Barnes Closes Door on Ryno

Barnes Closes Door on Ryno
Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour / Tampa, FL

by InsidePOOL Staff

After nearly 15 hours of competition, Jessica Barnes outplayed Bethann Ryno to capture the win at the second stop of the Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour’s (BAAT) 2010 season. The $400-added event was held at Strokers of Tampa, FL, and hosted 20 players from around the state February 27.

Significantly, one player slid into the top three Saturday. Seventy-five-year-old Barbara Ellis, whose previous best finish with BAAT was fifth place, has steadily been improving her game and stroked herself into a third-place finish.

As the tournament progressed, veteran Michell Monk was bested by Shanelle Loraine, who resigned Monk to a seventh-place finish tie with Sis Tarver, who lost to Susanne Cherkowsky. Loraine went to the hill before being eliminated by Valerie Dukick 6-3, tying with Cherkowsky for fifth.

Dukick, who returned to the tour last month after a long hiatus, defeated Tammy Gillis, Kelly Cavanaugh, and Cherkowsky before being sent to the one-loss side by Ellis. Ryno had prevailed over last month’s winner Rachel Delaney and last year’s tour champion Monk before succumbing to Barnes. Dukick and Ryno faced off in the hard-fought quarterfinal match and went hill-hill with Ryno sinking the game-winning ball, taking the match 4-4.

Facing Ryno in the semifinals was Ellis, who defeated Christine Brenner, Lana Loomis, and Dukick before being defeated by Barnes. All but one of Ellis’s matches went to the hill, and this one was no different. The games went back and forth, Ellis playing with new-found deliberation and Ryno stroking with steady determination. Ryno dominated 6-3 and took the opportunity to try to exact revenge on Barnes in the finals.

Ryno outperformed Barnes in the first final match, winning 4-2 in the four-to-five race of the true double-elimination tournament and forcing the second set. But Barnes retaliated with a vengeance in the second set and won it 5-1.

Results:
1st Jessica Barnes $300
2nd Bethann Ryno $225
3rd Barbara Ellis $150
4th Valerie Dukick $100
5th Shanelle Loraine $50
Susanne Cherkowsky $ 50

Minor Dee-rails Billiards Competition

Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour / Largo, FL

by InsidePOOL Staff

After a five-month absence from the tour, Indiana resident Dee Minor returned to Florida soil to visit family and to compete in – and win – BAAT’s fourth stop of the year April 11 at Corner Pocket.

Despite the setback she endured in the second round when Connie Mago delivered a crushing blow, Minor later found her rhythm on the one-loss side and proceeded to take out everyone in her path including JoAnn Lifland, Leslee Davis Blaikie, and Michell Monk.

On the winners’ side, Stacey Lantz was right on track for a victory after snagging wins over Jamie Toennies, Stephanie McFarlin, Connie Mago, and Sabra MacArthur Beahn, who settled for third place after meeting up with Minor in the semifinals.

The finals featured a showdown between the methodical Minor and the gutsy Lantz, who chose to play a bit more cautiously in the final round but to no avail. Minor swept through the first match 6-1 and practically repeated her performance in the second match by finishing with a resounding 6-2 win.

 

Lantz’s second-place finish earned her $225, while Minor walked away with $300 and top honors.

Tour newcomer Coleman made quite an impression by garnering a fantastic fourth-place finish along with $100 in prize money. Mago and Monk each finished in fifth place, with Lifland and Sherry Alexander finishing seventh.

Lewis Tips Toennies to Take Title

Lewis Tips Toennies to Take Title
Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour / Palm Harbor, FL

by Skip Maloney

Shanna Lewis returned from a defeat in the hot seat match to best Jamie Toennies twice in a double-elimination final match on the Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour stop December 6. The $2,400-added amateur event drew 17 entrants to Stroker’s Billiards in Palm Harbor, FL.

Lewis began the last leg of her journey with a 5-3 win over Stacey Lantz among the winners’ side final four. Toennies, in the meantime, in a handicap format that required her to win only five games before opponent Helen Caukin won seven, sent Caukin west 5-6. In the hot seat match that followed, Lewis had to reach seven games before Toennies reached five, and Toennies prevailed 5-5.

