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.
Stephanie Mitchell, Jeannie Seaver, Sofia Mast and Jessica Barnes
Jeannie Seaver’s gotten off to a slow start this year. Following a year (2021) in which she won three tour titles – two on the Tiger Florida Tour and one on the Sunshine State Pro Am Tour – it wasn’t until this past weekend (July 16-17) that she claimed her first 2022 tour title. In her fourth appearance on the tour this year, the victory moved her ahead of Stephanie Mitchell to the top spot in the current Tiger Florida Tour standings. She did it at Stop #4, going undefeated through a modified double elimination bracket, downing six opponents, including, in the finals, the junior competitor known as “The Pink Dagger,” 14-year-old Sofia Mast (#3 in the standings). The event drew 34 entrants to Shooters Billiards in Port St. Lucie, FL.
Initially, in the double elimination phase of the event, its 34 competitors were racing to be among the final four standing on both sides of the bracket. Among the eight who advanced to the single elimination phase were the top six in tour standings when the event began. The four who advanced to single elimination without a loss were the top four; (in order) Stephanie Mitchell, Vanessa Seaver, Jeannie Seaver and Sofia Mast.
Mitchell, in a quest to maintain her position at the top of the standings, had to deal with an opening-round, double hill match against Xare Qualis. She survived that and then defeated Ivette Fernandez and Margie Soash, both 7-3 to earn her winners’ side slot in the final eight. Vanessa Seaver got by Erin O’Brien 7-4, Jessica Karamia Human, double hill and Katie Bowse 7-1 to advance. Sister Jeannie defeated Aalyssa Gonzalez 7-4, Roe Guarnero 7-3 and Jessica Barnes 7-3 to arrive, while The Pink Dagger (Mast) sent Chris Baumgart 7-4 and Crystal McCormick 7-3 to the loss side, before battling Kaylee McIntosh to double hill, eventually sending her over as well.
Two of the four who just missed advancement from the winners’ side came right back after winning their only loss-side match. Barnes moved over and survived a double hill fight versus Julia Spinella, returning to square off against Vanessa Seaver in the opening round of the single-elimination phase. McIntosh faced Guarnero on the loss side, defeated her 5-2 and was faced with Mitchell in the single-elimination group.
Joining those two from the loss side were Human, defeated by Vanessa Seaver on the winners’ side and then defeating Susan Damschroder 5-3, Sandy Cheng, double hill and Margie Soash 5-1 to face Mast in what amounted to the event’s quarterfinals. Rounding out the single-elimination field of 8 was Tracy Mullen, who followed her initial, first-round loss to Crystal McCormick with victories over Chris Baumgart 5-2, Ashley Jones 5-3, Kira Brown 5-2 and finally, in a double hill battle, Katie Bowse. Mullen picked up Jeannie Seaver in the event quarterfinals.
Due to time constraints, the quarterfinal and semifinal matches were reduced to races to 5. Three of the quarterfinals were decided by 5-2 scores; Jeannie Seaver over Mullen, Mast over Human and Barnes over Vanessa Seaver. Mitchell advanced over McIntosh 5-3. In the semifinals that followed, Mast and Barnes locked up in a double hill battle that eventually sent Mast to the finals. She was joined by Jeannie Seaver, who eliminated Mitchell 5-3.
After agreeing to a final race-to-3 (again, due to time constraints), Seaver and Mast opted to split the top two prizes and played the race-to-3 anyway. Seaver claimed the event title 3-1, moving her into the top spot in tour standings. Mitchell’s tie-for-third finish (with Barnes) dropped her into second place, while, as runner-up, The Pink Dagger moved up a notch, from fourth to third place in the standings.
Tour director Mimi McAndrews thanked Dave Citron and his Shooters Billiards staff for their “welcoming hospitality,” along with Josh Arnold and Stephanie Mitchell for their assistance with running a smooth event. She also thanked title sponsor Tiger Products, AZBilliards, Boynton Billiards, Andy Cloth, Eastern Billiards, Stitch-It-To-Me Embroidery and Brutal Game Gear. The next stop on the Tiger Florida Tour, scheduled for Saturday, August 28, will be hosted by Diamond Billiards in Cape Coral, FL.
