Hunter Classics Tour Year 2006 in Review

Another successful year for the Hunter Classics Amateur Women's Tour is complete!  Over $35,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the Hunter Classics Tour members and we celebrated Thirteen Years!!! Room owners add $2,000 to each Hunter Classics Tour tournament (guaranteed) and BIG thanks go to them, the players, and our amazing sponsor, Wes Hunter, who donates a Hunter Classics Custom Cue to every tournament!

Hunter Classics Tour Continues to Grow Strong:
178 ladies from around the world competed in the Hunter Classics Tour in the year 2006.  The highest attendance of one tournament was 72 women (in February) and the second highest was 66 women (in January)!   Because of the high number of members attending each tournament, our average attendance increased from 43 the last two years to 49 this year.  We also had nine stops in 2006 – the most we ever had. 

Year 2006 Award Winners:
Tour Champion - Heather Lloyd
Tour Champion runner up - Leslie Anne Rogers
Most Improved Player - Terry Petrosino
Perfect Attendance, $200 drawing winner - Jillian Valles

Year 2006 WPBA Qualifier Winners:
Anna Kostanian (3) – Anna attained her WPBA pro status this year 2006
Heather Lloyd (2)
Tara McCracken (2)
Xiaoting Pan (2) – Xiaoting attained her WBPA pro status this year 2006

Summary of Tournaments:
1st stop:
66 ladies competed at Legends Billiards and Grill in Brenham, Texas in January.  Xiaoting Pan from China won the tournament and the WPBA Qualifier.  Leslie Anne Rogers from Arlington, Texas came in second.

Tara McCracken from Dallas won the Second Chance Tournament.

2nd stop:
72 ladies competed at Fast Eddie's in Round Rock, Texas in February.  Xiaoting Pan from China won the tournament and the WPBA Qualifier.  Lisa Brannen from Little Rock, Arkansas came in second.

Heather Lloyd from Austin won the Second Chance Tournament.

3rd stop: 
50 ladies competed at Magoo's Billiards in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March.  This was the first time Magoo's hosted the event and the ladies loved the new room with all their nine-foot tables!  Anna Kostanian from Albuquerque, New Mexico won the tournament and WPBA Qualifier.  Bonnie Plowman from Denver, Colorado came in second.    

Karen Lincoln from Missouri won the Second Chance Tournament.

4th Stop
43 women played at Shooters II in Lake Jackson, Texas in April.  Lisa Brannen won the tournament and Anna Kostanian came in second and won the WPBA Qualifier. 

Tina Pawloski from California won the Second Chance Tournament.

5th stop: 
44 ladies competed at Pugsley's Library in Dallas, Texas in June. Anna Kostanian won the tournament and the WPBA Qualifier.  Amanda Lampert came in second.  

Board member Julie Stephenson from Keller, Texas won the Second Chance Tournament.

6th stop:
45 women came to compete at G-Cue Billiards in Round Rock, Texas in July.  Heather Lloyd from Austin double-dipped Sophie Lopez from San Antonio to win the tournament and the WPBA Qualifier. 

Tara McCracken from Dallas won the Second Chance Tournament.

7th stop:
45 women came to compete at Legend's Billiards in League City, Texas in August.  Leslie Anne Rogers won the tournament and Tara McCracken placed second and won the WPBA Qualifier.

Board member Helen Hayes from San Antonio won the Second Chance tournament.

8th stop: 
28 women came to compete at the Carom Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico in September - WPBA Pro Mona Biddle's new up-scale pool room.  Tara McCracken captured her first Hunter Tour win and the WPBA Qualifier and Heather Lloyd came in second.

Del Ann Nash from New Mexico won her first Second Chance Tournament.

9th stop:
51 women came to compete at Bogies Billiards in Houston, Texas in October.  Heather Lloyd won the tournament and the WPBA Qualifier.  Tara McCracken came in second.

Board member Helen Hayes won her second Second Chance Tournament of the year.

Summary of New Items:

The Hunter Classics Tour implemented wonderful new things this year for the members: 

•  Start times for Player's Meeting moved from 9:30am to 10am.
• Qualifier fee reduced from $75 to $20 for all Hunter Tour tournaments (due to an anonymous donor).  This fee is optional and the highest finisher who paid the $20 gets a paid entry into a WPBA event.
• A suggestion box - if we implement the suggestion, the player gets a free entry into a Hunter Tour event.
• A raffle during the Player's Meeting for one entry free.
• A raffle during the Player's Meeting for a free Hunter Tour embroidered shirt.
• Non-Smoking during matches (one break per player per match).
• Alternate breaks throughout the tournament (not just on Saturday).
• Wear a Hunter Classics embroidered shirt at another event and point it out to a board member, you get a scratch off ticket at your next Hunter Tour tournament.

The year 2006 saw many veteran Hunter Classics players along with numerous new faces.  The goal of the Hunter Classics Tour is to provide a friendly, respectful, and competitive environment for ALL levels of women to compete.  We are dedicated to helping the women reach their dreams. 

A great deal of the Hunter Classics Tour's success is due to the all of the supportive players that love pool and come to the events to challenge themselves and have fun.  The Hunter Classics Tour is the largest, longest-running regional women's tour in the United States!

All the ladies wish to thank our dedicated main sponsor Wes Hunter, the host rooms, and the rest of our wonderful sponsors for another successful year!