Rebecca Wagner (Photo courtesy of Nick De Leon)
Owner of a couple of wins on the Arizona Women's Billiards Tour this year (April & September), and a 9th place finish in the WPBA's Regional Tour Championships in January, Rebecca Wagner traveled north and west to join a 30-entrant field at the $4,700-added, 3rd Annual Chinook Winds Casino and Resort's 10-Ball Championships (Ladies Division) in Lincoln City, OR on the weekend of October 9-11. She was awarded a bye in the opening round, and lost her first match to Liz Cole. She went on a seven-match, loss-side winning streak that put her into the finals against The Duchess of Doom, Allison Fisher, and double-dipped her to take the title.
With Wagner at work on the loss side, Fisher and Susie O'Connor advanced to the hot seat match; Fisher having sent Joanne Ashton to the loss side 5-2 in a winners' side semifinal, as O'Connor was busy surviving a double hill match against Liz Cole. Fisher, who at that point, was boasting a 20-4 advantage in total games played, made it 25-4 with a shutout over O'Connor and waited in the hot seat for Wagner.
Following opening loss-side victories over Sherry Ahola and Melyssa Chasteen, Wagner chalked up two straight double hill wins over Bev Ashton and Kimberly Kirk to earn herself a re-match against Cole. Joanne Ashton drew Cindy Sliva, who'd defeated Deby Welfringer and Bernie Store, both 5-3, to reach her.
Wagner successfully navigated her re-match against Cole 5-3, and in the quarterfinals, faced Sliva, who'd eliminated Joanne Ashton 5-1. Wagner advanced to the semifinals with a 5-3 win over Sliva, and then, as Fisher had done before her, shut out O'Connor.
Apparently in something of a shutout mood, Wagner took the opening set of the true double elimination final against Fisher 5-0. The Duchess of Doom wasn't about to let that stand and put up a strong double hill fight in the second set. Wagner prevailed, though, to claim the event title.