On the one-loss side, Melissa Morelan defeated Bettina Chase and Lisa Parsons to meet Caukin, as Michell Monk advanced past Sandra McArthur-Beahn and Leslee Davis-Blakie to meet Lantz. Morelan dropped into fifth place on the heels of a 6-1 victory by Caukin. Monk joined her after a hill-hill struggle versus Lantz. Clearly in command, Caukin shut Lantz out to move into the semifinals against Lewis. Lewis moved back for a second shot at Toennies after surviving a double-hill semifinal match.

Lewis and Toennies played 16 games over the two matches of the double-elimination finals. Lewis won all but two of them, winning the first set 7-2 and shutting Toennies out in the second set to take top honors.

Results:
1st Shanna Lewis $650
2nd Jamie Toennies $500
3rd Helene Caukin $375
4th Stacey Lantz $275
5th Melissa Morelan $200
Michell Monk
7th Lisa Parsons $150
Leslee Davis-Blakie
9th Barbara Ellis $75
Bettina Chase
Stephanie McFarlin
Sandra McArthur-Beahn

Toennies Double-Dips Davis-Blakie at BAAT Billiards Stop

Toennies Double-Dips Davis-Blakie at BAAT Billiards Stop
Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour / Largo, FL

by Skip Maloney

Jamie Toennies battled back from a defeat in the hot seat match to double-dip her final opponent and capture first place on the Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour event November 1. A field of nine entrants was on hand for the $250-added amateur event hosted by The Corner Pocket in Largo, FL.

Toennies started her final drive to the winner’s circle among the winner’s side final four with a double-hill win over Michelle Monk. Leslee Davis-Blakie, in the meantime, was sending Melissa Morlan to the one-loss side with an 8-2 victory. In a commanding 9-2 win, Davis-Blakie moved Toennies over to the semifinals and gained the hot seat.

Stephanies McFarland and Mitchell, after victories over Connie Mago and Barbara Ellis, were waiting for Monk and Morlan on the one-loss side. Mitchell advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4 win over Morlan, while McFarland dropped into the tie for fifth place by falling to Monk 7-2. Mitchell then advanced with a 7-2 win of her own and faced Toennies in the semifinals. Toennies returned to face Davis-Blakie after a 5-5, handicapped victory over Mitchell.

Looking for a measure of revenge versus Davis-Blakie, Toennies forced a second set in the double-elimination final match with a 5-2 win in the opening set. Davis-Blakie battled in the second set, but with the score knotted at 4-4, Toennies won the ninth rack to take the top prize.

Results:
1st Jamie Toennies $225
2nd Leslee Davis-Blakie $125
3rd Stephanie Mitchell $75
4th Michelle Monk $50
5th Melissa Morlan
Stephanie McFarland
7th Connie Mago
Barbara Ellis
9th Sabra McArthur-Beahn

Minor Bags Bay Area Billiards Victory

Minor Bags Bay Area Billiards Victory
Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour / Palm Harbor, FL

by Skip Maloney, InsidePOOL Staff

Dee Minor took first place honors at the Tiger Bay Area Amateur Tour stop October 11. Minor joined a 15-player field at the $500-added event, hosted by Stroker’s Billiards in Palm Harbor, FL.

Among the winners’ side final four, Minor launched her four-match trip to the finals and eventual victory with a 5-4 win over Leslee Davis-Blaikie. Jamie Toennies, in the meantime, sent Sabra MacArthur Beahm west with a 5-3 victory. Minor earned the hot seat with an 8-3 victory over Toennies.

On the one-loss side, it was Stephanie Mitchell and Connie Mago advancing to meet Davis-Blaikie and Beahm. Mitchell dropped Beahm into the tie for fifth place as Davis-Blaikie sent Mago to join her. In the quarterfinal match that followed, Davis-Blaikie won 7-3 to take on Toennies in the semifinals. Seemingly determined to earn a second chance at Minor in the finals, Davis-Blaikie shut out Toennies and got that chance.

Davis-Blaikie utilized the momentum she’d gained in the semifinals to win the first set of the double-elimination finals 6-3. Minor, however, was not to be denied. She won the second set 5-3 to earn top honors.

	Results:
1st	Dee Minor	$350
2nd	Leslee Davis-Blaikie	$250
3rd	Jamie Toennies	$150
4th	Stephanie Mitchell	$100
5-6th	Sabra MacArthur Beahm
	Connie Mago
7-8th	Heather Cook
	Stephanie McFarlin
9-12th	Bettina Chase
	Lisa Parsons
	Melissa Morlan
	Lana Loomis