48 women came to compete at the final stop of the Hunter Classics 2001 Season in Alvin, TX November 10-11.  This Championship Stop would also crown the Tour Champion and it was a fight until the bitter end.

 

Gail Lave, Brenda Plantz and Leslie Anne Rogers were fighting for the title and even on Sunday morning no one was sure who would win.  Only one point separated these three ladies, but in the end, Leslie Anne Rogers would win the Tour Championship title and also the tournament!

 

This is the 5th time in a row Big Daddy's has hosted the season finale of the Hunter Classics Tour.  Many thanks for our wonderful hosts Vickie and Ed McKillop.  Also, a big thanks to Rich Walkuski for being our referee and Mike Roles for being yet again a great Tournament Director for us.  And thank you to Wes Hunter who donated a beautiful $1,900 Hunter Classics Custom Cue for this stop.  Debi Goode, Heather Pratt and Andy Guerrero were wonderful help over the weekend working at Bid Daddy's and making the ladies feel at home.

 

Leslie Anne Rogers of Arlington, TX won $750 for her first place finish and fought all year for the Tour Champion title.  Leslie has been placing high for several years now, including a runner-up finish in the main event in 1998 and three second chance tournament wins just last year.  However, this year she has had two runner-up finishes in the last three Hunter Classics Stops, which help her to be in the running for the championship title.  With this tournament win, it pushed her way ahead in first place in the points and now she can also claim the title of having won a Hunter Classics Event, after so many close times.

 

Sarah Ellerby, runner-up in the Amateur Nationals, received $550 for her second place finish, Nicole Bacon placed 3rd and received $400 and her highest finish yet!  Jeannie Seaver, runner-up in the Regional Tour Championship the previous weekend, placed 4th and received $250 after going hill-hill her last two matches.  Julie Stephenson, Hunter Tour Board Member, placed 5th as did local Dana Hanks – her highest finish yet.  Karen Smith and Brenda Plantz, traveling buddies from Colorado, both placed 7th, with their other traveling roommate Lisa Preston placing 9th.  The other three 9th-12th place finishers included last year's Alvin winner Sherri Hudson, Sherry Pouncey of Austin ,TX having her highest finish yet and Natalie Mans of Clearlake, TX playing in her first Hunter Tournament.  Congratulations to all of the women!

 

Sarah Ellerby's road to the finals started off with a bye and then wins over Gail Lave 7-5, Sybil Wingard 7-1, Brenda Plantz 7-5, Jeannie Seaver 7-5 and Nicole Bacon 7-6 before playing Leslie in the finals.

 

Leslie's road to the finals started off with a bye also, and then wins over Melinda Bailey 7-2 and Sherry Romero before losing to Jeannie Seaver 5-7.  At this crucial point in the tournament, Brenda and Leslie were both still in the tournament on Sunday, but on the one-loss side.  When play began on Sunday, Leslie had beat Natalie Mans 7-2 while watching Brenda Plantz play Sherri Hudson.  Sherri and Brenda went hill-hill and on the last game, Sherri missed the 9 and scratched which meant Brenda and Leslie had to play each other!  When the smoke cleared, Leslie defeated Brenda 7-4 and Leslie was announced the Tour Champion.  Brenda and Leslie will both receive invitations to the WPBA Nationals in December!  Congratulations to both of these ladies for a hard fight all year long.

 

Leslie then went into high gear – wow stop now?  And defeated Jeannie Seaver 7-6, Nicole Bacon 9-4 and then Sarah Ellerby 11-6 in the finals.  Leslie won the tournament by snapping the 9 in on the break and finishing her great year in style.

 

Numerous raffle items were raffled off, but some of the main prizes were autographed balls signed by professional pool players.  Winners of the autographed balls included Ismael, Robert Plata, Suzanne Walkuski, Linda Chestnut and Billy D.  Another great raffle prize was a gift certificate to the local favorite restaurant, Joe's Bar B Q, which was won by owner Ed McKillop.

 

Several cues were also raffled off.  The number one cue was the beautiful Hunter Classics Custom Cue valued at $1,900.  June Walter of San Antonio was very surprised, but very excited that she finally won a Hunter Classic cue!  The cue forearm is Goncola Alves w/5 ebony points, Ebony butt w/ Goncola Alves band and it has orange and white veneers and stitch rings, 5 Ivory inlays in butt and a black with white linen wrap.

 

The other cues for raffle were a $200 Rhino cue won by Jeannette Martinez of San Antonio, a $500 Olivier cue won by Audra Carter of San Antonio and a $1,200 Annie O' cue won by W.T. Wetsel of the Houston area.  Anne Mays donated the Annie O' cue and also played in the tournament.  She placed 1st in the second chance event, defeating Kawania Watson of San Antonio hill-hill.  Mindy Williams of Houston – newly awarded Most Improved Player of 2001 – placed 3rd with Heather Pulford of Austin placing 4th.

