Becky Simi, Khanh Ngo, Dar Domingo and Revelina Um
Since its inception in the early 1990’s, The West Coast Women’s Tour has established a strong following of some of the top players across the region, while building opportunities for players of all levels to compete. With a history spanning three decades, the backbone of the organization (originally known as the Western Women’s Regional 9-Ball Tour) was founded by players including Julie Hunter, Linda Silva, and Christina Piona, while Emilyn Callado later took over the reins.
While the tour was historically held across Northern California as well as parts of Nevada, the locations now focus on the greater San Francisco Bay Area. After Emilyn Callado stepped down from leadership a little over ten years ago, the West Coast Women’s Tour has since been led by director Cony Mendoza, alongside WPBA pro Eleanor Callado, who serves the tour as treasurer. In 2024, the tour will be traveling to seven different locations to set up battle amongst some of the toughest ladies on the West Coast. Last year, some of the most notable players on the tour included current and former WPBA members Nicole Keeney, Kim Cuarisma, and former tour director Emilyn Callado.
To kick off the 2024 season, on Saturday, May 4, TWCWT was hosted by a first-time sponsor for the tour, Dog House Billiards in Cotati, CA. This event drew in a field of forty players from around Northern California and featured $500 in added prize money contributed by room owner Ron Schisler. In its seven years of operation, Dog House has become known as one of the top locations for leagues in Sonoma County, and by sponsoring TWCWT, will help support the progression of women’s pool in the area.
While the forty players arrived for registration at 10am, the tournament was nearly derailed after an unseasonable storm knocked out the power at 9:30 that morning. Luckily, the power was restored shortly after 11am, and the action was able to get underway. For this opening tour stop, the match format was comprised of one set of 9-ball and one set of 8-ball per match. If each player scored a set for a 1-1 tie, a shootout would determine the winner.
The story of the tournament would be dominated by one of TWCWT’s veteran players, Khanh Ngo. Hailing from San Francisco, Ngo came away from the 2023 season with the #1 points ranking on the tour and made her mark as the undefeated champion at Dog House Billiards. To move into the final, Khanh Ngo defeated Shawn Modelo, Gaby Benuto, Nicole Keeney, Revelina Um, and Becky Simi. As noted by Ngo, her toughest fights were against Nicole Keeney and Shawn Modelo, who were the only two players to force closely-contested shootouts along her route to victory.
One of the other impressive performances of the day came from longtime Bay Area player Dar Domingo. Although Domingo only won a single match in the winner’s bracket, she caught fire on the loser’s side and won six straight matches, capped off with a quarterfinal victory over veteran player Revelina Um. In the semifinal, Domingo’s run would end, after a close battle against Becky Simi that ended in a shootout against. This win earned San Mateo-based Simi a rematch in the final against Khanh Ngo. However, the second meeting for these two players ended in similar fashion, as Ngo remained in top form to secure a 2-0 win and take the title.
Along with the main event, a second-chance tournament is also held at each stop. In this single-elimination tournament, Lyndee Russell came out on top. Kacie Ragen took the runner-up spot while Cinthia Minnear and Kathy Acherzer finished tied for third place.
The West Coast Women’s Tour would like to acknowledge Dog House Billiards for hosting Stop #1 and providing excellent equipment, as well as contributing a cue which was raffled during the event. Special thanks go out to our sponsors: Adam Sickles, Robbie Lyng Custom Cues & Repair, and Diablo Valley Pool League.
The next stop on the West Coast Women’s Tour is set to be held on June 29 at Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento. For more tour details and announcements, visit http://www.facebook.com/twcwtour/
Connie O’Heron, Christy Dickerson and Rebecca Venson
A gorgeous, modern backdrop, European Global 9-footers, and big screen TVs set the stage for MLRT Stop #6 where 18 of the area’s top talents battled at Plush Pocket in Warren, MI. Coming out strong, and making it to the quarter finals were Debbie Cervantes v Connie O’Heron, Trish Vermule v Rebecca Venson, Curtisha Alford v Christy Dickerson, and Angela Mears v Jaki Lovrince.
Surprisingly, Rae “Young Gun” Norgaard struggled in the first round, losing to Vermule 4-7. Competitors who also didn’t play their best in the early day were Sherrlyrodaka Latterel, Angela Williams, Lupe Harpster, Shari Ross, Julie Hunter, Adina Pelletier, Janice Kumagai, and Ali Seattle.
