The World’s Most Recognized Poolplayer Takes Aim at New Role
LAKE SAINT LOUIS, MO (Oct. 21, 2015) — When “The Black Widow” Jeanette Lee sets her sights on a prize, it’s usually just a matter of time before she has it in her web. After mastering a Hall of Fame career on the pool table, and achieving celebrity notoriety off of it, she’s now eyeing a new prize – success as an APA League Operator.
“I’m so excited to be part of such an outstanding organization. I never realized how much goes into being a League Operator, but APA is great about providing all the tools to be successful. We plan to make the Tampa Bay APA one of the best and largest APA Leagues in the world,” said Lee.
Lee had been pondering this career move for some time. Over the summer, she teamed up with longtime business associates Jason and Misty Dusel – who were already running an APA League in Buffalo, N.Y. – to take over the Tampa Bay APA from longtime League Operator Pat Giorgianni, who was retiring. The transfer necessitated a major move for Lee and her family from their home in Indianapolis to Tampa.
Lee joins fellow Hall of Famer Ewa Laurance and other notable WPBA professionals Dawn Hopkins and Liz Ford as players turned APA League Operators.
Make no mistake though, Lee isn’t simply a pretty face to help promote the franchise. She attended APA’s 7-day League Operator Training Seminar in September to get an introduction to the entire process of running a league by the standards that have made APA an award-winning franchise business. She came away surprised by the amount of work APA League Operators put in, and amazed by the training and resources provided to help make them be successful.
“Training was very comprehensive, with lots of information. With the tools APA offers, and the support staff they have in place, I have no doubt we’ll be highly successful in Tampa and make the APA members in the area very happy,” Lee added.
Lee will team with the Dusels to manage every aspect of the business, from handicapping skill levels to administration and sales. It’s in the area of sales and marketing where she plans to shine. That bodes well for Black Widow fans in the Tampa Bay area, as there’s a good chance they’ll be able to catch her at their favorite APA Host Location. Fans outside of central Florida can still expect to see their favorite poolplayer at the APA National Team Championships in August.
The APA, based in Lake Saint Louis, Mo., sanctions the world’s largest amateur pool league, with leagues throughout the United States, Canada and Japan. More than 250,000 members compete in weekly 8-Ball and 9‑Ball League play. The APA is generally recognized as the Governing Body of Amateur Pool, having established the official rules, championships, formats and handicap systems for the sport of amateur billiards.
The APA produces three major tournaments each year—the APA National Team Championships, the APA National Singles Championships and the U.S. Amateur Championship—that, together, pay out more than $1.5 Million in cash and prizes annually!
The APA and its championships are sponsored by Aramith, Action Cues and PoolDawg.
For more information on the American Poolplayers Association, visit the official APA website at www.poolplayers.com. For more information on the Black Widow, visit www.blackwidowbilliards.com.
TULSA, OK – Results are in for today’s first semi-final matchup between the #1 and #2 seeds in the WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championships taking place this week at the River Spirit Event Center. ESPN cameras rolled as Monica Webb and Allison Fisher, two veteran champions, took the stage.
Monica took the first point in the race to seven, but Allison quickly answered with two games of her own. Monica won the next three to lead 4-2. In the seventh game, Allison missed a surprising five ball in the corner that put Webb back at the table to extend her lead 5-2.
Allison picked up the next game to trail 5-3, and then another to trail 5-4 when Monica ended up short on a nine ball and missed a cross-side bank. She then broke and ran out to tie the match 5-5, and again to get to the hill, 6-5!
With no shot after the break, Fisher was forced to push out. A safety battle ensued but Fisher got first look at a long, sharp cut on the one. She nailed that, and proceeded to execute a tricky rack to take the win 7-5! Webb finishes tied for third place.
The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be broadcast by ESPN in seven one-hour national shows, airing Saturday, July 14, (Quarterfinals 12-4pm on ESPN2) and Sunday, July 15, (Semifinals/Final 1-4pm on ESPN2).
Fans and media can keep up with ongoing results at http://www.wpba.com/images/stories/brackets/2012_us_open.pdf Refresh the link for the most up-to-date results — scoring updates will take place throughout the day’s play!