Ft. Pierce, FL (July 29, 2012) – Thursday evening 16 Scotch Double teams kicked off the 2012 Sunshine State ACS 8-Ball Championship events held at Ultimate Billiards in Ft. Pierce, FL. Jennifer Page and Zeno Rawley of Stuart, Florida, made it to the hot seat. The team of Colleen Russell & Steve Rolls of Port St. Lucie, Florida, played the Miami team of Kelly Coyle & Jaran Hilton. Although it was a battle, the Miami team bested the Port St. Lucie team to make it to the finals. However, Page and Rawley proved to be too much for team Miami to handle. Page and Rawley finished with an undefeated series to capture the Scotch Doubles Division Title.
As the finals of the Scotch Doubles finished, the Men’s and Women’s Singles got underway. With a field of 29 men and 15 women the draw was completed and play began. Throughout the day many a hill-hill match was played. There would be no clear victor to these two tournaments until the last eight ball was pocketed. Cue maker Danny Green not only knows how to make cues but he knows how to use one as well. Green settled for fourth place after knocking out Jerry Sotelo who finished 5th and 6th along with Rich Johnson. On Saturday morning in the men’s division three players returned to battle it out for the title of Men’s Sunshine State ACS 8-Ball Champion. Randy Epperson of Miami held the hot seat. Justin Gilsinan of Port St. Lucie finished third as Johnny Aguillera moved on to meet Epperson in the finals. This being a true double elimination tournament Aguillera needed two sets for the win. The first set went much the course of the entire tournament with Johnny getting by with a hill-hill victory to set the scene for the final match. The final game and final eight ball came down to yet another hill-hill game. The deciding eight ball went to Johnny Aguillera along with the title Sunshine State ACS 8-Ball Champion Men’s Singles Division.
Jeannie Seaver won the Women’s Sunshine State ACS 8-Ball Champion Division. Cheryl Perez finished second, third place went to Jamie Toennies, with Cassidy Mulligan fourth, and fifth/sixth went to Janice Sessions and Janet Smith.
On the Women’s team side Power Pak, including Jeannie Seaver along with, sister Vanessa Seaver, Cassidy Mulligan, Tracy McCreary, and Kira Brown, took home the Women’s Sunshine State ACS 8-Ball Team Championship title. After Eight finished second, and the St. Pete Girls finished third.
The Men’s final three teams returned Sunday with a Palm Beach County ACS League in the hot seat and another in the semi-finals. Chalk’s Cheap held the hot seat from Saturday night while Smoke Signals and No Butts squared off to decide who would go home in third place. When the smoke cleared, No Butts got theirs handed to them settling for third.
As a spectator of these tournaments I have to say that when speaking to No Butts, the third place team finishers, they told me they expected to go two and out. I believe because these guys not only came as a team they ARE a team all year long and with that, their game was up by a good 30 percent above the individual’s ability. No Butts proved that with the right support group great things are accomplished.
Although Smoke Signals moved forward to face Chalk’s Cheap in the finals, Smoke Signals couldn’t get the fire lit and Chalk’s Cheap was crowned the 2012 Florida Sunshine State ACS 8-Ball Team Champion.
Special thanks to Robbie Morito, President of the Sunshine State ACS Association, ACS Executive Director John Lewis, who flew in from Green Bay, Wisconsin to referee the matches. Also our thanks to Ted Harris and Danny Green of Ted Harris Custom Cues, who were on hand for re-tipping and conditioning the cues. Visit www.tedharris.com e-mail poolcues@tedharris.com or call 754-246-6366.
Our next event is the women’s Flamingo Billiards Tour Stop #4. August 25, 2012. For more information visit www.flamingobilliardstour.com. Also, look for END OF SUMMER SIZZLER with $1000-added 9-Ball event Labor Day Weekend sponsored by www.layeredcuetips.com
Cunningham’s Billiards Vero Beach, Fl was the latest event to host the Poison Cues Tour event. The $1000 Added amateur event attracted 62 players with 5 ladies taking advantage of the $20 entry fee.
Miami would have a large contingent of players showing up for this event which was made a extra special with the top four places all receiving a beautiful glass trophy’s supplied by Javier Chirino.
