Archive Page

Jeannie Seaver goes undefeated to claim Stop #5 on Tiger Florida Tour

Michell Monk, Jeannie Seaver and Stephanie Mitchell

When the day started – Saturday, August 27 – Jeannie Seaver was atop the Tiger Florida Tour’s leaderboard, having competed in all four of its 2022 events and winning the tour’s previous stop (#4) in July. The four women immediately behind her in the standings were on hand for stop #5, at Diamond Billiards in Cape Coral, FL, as were 20 other entrants. The top five were separated by 110 points (dependent on attendance, usually around 200 points for a win), with two events to go; the one at hand and the season finale on October 15, the tour’s annual “Cues for the Cure” breast cancer awareness fundraiser, to be hosted by The Corner Pocket in Largo, FL. 

The Corner Pocket’s owner, Stephanie Mitchell, was in 2nd place in the standings, only 40 points behind Seaver. The Pink Dagger (14-year-old Sofia Mast) was 20 points behind Mitchell and Jeannie Seaver’s sister, Vanessa, was 10 points behind Mast. Jessica Barnes was in fifth place, 40 points behind Vanessa. In the day ahead, almost anything could have happened. All five of the top five were capable of winning the event and whoever did so would have the proverbial ‘leg up’ on the tour championship title, which would go to the competitor at the top of the heap at the conclusion of the “Cues for the Cure” fundraiser, seven weeks away. The Stop #5 winner would also receive a qualifying spot in the WPBA’s Dr. Pool Classic in December.

Jeannie Seaver went undefeated, maintaining her position at the top of the tour standings. All four of the competitors behind her in those standings stayed right where they were; Mitchell, Mast, Vanessa Seaver and Barnes. ‘Almost anything could have happened’ turned into ‘nothing about the tour’s top five happened at all,’ except. . . the 110-point gap between 1st and 5th place in the standings, which went from 110 points to 250.

“It will be hard for anyone to catch her,” noted tour director Mimi McAndrews, “unless Jeannie doesn’t play in our “Cues for the Cure” event in October.”

Stop #5 began with a standard, double-elimination bracket. It was played down until there were two on each side, at which point, they redrew into a single elimination bracket.

Jeannie Seaver played two of the four women below her in the standings to be one of the two that advanced to single elimination from the winners’ side of the double elimination bracket. She opened with a 7-2 win over Jessica Barnes, shut out Say Xiong and then locked up in a double hill fight with the Pink Dagger; Seaver is likely one of only a handful of competitors who don’t underestimate the 14-year-old Sofia Mast at the tables. Seaver prevailed, though, and then defeated Dawn Logan 7-4 to earn her spot among the final four.

Michell Monk, who’d climb from #20 in the standings to #8 with her eventual runner-up finish, got by Denise Gugliotta 7-3 and then faced another junior competitor, 13-year-old Gianna “Banks” Fiore, who is currently 7th in the Junior International Championships’ 13U Girls division. Monk got by her 7-3 and after defeating Danielle Marie Fee 7-4 began a two-match set against Stephanie Mitchell. Monk’s 7-4 win in the first set earned her the second winners’ side slot in the single elimination phase.

Logan and Mitchell moved to the loss side of the initial bracket. Logan drew a re-match against Crystal McCormick, whom she’d sent to the loss side in what was McCormick’s first match. McCormick advanced through four loss-side matches including wins over Debbie Hake 5-2 and Danielle Marie Fee 5-3 for a second chance against Logan. Mitchell, another member of the Don’t Underestimate the Pink Dagger Club, drew Mast, who’d followed her double-hill loss to Jeannie Seaver with loss-side wins over Vanessa Seaver 5-3 and Kira Brown 5-1. 

In what were the event’s quarterfinals, McCormick avenged her earlier loss, eliminating Logan 5-1 and drawing Jeannie Seaver in the semifinals. Not surprisingly, the tour’s #2 and #3 competitors, Mitchell and Mast, battled to double hill in the other quarterfinals. Mitchell eventually moving on to face Monk a second time.