However, Harpster and Pelletier showed great stamina and skill, blasting through the B-side. Harpster defeated Kelly O’Heron (6-3); Cervantes (6-4), and Williams (6-4) before losing her match against Mears 3-6. Lovrince showed her experience, beating out Norgaard 6-5. Pelletier beat out Kumagai (6-2) and Alford (6-4), but then lost to Lovrince 2-6.
On the winner’s side, Christy Dickerson gave nothing away as she barreled through the competition, beating Mears 7-4 and Connie O’Heron 7-1.
Rebecca Venson showed up, too, beating Vermule 4-7 in the quarter finals, and put up a valiant fight against O’Heron, who came out on top 7-4.
After being defeated in the semi-finals, Venson beat Lovrince 6-2, then ferociously battled Mears, winning the set 6-4, for her chance to get back to O’Heron. The second meeting of these two powerhouses was extraordinary. Subtlety and sheer willfulness beamed from both women, each going tit-for-tat during the semi-finals on the B-side. In the end, tied 5-5, O’Heron made a fatal error, and Venson swooped in for the kill!
The finals match was simply an annihilation. Dickerson hit every stroke perfectly, pocketing each ball dead-center. Venson started strong, but her confidence faltered in the second game, giving the lead 2-1 to Dickerson. Dickerson then broke and ran the next game, only to scratch on the 9, tying the match 2-2. That was the last game Venson got. Dickerson cleaned table after table, Venson only getting up to break on her turn. Each miss by Venson was a victory for Dickerson, who finished the set 7-2, undefeated the entire day!
Special thanks go to Kevin Ross for taking action shots! For more of Kevin’s work, find him on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/k_c_ross/.
MLRT Stop #7 will take place on October 17, 2015 at Michael’s Billiards in Fairfield, OH. For more info, see their website at www.midwestladiestour.com and/or contact the tour directors at director@midwestladiestour.com.
Sixteen women competed in the Midwest Ladies’ Regional Tour Stop #4 at 8 Ball Sports Bar & Billiards in Columbus, Ohio.
The first round competitors put up the best fight against the two young stars of MLRT Stop #5: Midwest favorite 23-year-old Liz Lovely, who beat Julie Skripac-Cooper 7-6, and newcomer 21-year-old “Young Gun” Rae Norgaard, who beat Curtisha Alford 7-6. However, these two young women delivered astonishing knock-out punches in the second and third rounds: Lovely defeated Rosanna Jarvis Ramirez (7-1) and Trish Vermule (7-0), and Norgaard won against Julie Hunter (7-3) and Connie O’Heron (7-3).
Spectators and fellow players alike were in awe of the ferocity and focus delivered by Lovely, as she smooth-stroked her way to a victory over Norgaard in the semi-finals (7-3). Young Gun begrudgingly took her seat in the B-side chair and awaited her chance to get back to Lovely.
Meanwhile on the B-side, Columbus native and local legend Shannon Dunn (who struggled in the first round against Hunter, tore through the competition. The quarter finals saw Dunn victorious over Vermule (6-5) and O’Heron won against Hunter (6-4). Dunn then defeated O’Heron in a wicked B-side semi-final round (6-4); O’Heron finished 4th.
Not hitting a great stride, but proving great competition, the first players out were Curtisha Alford, Adina Pelletier, Tabitha Carmack, and Chelsea Richert. Ramirez, Angela Williams, Monica Hill, and Cooper finished 9th. Angela Mears and Debbie Cervantes went out in 7th place.
In the finals of the B-side Norgaard and Dunn met again. Young Gun was ready this time, and came out of the gate swinging! The battle was fast and furious, each player running balls, hitting straight as they went tit-for-tat with a mid-match score of 4-3. However, a fatal error on Dunn’s part gave the lead to Norgaard 5-3, who broke and ran the last rack. Dunn finished 3rd.
Fresh off her victory, and determined to redeem her earlier defeat, Norgaard was in dead-stroke, pulling out a 9-ball break and two break-n-runs, defeating Lovely in the first set 7-2!
Lovely wasted no time, took no breaks before approaching the table to flip for the next set. You could see the sheer focus from the seasoned player, known across the Midwest for her stunning juniors record and major achievements since moving up to semi-professional play. Norgaard missed a total of 3 shots in the second set against Lovely, and that was all it took. Lovely returned the favor, defeating Norgaard 6-2 for the win!
MLRT Stop #6 will take place on September 12, 2015 at Plush Pockets in Warren, MI. For more info, see their website at www.midwestladiestour.com and/or contact the tour directors at director@midwestladiestour.com.
