New York State Championship Taken By My-Hahn Lac/Briana Miller Receives WPBA Qualifier

The wrap-up for this weekend's New York State Championship J. Pechauer Custom Cues Northeast Women's 9-Ball Tour (JPNEWT) event at Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, New York, came down to three names on Sunday – Briana Miller, My-Hahn Lac, and Megan (Minerich) Smith.

Heading into the Sunday rounds, eight players remained. On the undefeated side of the brackets, Emily Duddy v. Megan Smith, and Linda Shea v. Briana Miller.  The one-loss side held My-Hahn Lac v. Holly Sholes, Gail Glazebrook v. Erin McManus.  McManus had an easy start as Glazebrook forfeited the night before, but ran into Duddy in the next round ending her trip toward the finals 7-6. Mixing up the day, Smith and Miller moved on, while Lac and Duddy did the same and when the chalk cleared, the field was narrowed to just three.

Lac took a first round loss at the hands of Emily Duddy 7-6, then picked off players on the one-loss side with victories (after a bye) over Supadra Boonpasook 7-1, Borana Andoni 7-5, Naomi Fingerhut 7-2, Holly Sholes 7-2, and Linda Shea 7-2 before getting her revenge on Duddy in the quarters 7-2.

Next up was young Briana Miller in the semis.  Miller had yet another great event remaining on the undefeated side of the chart until Sunday morning where she fell to WPBA player Megan Smith for the hot-seat 7-4.  To get to the hot-seat, Miller passed losses on to her opponents Colleen Shoop 7-2, Rhio Anne Flores 7-6, Mindy Rodriguez 7-3, and Linda Shea on the hill 7-6.

The semis reflected a 7-2 loss outcome for the youngin while playing Lac, but regardless of the ending, she received what most came for – the WPBA qualifier spot for the U.S. Open. Both Smith and Lac had prior invites to the event and being the next in line to finish high this weekend, Miller will have a go at it at the Open – best of luck to her!

The finals pitted Megan Smith against an always determined Lac and ultimately it would be Lac that finished out the weekend 9-6 against Smith.

For more information about this weekend's host room, visit their website at www.raxxpoolroom.com.  The tour thanks owner Holden Chin for offering up a great place to play and for not only supporting our regional tour, but many others that come through his neck of the woods.  If you are in the area, stop in and say hello to the great staff and management at Raxx.

If you would like to know more about the JPNEWT, visit www.jpnewt.com or stop into the next event to be held May 23-24, 2009 at Castle Billiards Lounge in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The event will be a $1500 added WPBA qualifier event for the WPBA event held June 17-21, 2009.