Though on the hill, ahead by four (6-2) in the semifinals, Mitchell saw Monk rally back to knot things at double hill and then win it to advance to the finals. Seaver dropped McCormick into the tie for third place 7-2. Seaver completed her undefeated run with a 7-4 victory over Monk in the finals.

Seaver chose not to play the event for its qualifying spot in the December WPBA event, so that spot went to Monk. In addition to the cash prizes for the final six competitors, the tour awarded a $50 prize to the highest-finishing league player (APA 4-5 or equivalent). Brittany May, who’d had the misfortune of drawing Sofia Mast on the winners’ side of the early bracket, won two on the loss side before being eliminated by Danielle Marie Fee and finished in the tie for 9th/12th, took home that cash prize. 

Tour representatives thanked all of the players who attended the event and Lisa Carroll for running the side-by-side Open event, which contributed to a “great day at Diamonds.” They also thanked GM Lisa Cobb and her Diamond Billiards’ staff for their hospitality, along with title sponsor Tony Kalamdaryan and Tiger Products for their continued support of the tour and players.  Thanks, as well, went out to sponsors Boynton Billiards, Great Lakes Billiards, AZ Billiards, Stitch It To Me, Brutal Game Gear, Eastern Billiards, Andy Cloth and to Janis Sessions and the Florida Coast Ladies Tour for sponsoring the APA Prize.

Go to discussion...

Jeannie Seaver Three-For-Three On The Tiger Florida Tour

Stix Billiards Manager Josh Maville, Debbie Hake, Jessica Human and Jeannie Seaver

An AMAZING event on Saturday with 43 women from as far away as Jacksonville and Miami competing at the pro-am Tiger Florida Tour Stop #2 at Stix Billiards in Oldsmar, Florida. Even more amazing was Jeannie Seaver and Jessica Human still standing at 5:30 in the morning! Both Seaver and Human found the energy to keep on shooting with Human making an impressive effort to end Seaver’s winning streak. However, Seaver wasn’t going to be dethroned no matter the time of day, night or even just before sunrise. 

The women played a modified double-elimination format with four from each side re-drawing into a final single-elimination board of eight.  The event saw a few upsets, with Nicolle Cuellar, Dawn Logan and Christina Moxley leaving the event early.  Jeri Bovette knocked out Stephanie Mitchell on the Final Board, and Seaver sent sis- Vanessa Seaver home.  But the field was strong with some of the TFT’s newer members rising towards the top. Debbie Hake’s third-place finish showed that she is a new force to be reckoned with on the TFT.  Other women played their best event with Danielle Fee and Chris Baumgart making the Final Board. Also in the money, Shanelle Loraine, Tracy Mullen, Sonya Chbeeb and Lisa Perez. 

Human’s game was strong all day and it showed early the next morning. Despite losing her first match to Seaver, Human fought back to get a rematch with Seaver in the Finals.  However, Seaver proved once again being the top TFT player is no fluke.  Even Seaver’s five-in-the-morning game is impressive as she stayed ahead of Human to take the early morning win.  Kudos to Human, too – she played great. This was Human’s best finish so far on the TFT, keeping it going until just before sunrise.  We expect to see more great finishes from Human.  For Seaver, this win was her third straight win since the TFT resumed play last October.  

A huge thank you to Tom George and Stix Billiards for hosting our first event at Stix! The players loved the room and had a great time! Thanks also to Kathy King for her assistance in hosting our event, Manager Josh Maville and the Stix Billiards staff for their wonderful hospitality! And a huge thanks to Jerry Sotelo, Josh Arnold and Stephanie Mitchell for their invaluable help with running the tournament with such a large field! 

Thank you to Janis Sessions and the Florida Coastal Ladies Tour for sponsoring the APA players added money and adding additional money to the main prize fund.  The players also raised money to donate to the Jeanette Lee Go Fund Me page, wearing the Black Widow stickers complimentary of Sessions.

Also, our appreciation to our title sponsor Tony Kalamdaryan and Tiger Products for their continued support of the tour and players.  Thanks also to Boynton Billiards, Great Lakes Billiards, AZ Billiards and Simonis Cloth for their continued support, and new sponsors Stitch It To Me and Brutal Game Gear.  Some of the matches can been seen on the Tiger Florida Tour Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007959257491.