Chirino was also looking like the man to beat as he would make his way through to the hotseat with strong wins over Doug Johnson 6-2, Justin Gilsinan 6-4, Prescott Buckwold 6-3, Paul Mullins 6-0, Jeff Mabry 6-4 and then hard fought win over Raymond Linares in the winner’s side final 7-3.
The one loss side would see Tim Baron make a strong push after taking a 6-2 loss to Chris Gentile, Baron would go on to take out Jay Zink 5-4, Derek Virgilio 5-1, Paul Mullins 5-2, a 5-4 win over David Uwate would be his last as Jason Sheerman would end his run with a 5-3 loss to leave Baron in a Respectable 5th place. Sheerman would now have the task of taking on the Florida Amateur State Champion Chris Gentile this would also end his run as Gentile would come out on top with a 5-2 win leaving Sheerman in 4th spot, Gentile backed this win up with strong 5-0 win over Raymond Linares to put himself in the final.
The finals would be another great match with both players showing why they got there with strong shot making and good safety battles, However Chirino did not want to give his trophy up and would eventually come out a 7-4 winner and take the 1st place trophy and $700 1st place prize fund.
The Poison Tour also paid out more than quarter of the field for this event along with four glass trophy’s for the top four finishers. Congratulations to Kira Brown for her top lady finish receiving $50
Sunday’s $1000 Added open 10-Ball event would attract 42 players with over 30 amateurs coming back from Saturday’s event taking advantage of the two day $40 discounted entry fee.
Hunter Lombardo would be the man to beat on the day as he cruised his way to the finals with strong wins over Tim Baron 6-4, John Ditoro 6-1, Kira Brown 6-4, Mark Coats 6-0 and then a strong 7-3 win over Tony Crosby in the winners side final to capture the hotseat,.
On the one loss side Raymond Linares was proving to be a handful after taking a first round loss to David Uwate 6-2 he would go on a strong run with wins over Lincoln Seifert, Robert Raiford, Prescott Buckwold, Chettan Chhabra, John Ditoro and then Mark Coats before running into a determined Anthony Meglino who stopped his run with a 5-0 win Meglino would then go on to lose a tight 5-4 match to Tony Crosby which would set up a Lombardo Crosby Final.
The final would be a classic with neither player wanting to give an inch it would go all the way with Crosby taking it 7-6 to set up a 1 rack sudden death shootout. The shootout is designed to give the hotseat winner that 2nd chance and also guarantees 2nd place will have lost twice.
Crosby would go onto win the one rack shoot out after a positional error from Lombardo leaving Crosby a quick 2-10 combination to take down the event.
The tour would like to thank Cunningham’s pool room and its staff for hosting a very successful event.
Also our Title Sponsors Poison Cues for supplying some of the best hitting pool cues on the market.
Our next event will be 19-20th May at Park Avenue Billiards, Orange Park (Jacksonville).
The room was full with players and spectators as the Flamingo Billiards Tour Qualifier got under way Saturday at Cue-Phoria Billiards & Cafe in Winter Park, Florida. Twenty-four of the top 9-Ball women competitors from around the state came to play. The format was a modified double elimination, playing down to the final eight, four from each side. The four on the one-loss side redrew one of the four from the winners bracket.
Chris Fields got off to a rough start, losing her first match to Kim Richeson, 7-1, but made it to the redraw by defeating Chelsea Hardwick, who was in town and is a regular player on the Miss Cues Regional Tour. Field also got past Cassidy Mulligan and Laura Clay. Also making it to the redraw from the one-loss side was Jeannie Seaver, who initially lost a close match on the hill to Nicolle Cuellar. Not to be stopped, Jeannie knocked out Jane Freeman, Stephanie Mitchell and Kelly Cavanaugh to make it to the final eight. Also making it to the redraw from the one loss side was Kira Brown, who went west after losing to Kim Richeson, but fought her way back with wins over Janis Sessions, Vanessa Seaver and Kelly Coyle. Tour Director Mimi McAndrews also made it to the redraw after losing to Richeson, but defeating Barbara Ellis, who played a strong game all day, and newcomer Darlyne Petrovit.