 

The second chance tournament raised money from a Lucasi Cue donated by professional pool player Jeremy Jones, but also raised money for the fire fighter's fund of September 11th.  $435 was raised for the fund, and will be sent to the "Widows and Children's Fund of the Uniformed Firefighter's Association."  Theresa Murphy of San Antonio won the Jeremy Jones Lucasi Cue.  Thanks to Jeremy for supporting us again this year in Alvin, TX.

 

The Hunter Classics members would like to thank Wes Hunter for his continued support and cannot wait to play in 2002!  Thank you Wes for supporting women's pool!  This tour would not be the largest, longest running regional women's tour without YOU.

Melanie Koger defeated Leslie Rogers in the finals at G-Cue Billiards in Round Rock, Texas to win her first Hunter Classics Tournament of the year.  While Leslie's runner-up finish made it the second time she has placed 2nd in a Hunter Classics Stop in 2001.  Melanie and Leslie have been league teammates for years and it was two close friends in the finals, each wanting the win.

 

The runner-up finish for Leslie was not only another important finish but also helped move her to tie for first place in the points standings.  Gail Lave is tied with Leslie by placing 5th/6th (after just playing in the WPBA event in Chicago hours before).  Brenda Plantz placed 5th/6th as well and is only one point behind the first place tie.  The next tournament in Alvin, TX (the Final Stop – the Tour Championship) in November will be the deciding tournament to see who becomes the Hunter Classics 2001 Tour Champion!

 

A BIG thank you to Wes Hunter who gives these wonderful ladies a great tournament to play in by donating a Hunter Classics Custom Cue each tournament.  Lucille Donahue won the Hunter Classics Cue this time, after many years of buying raffle tickets.  When Lucille was called about winning the cue, she wasn't home yet from traveling from the tournament, but her husband took down the message.  However, she couldn't sleep until she knew it was really true that she won the cue.  The cue, valued at $1,800, has Tulipwood forearm w/ 5 Ebony floating points and tulipwood butt, blue and card veneers with stitch rings and 5 ebony inlays on the butt.

 

Kevin Welling was a great host over the weekend as the ladies played pool on his 17 9-foot Brunswick tables at G Cue Billiards, with the bartenders just as helpful and courteous.  Thanks to the Hunter Classics Board who ran another smooth tournament and to Tony Hinojosa who kept play moving along as the Tournament Director.

 

36 ladies came to play pool over the October 13th weekend.  Some flew in from the midwest and others drove from as far away as Denver to play.  Friday night was showered with rain and thunderstorms but by Sunday clear skies were the norm as we were all indoors playing the sport we all love so much.

 

By Sunday morning the main event was getting kicked off with one-loss side matches pitting Colorado's Brenda Plantz against Austin's Sharon Townsend, June Walter from San Antonio against Austin's Heather Pulford, Kim Pierce from Bastrop, Tx against Gail Lave from Springfield, Missouri and Austin's Lucy Robinson against Tara McCracken from Lewisville, Tx.  Tara would eventually play Gail and June would eventually play Brenda.  While on the winner's side it was s an all 'Texas Shootout' with Leslie Rogers from the Dallas area playing Melanie Koger of Fort Worth, while Deanna Kniola from Austin was playing Sophie Lopez of San Antonio.  After the Texas dust settled it would be Leslie Rogers playing Deanna Kniola for the winner's bracket with Sophie playing Gail and Melanie playing Brenda on the one-loss side.

 

Leslie Rogers' fight to the finals was played on the winner's side the whole tournament, only losing one match – in the finals against Melanie Koger.  Leslie had a bye then defeated Vickie McKillop 7-2, Michelle Cortez 7-4, Gail Lave 7-1, Melanie Koger 7-4, Deanna Kniola 7-3 and then lost to Melanie 5-11 in the finals.

 

Melanie's fight to the finals: bye, defeating Julie Stephenson 7-1, Mindy Williams 7-3 and Tara McCracken 7-3 before losing to Leslie Rogers 4-7.  Melanie then fought through the one-loss side with wins over Brenda Plants 7-4, Sophie Lopez 7-4, a hill-hill thriller win over Deanna Kniola 9-8 and then defeating Leslie Rogers 11-5 to win the tournament.

 

The second chance tournament on Sunday, with $100 added and 18 women, was playing on the other side of the pool room.  Melinda Bailey of Fort Worth came out on top over runner-up finisher Jennifer Kraber of Austin.  Michelle Cortez of Austin placed third and Audra Carter of San Antonio placed 4th.

 

The ladies would like to take this time to thank Wes once again for his continued and dedicated support.  Don't forget to visit us on the web at www.hunterclassics.com.  Also, come see us at the final stop of the year, where we will find out who wins the Tour Champion and Most Improved Player at Alvin, TX November 10-11.