J. Pechauer NorthEast Women’s Tour / Deptford, NJ
by Lea Andrews
Nothing, not even an early-round loss, could stop Bora Jeong on her way to the finals of the August 22-23 stop of the J. Pechauer NorthEast Women’s Tour. The $1,500-added event, a WPBA qualifier for the Colorado Classic, drew 24 ladies to Hot Shots Billiards in Deptford, NJ.
On the winners’ side final four, Pam Cimarelli, who is second only to My-Hanh Lac in tour points, took down WPBA player Candi Rego 7-4 to meet Kim Smith in the hot seat match. Smith, having just edged out WPBA player Megan Smith 7-6, managed only two games against Cimarelli, who then waited in the hot seat for an opponent in the finals.
On the one-loss side, Jeong, who’d fallen to Veronique Menard 7-1 in the second round, had been making her run for the finals. After posting a 7-1 win over Cheryl Pritchard, Jeong met tour director Linda Shea, who was coming off a strong 7-3 victory over Emily Duddy. Meanwhile, 2009 14-and-under girls Junior Nationals champion Briana Miller eased past Yomalin Feliz 7-2 to meet Menard, who’d gotten by Borana Andoni 7-3. Allowing Menard only one game, Miller went on to face Rego as Jeong faced Megan Smith. Both pros landed in fifth and Miller and Jeong met in the quarterfinals, having won 7-4 and 7-1, respectively.
Jeong, who last won a JPNEWT event more than two years ago but was making her first appearance this season, was headed for familiar territory as she put Miller in fourth 7-4 to meet Kim Smith, whom she blew past 7-2 to meet Cimarelli in the finals.
In the modified final race, Jeong reached 7 first to push the race to 9, and she got to the hill with a comfortable lead. Cimarelli took rack 14 to put the score at 8-6, and she looked to be closing the gap further when she dropped the 9 on the break in the next. When the cue ball fell, too, the 9 was spotted and Jeong came to the table with ball in hand but no shot on the 1 ball. In a show of offensive savvy, she set up a long 1-9 combination, but she wasn’t going to rely entirely on that 9 ball to fall, and she tucked the cue ball behind another ball just in case. There was no need, though, as the 9 fell cleanly for first-place money and a ticket to the Colorado Classic.
Nothing, not even an early-round loss, could stop Bora Jeong on her way to the finals of the August 22-23 stop of the J. Pechauer NorthEast Women’s Tour.
Results:
1st Bora Jeong $600 + qualifier
2nd Pam Cimarelli $450
3rd Kim Smith $300
4th Briana Miller $200
5th Candi Rego $130
Megan Smith
7th Veronique Menard $85
Linda Shea