Schedule of Events:
Sunday, June 10 at 3 pm and 5 pm
ESPN Semifinal #2 and Final (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
It’s all taking place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa.
Tickets are just $20 on June 9th and 10th! VIP tickets are available for $25. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information!
TULSA, OK – The WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championships at the River Spirit Event Center in Tulsa continued with eight more matches on the one-loss side of the double elimination chart. Winning players are matching up evening session play against losers of Round Three. Losing players below finish 25th – 32nd.
Elimination Round Three (Defeated Players Eliminated)
Fans and media can keep up with ongoing results at http://www.wpba.com/images/stories/brackets/2012_us_open.pdf (refresh the link for the most up-to-date results!)
Schedule of Events:
Friday, June 8 at 10 am
Double elimination play in day and evening sessions
Saturday, June 9 at 1 pm
ESPN Quarterfinals (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
Sunday, June 10 at 1 pm
ESPN Semifinals and Final (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven one-hour national broadcasts, airing Saturday, July 14, (Quarterfinals 12-4pm on ESPN2) and Sunday, July 15, (Semifinals/Final 1-4pm on ESPN2).
It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa.
Tickets are just $10 on June 8th and $20 on June 9th and 10th! VIP tickets are available for $25. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information!
TULSA, OK – The WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championships at the River Spirit Event Center in Tulsa have whittled the field down to 48 players from the original 64. The first sixteen players were eliminated after two consecutive losses. Here are the results of the first round in the one loss bracket. Winning players are matching up in day session play today and another sixteen players will soon say farewell to their US Open title hopes…
Elimination Round One (Defeated Players Eliminated)
Fans and media can keep up with ongoing results at http://www.wpba.com/images/stories/brackets/2012_us_open.pdf (refresh the link for the most up-to-date results!)
Schedule of Events:
Friday, June 8 at 10 am
Double elimination play in day and evening sessions
Saturday, June 9 at 1 pm
ESPN Quarterfinals (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
Sunday, June 10 at 1 pm
ESPN Semifinals and Final (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven one-hour national broadcasts, airing Saturday, July 14, (Quarterfinals 12-4pm on ESPN2) and Sunday, July 15, (Semifinals/Final 1-4pm on ESPN2).
It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa.
Tickets are just $10 on June 8th and $20 on June 9th and 10th! VIP tickets are available for $25. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information!
TULSA, OK – The WPBA US Open 9-Ball Championships at the River Spirit Event Center in Tulsa continued this morning with sixteen more matches on the one-loss side of the double elimination chart. Winning players are matching up in day session play later today; the losing players finish 33/48th.
Elimination Round Two (Defeated Players Eliminated)
Fans and media can keep up with ongoing results at http://www.wpba.com/images/stories/brackets/2012_us_open.pdf (refresh the link for the most up-to-date results!)
Schedule of Events:
Friday, June 8 at 10 am
Double elimination play in day and evening sessions
Saturday, June 9 at 1 pm
ESPN Quarterfinals (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
Sunday, June 10 at 1 pm
ESPN Semifinals and Final (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP)
The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven one-hour national broadcasts, airing Saturday, July 14, (Quarterfinals 12-4pm on ESPN2) and Sunday, July 15, (Semifinals/Final 1-4pm on ESPN2).
It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa.
Tickets are just $10 on June 8th and $20 on June 9th and 10th! VIP tickets are available for $25. Visit www.riverspirittulsa.com/entertainment/eventcenter for tickets and more information!
TULSA, OK – Following the player’s meeting and draw at the River Spirit Events Center, the following are the times and match ups for Round One. Double elimination rounds continue until the field is narrowed to the final 16 on Friday, when the tournament becomes single elimination. #1 ranked Allison Fisher will attempt to defend her title!
Schedule of Events: Thursday, June 7 at 10 am Double elimination play in day and evening sessions Friday, June 8 at 10 am Double elimination play in day and evening sessions Saturday, June 9 at 1 pm ESPN Quarterfinals (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP) Sunday, June 10 at 1 pm ESPN Semifinals and Final (Tix are $20 general admission, $25 VIP) The quarter final, semi final and final matches will be taped by ESPN for seven one-hour national broadcasts, airing Saturday, July 14, (Quarterfinals 12-4pm on ESPN2) and Sunday, July 15, (Semifinals/Final 1-4pm on ESPN2). It all takes place at the River Spirit Event Center, adjacent to the River Spirit Casino at 81st and Riverside in Tulsa.
