Tina Larsen Wins Midwest Women's Pool Qualifier 

Dave’s Goodtime Billiards in West Peoria, IL, hosted the Midwest Women's Pool Tour’s second qualifier o­n November 15, 2003. The Miller family, proprietors of Dave’s Goodtime Billiards, warmly received the tour and made sure that the tour members felt welcomed.  They also provided a pristine playing arena, and their equipment was in excellent playing condition. The tournament drew a field of 24 women from several states to compete for cash and a paid entry to a WPBA 2004 Classic Tour event.  Thanks to both host Dave’s Goodtime Billiards and to Gilbert Cues, who donated a break/jump cue to help fund this event. 

In the o­ne-loss side, o­ne match to determine who would take fifth and sixth places and who would continue o­n was between Karla Chorny of Waterloo, IA, and Amy Latzko of Oak Forest, IL. The other was between Tara Davis of Lansing, MI, winner of our inaugural event, and Laura Bendikas of Chicago, IL. Latzo and Bendikas were defeated, taking fifth and sixth, and Chorny and Davis advanced from this round. 

The winners’ bracket saw Tina Larsen of Palatine, IL, and Julia Gabriel battling it out. In due course, Larsen gave Gabriel her first loss at 7–5 and sent her to the o­ne-loss side. The undefeated Larsen took a seat to wait it out while Davis and Chorny continued o­n in the west side of the chart. Davis won the lag and immediately dominated Chorny by taking the first five games. Chorny valiantly struggled to win the next two games but ultimately lost her steam. Davis won the next two games and defeated Chorny 7–2, depositing Chorny into fourth place. Davis would now confront the last competitor o­n the o­ne-loss side – Gabriel. Davis won the lag and the first game of this match. The ladies began to take turns winning until Davis doubled up by winning the eighth and ninth racks. Gabriel tied it up in the tenth game. They each won o­ne of the next two, but finally in Game 13, the match and conquest of the o­ne-loss side of the bracket went to Davis.  She then went o­n to attempt defeating Larsen twice to win the tournament. 

After winning her third lag in a row, Davis won the first two games. It began to look like a copycat of the previous round, with both ladies going back and forth – until Davis won the eighth and ninth racks to reach the hill. The score was 6 – 3. Larsen managed o­ne more game, but Davis won the last game and took the match, o­nly to have to play Larsen again. In the second set of the double-elimination finals, Larsen and Davis each won a game to start before Davis went into overdrive and won four games in a row to make it 5-1 Davis. She came up dry o­n her next break, and Larsen started off a safety battle that saw Davis scratch o­n the 6 ball. With ball in hand, Larsen ran out the remaining balls. She won the next two games before allowing Davis o­ne more rack to reach the hill.  With the score at 6-4 Davis, Larsen had some work to do, and she won the next two games in a row to make it a hill-hill match. Larsen made two balls o­n the break but didn’t have a good shot o­n the 1. She played a safety and hooked Davis, who fouled, giving Larsen ball in hand. Larsen played a nice position shot to reach the 4 ball, easily made the 5 and 7, and in making the 8, she over-stroked it to get a bit tougher cut o­n the 9 than she wanted.  Nevertheless, the inimitable Larsen drilled the 9 to win the match – and the tournament.

The next Midwest Women's Pool Tour event will be held o­n December 13-14, 2003, at Cue-Can-Do Billiards in Schaumberg, IL.

Results:

1st Tina Larsen

2nd Tara Davis

3rd Julia Gabriel

4th Karla Chorny

5th Laura Bendikas, Amy Latzko

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