Big Bang for Sholes and Keeney at AZ Women’s Billiards Stop
Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour / Peoria, AZ
by Samm Diep
Holly Sholes and Nicole Keeney had big weekends at the Arizona Women"s Billiard Tour in Peoria, AZ.
On November 1-2, Metro Sportz Bar in Peoria, AZ, hosted the final stop of the 2008 Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour’s season. The room recently reopened just in time for the event, which boasted a $500-added prize fund and a WPBA qualifier for one of their 2009 events. Of the 19 women that competed, 11 were vying for the qualifier.
Eight players returned Sunday for the main event. On the A side, local champ Holly Sholes defeated Denver’s Samm Diep, while tour stars Susan Williams and Susan Mello met up beside them. Mello narrowly escaped that match only to come up short against Sholes for the hot seat match.
On the one-loss side, up-and-comer Sarah Geoghan couldn’t outlast veteran Kristen Haney, while AWBT regulars Nina Tagley and Nicole Keeney were battling for tour point standings. In the end, Keeney triumped 7-3, securing herself a chance for tour champion.
Kathleen Lawless took a surprising early exit with a 7-5 loss to Diep and a 7-2 loss to Sara Miller. Miller was then eliminated by Keeney. Williams’ journey came to an end with close losses to Mello and Keeney. This left Mello and Keeney in contention for tour champion, while Sholes patiently waited for her next opponent.
View the Arizona Women’s Billiard Tour event tounament brackets
Mello came out ahead of the hill-hill match, leaving Keeney with a third-place finish. Now all Keeney could do was wait. Defeating Mello would have secured the tour championship for her, but Mello would need to double-dip Sholes in order to take it. In a valiant effort, Mello dodged the first set hill-hill. This would be her fourth double-hill match of the tournament. The fierce Sholes would not back down, however, taking the second set 7-3. This secured the WPBA qualifier spot to Sholes and guaranteed the tour championship and unpaid invitations to all the 2009 WPBA events to Keeney.
Results:
1st Holly Sholes $305 + qualifier
2nd Susan Mello $205
3rd Nicole Keeney $135
4th Susan Williams $95
5/6th Samm Diep $60
5/6th Kristen Haney
7/8th Nina Tagley $40
7/8th Sarah Geoghan
