard for their “warm hospitality,” tournament director Chris Rogers “for running a great tournament. . smooth and professional,” Tyrel Datwyler for his “great livestream and commentary” and Legacy Billiards for their “warm welcome, sooooo goooood” food and “nice people.”
Tour representatives thanked TD Rogers, his assistants Brett Cavazos/Brian Kvasnicka and Legacy Billiards owner (Steve Rijon), his manager (Alex Rijon) and staff for their hospitality, as well, along with Tour Sponsor Littman Lights and Stop Sponsors, Legacy Billiards and Jam Up Apparel. The next stop on the NWPA Tour, scheduled for the weekend of Sept 16-17, will be hosted by Golden Fleece in Everett, WA.
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