“Striking Viking” Ewa Mataya Laurance Takes Down Defending Champ
MT. PLEASANT, MI – It’s been a brisk Saturday at the WPBA Masters at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant, MI, with continued play on both sides of the double elimination chart. On the winner’s side, #1 ranked Ga Young Kim narrowly defeated Ewa Laurance 9-8, then took another 9-8 squeaker win over Helena Thornfeldt, who’d sent national junior champion Brittany Bryant to the one loss side, 9-6. That put Ga Young Kim as the first undefeated player into Sunday’s televised semi-final.
Defending champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria defeated Great Britain’s Kelly Fisher 9-8, but then lost a tough 9-7 battle to BCA Hall of Famer and #2 ranked Allison Fisher, 9-7. Allison, after defeating Jeanette Lee 9-6 and her win over Ouschan, is the other undefeated player to reach Sunday’s televised semi-final round.
Meanwhile, further elimination rounds continued in the one-loss bracket. Defeated players in the following matches finish 17-24:
Kelly Fisher then handed Jeanette Lee a 9-4 loss, leaving Lee tied for 7th with Eleanor Callado, who was defeated by Ewa Laurance, 9-3.
In the final two crowd-pleasing matches of the evening, Ewa Laurance (pictured) faced off against defending champ Jasmin Ouschan, while Kelly Fisher took on Helena Thornfeldt.
Fisher and Thornfeldt were the first to complete their match; with the score knotted 5-5, Fisher pulled away for a 9-5 victory and an appearance in Sunday’s semis. Thornfeldt settled for fifth place.
In the Laurance v. Ouschan match, Ouschan took first blood to lead 2-2, then Laurance fought back to a 5-2 lead. Unfortunately a missed six by Laurance put Jasmin back at the table for a run-out, followed by a nine on the break and another break and run to tie it up 5-5. From there the score knotted again at 6-6 before Ewa pulled ahead and took down the defending champ 9-6!
To view the tournament chart and ongoing results, visit www.wpba.com and click on “2012 Soaring Eagle Tournament Board.” One-loss side matches begin at 11:00 a.m. Friday. The sixteen undefeated players compete at 3 and 6 p.m.
The tournament will conclude on Sunday, January 29 beginning at 1 p.m., when the final four players remaining will compete for the title of 2012 WPBA Masters Champion. Tickets are available via startickets.com. The three final-round one-hour matches will be taped by ESPN for broadcast on Sunday, March 18, from 1:30 – 4:30 pm EST.
Alongside the WPBA Masters is the Soaring Eagle Open III, featuring amateur singles 8-Ball and 9-Ball tournaments in men and women’s divisions, with $10,000 in added prize money. This event also begins Thursday, January 26 and continues through Sunday, January 29, 2012. Visit www.soaringeagleopen.com for more information.
On Friday, November 18th, well over two hundred professional and amateur billiards players, celebrity VIP’s, New York City media, and fans gathered at Union Square’s upscale billiards club, Amsterdam Billiards to celebrate the release of the Rack Starz 2012-2013 Limited Edition Collector Series 18-month Calendar. Since its inception, the calendar has not only been a great success here in the United States, but has hit international waters making it a world-wide victory.
“As my first time being involved with a professional calendar production, I was honored to work with such a creative and talented team… the final product does a beautiful job of showcasing each player’s unique personality in a stylish & cutting-edge way,” says Alison Fisher. “It was an unbelievable experience to work with Photographer Larry Busacca. He makes such a connection with you while shooting; you almost forget you are standing half naked in a room full of people”, confirmed Liz Ford.
The Rack Starz ladies not only launched a very successful calendar, but had a lot of fun behind the scenes while doing so. “Throughout my entire shoot, my shoes were taped to the floor so that I would stay inside the frame. It was difficult trying to pose, but I still managed to work some nice photos”, states Yomaylin Feliz. “I don’t know how, but Larry pulled a very different side out of me every time I stepped onto that shooting canvas. There were things said and done there that should never be repeated ever!” declared Supadra Geronimo, laughing.