Filling the final eight bracket from the winners side was Crystal McCormick, who won over Stephanie Mitchell, Chelsea Reeves, and Laura Clay. Also on the winners side was Shanelle Loraine, who sent Janis Sessions and Kelly Cavanaugh west. Kim Richeson also came from the winners side, beating Kira Brown, Fields and McAndrews. Nicolle Cuellar stayed on the east side sending Susan Roberts, Jeannie Seaver and Kelly Coyle west.
In the redraw, Brown drew Cuellar, but lost hill-hill. McAndrews matched up against McCormick, but couldn’t get in stroke with McCormick easily taking the match. Seaver ended the day for Richeson, and Fields won a tough match over Loraine, who has been playing a much improved game this year.
The semi-finals matched Cuellar against McCormick, but McCormick seemed to be having stamina problems on this night, and Cuellar took advantage, making it to the finals by winning 7-2. Fields, who had never won a match against Seaver, the favorite to win the event, beat the odds and won the match 7-5.
With the momentum going her way, Fields was not going to stop at this point. She played strong and won her first Flamingo Billiards Tour event over Cuellar 7-2. Not too disappointed, Cuellar won the qualifier!
Many thanks to room owner Faheem Zia and house pro Adam Wheeler at Cue-Phoria (www.cuephoria.com), for inviting the FBT and for being great hosts, and to Boynton Billiards for their continued support.
Stroker’s Billiards Palm Harbor Fl, was the host location for the Poison Tour Season Opener 1-28-2012.
The $1000 Added Amateur event would kick off Saturday with 56 players showing up which included 7 ladies taking advantage of the $20 entry. The Tampa Bay area is known for being a very strong pool playing community and this one would prove it to be correct as 5 players in the last 6 all play regularly at Stroker’s pool room.
Room owner Jose Del Rio was looking strong in the event making his way to the hoseat match with some strong wins over Master table mechanic Wes Burden 7-4, Jeanie Seaver 7-5, Sascha Kauper 7-4 and then Jason Bowen 7-5. Mike Monosky would be his opponent as he made his way there with strong wins over John Donnelly 7-5, Sherry Sandaler 7-5, Julio Del Pozo 7-4, Dan Whitten 7-2 and then Art Seaman 7-5. The hotseat match would go in favor of Mike Monosky as he grinded out a strong 7-5 win. While all this was going on big money Jason Richko who had taken a 7-6 loss to journey man Art Seaman would go on to win 6 straight wins to before losing a hard fought match to Jason Bowne 5-4 to end up in 4th place. Bowen would then take down room owner Jose Del Rio leaving him in 3rd place and put himself in the final to play Monsosky.
The Final was all Bowen as he cruised through the set with a 7-2 win to set up a 1 rack sudden death Shoot out. The one rack shoot out is always a nervy affair and this one would be no different Monosky would run the balls to the 6 only to miss, Bowen would hold his nerve and run the last 4 to take his first Poison Tour Title. Congrats to Kira Brown who mad top lady player and received $50
Corey Deuel would be the man to beat as he made his way to the hotseat with wins over Carrie Moxley 7-3, Richard Knight 7-5, Tim Parisian 7-4, Tony Crosby 7-1 and then a hotseat win over Mike Davis 7-5. On the one loss side Jason Richko would go down to Trevor Braymore 5-2 and Jose Del Rio would go down to James Roberts 5-0 to leave them in 7th-8th place. Louis Altes would then beat Braymore and Tony Crosby would take Down Roberts to leave them in 5th-6th place. Crosby would then go onto beat Louis Altes 6-1 leaving him in 4th, Mike Davis would end the run for Crosby with a 6-3 win to give him a revenge final match with Deuel.
The Final would be a tight affair with both Players trading racks but Deuel would come out on top with a strong 7-5 win and the first 10-Ball title on the Poison Tour.
The Tour would like to thank Stroker’s Pool room and its staff for hosting another great event. We would also like to thank Poison Cues our title sponsor for supplying the best cues on the market.
The next event will be at Cuephoria Billiards Café, Winter Park (Orlando) Fl, February 18th-19th 2012 this should be a great event in a brand new room. We look forward to seeing you there.