This glossy full-color calendar measures a serious 12″ wide by 17″ high and was shot completely in New York City in the summer of 2010. Not only does the calendar showcase each lady’s individual rock star style, but also includes six bonus months to help ring in 2013. With only 3,000 calendars in circulation, this limited-edition collector series calendar is on its way to being a sold out sensation. If you are one of the lucky 3,000, visit their web site or Facebook page to find out where the Rack Starz will be next to personally autograph your calendar!
CREDITS
Photography: Larry Busacca of Larry Busacca Photography
Design: Chris Galardi & Will Thresher of SharkShark Design & Media Solutions
Final 16 Players Compete in Single Elimination Stage for the Title
LINCOLN CITY, OR – The Women’s Pro Billiard Tour’s WPBA Tour Championships is down to the final 16 players who will compete in the single elimination stage to determine the eventual champion on Sunday.
On the winner’s side, eight players emerged victorious after the second seeded round of play:
The eight winners were then drawn into the eight emerging from the one loss side, including Vivian Villarreal, with wins over Shelby Locati 9-1 and Eleanor Callado 9-7; Melissa Little, with wins over Jennifer Chen 9-4 and Kim White 9-7; Liz Cole, with wins over Dawn Hopkins 9-3 and Cathy Metzinger 9-6; Jennifer Barretta, with a win over Maureen Seto 9-4; Brittany Bryant, with wins over Tina Hess 9-1 and Val Finnie 9-6; Erica Park, with wins over defending champion Xiaoting Pan 9-6 and Nicole Keeney 9-3; Helena Thornfeldt, with wins over Teruko Cucculelli 9-4 and Tamara Rademakers 9-7; and Ewa Laurance, with a win over Emily Duddy 9-4.
Fans can keep up with match results at www.wpba.com via the Tour Championship Tournament Board. The final sixteen will narrow to eight players late this evening. Those eight be featured in the ESPN televised quarter finals on Saturday!
For more information, or to obtain tickets call 1-888-MAIN-ACT (624-6228) or 541-996-5775. Chinook Winds Casino Resort, located on the beach in Lincoln City, is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
About the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)
The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance, and celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world’s greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Delta 13, Pooldawg and Aramith.
LINCOLN CITY, OR – Just eight world-class players remain in contention for the WPBA Tour Championship title today, now preparing to take the stage in quarter final matches taking place at 1, 3, 6 and 8 pm (Pacific Standard Time) in front of ESPN cameras (taped for later broadcast) at the Chinook Winds Event Center.
The final sixteen took to the floor late last night to pare down the field, with eight great matches. US Open runner-up Ga Young Kim defeated Hall of Famer Ewa Laurance 9-6 and national junior champion Brittany Bryant defeated Norway’s Line Kjorsvik 9-7. Great Britain’s Kim Shaw destroyed American contender Liz Cole, and in a surprise victory, the Texas Tornado Vivian Villarreal bested UK native Kelly Fisher. Fisher, hot off a win at the Yalin Women’s World Championship in the Philippines was an early favorite.
Today’s races change to seven for the TV rounds (first player to win seven games) and the match-ups are as follows:
Ga Young Kim vs. Brittany Bryant (1:00 pm PST) Kim Shaw vs. Vivian Villarreal (3:00 pm PST) Helena Thornfeldt vs. Jeanette Lee (6:00 pm PST) Allison Fisher vs. Jennifer Barretta (8:00 pm PST)
Fans can keep up with match results at www.wpba.com via the Tour Championship Tournament Board.
For more information, or to obtain tickets call 1-888-MAIN-ACT (624-6228) or 541-996-5775. Chinook Winds Casino Resort, located on the beach in Lincoln City, is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
About the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)
The WPBA was established in 1976 as the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance, and celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2011 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, which features ESPN-televised events with the world’s greatest women players. Visit www.wpba.com for more. The WPBA Classic Tour is sponsored by the American Poolplayers Association, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, Delta 13, Pooldawg and Aramith.
