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Follow my progress as I return to the circuit after a 2 year absence. (OK I did play some between June 2004 and November 2004 ~ but I'm referring to a full year of dart tournaments.) Read about the thrill of victory (I hope!) AND the agony of defeat (Not too much I hope!!!). My brief take on the tournament, and kudos to well-deserving players. Thanks for reading and shoot well! Return to main page. |
December 3rd - 4th - 15th Annual Maryland State Championships
This area is one of my favorite areas to attend a tournament. This is basically where I got my start with the likes of Ray Hartman, Morgan O'Dell, Bobby Evans, Chris Abell, Glenn Holmes, Tony Holmes, Steve Oberti, Scott Cook, Bob Gargan, Nancy Huntoon, Lori Poliquin (now Manuel), Brigitte Burke, Marty Schilling, Sandi Lawless, Jeannie Martin, Dave "Woody" Reese, Jim Black and the list goes on and on. I enjoy being back in this area, even if it's only for a weekend.
So Lori Manuel and I team up for the ladies doubles at this tournament. Lori is just getting back into it and I'm floating in the breeze right now for the ladies doubles events. Lori and I had discussed when and if we went to the same tournament and the possibility of hooking up. This was one of a few that that "when and if" came into play.
Ladies Doubles Cricket - Saturday, December 3rd
We did really well in this event. We took 2nd. I was pleased, Lori was pleased. It was fun and relaxing. We lost to Lou Boone and Nicole Smith. All of our matches were good matches and we enjoyed spending the time together.
Mixed Doubles Cricket
Ray Carver had contacted me for this one, which I was so grateful. We'd only shot together once before at a Richmond tournament and we did well. So I was really looking forward to this one. Things seemed to be going OK and clicking UNTIL we ran into Doug "Dragon" Watkins and Lou Boone. All of a sudden the trips evaded us, and I took a shot that in hindsight probably was not the best shot to take. Doug and Lou did not miss. I think there was only one handful they didn't catch the right triple. And there were many handfuls Ray and I caught no triple or the wrong triple. Top 8 was the best we would do at this event.
Ladies Singles 501
I won this event, defeating "Juicy Lucy" in the finals, and in the semis defeating Julie Nicole-Jennings. I was pleased with my overall shooting but in some games would have preferred the trip 20 over the trip 5 and/or the trip 1. But as they told me when I first started shooting darts... a trip 1 or trip 5 on the wire is just as good as a trip 20. The trip 20's will come the darts are right there.
Mixed Triples 501
I shot with my husband, Darrell Berry, and my friend from Allentown, Scott Henning. We lost in the 2nd round, MY FAULT ~ I was just bone tired! Everything hurt! Endurance training for me!
Ladies Doubles 501 - Sunday, December 4th
Lori and I were drawn against Julia Oberti and Dorothy Spencer, both of Southern Maryland. This match went 3 legs and it was a heartbreaker for Lori and I to lose, but we did. However, the four of us did have a good time. Lots of laughing and discussing bras and the comfort and where to get the best ones. See you in Vegas, Dorothy!
Ladies Singles Cricket
My 2nd round was Dorothy. I knew it was going to be tooth and nail b/c she was taught by the same group that I was taught. And the first leg was a serious battle ending with each of us having over 800 points. Fortunately, I prevailed in the first leg. The 2nd leg I was still catching the trips and Dorothy was wiring. I grabbed the 2nd leg and went on. I LOVE matches like this. My heart was racing, the adrenaline was pumping, it was back and forth so many times in the first leg. It was GREAT! Dorothy and I had a deal, and I did hold up my end of it ~ I won the event.
Saturday was a long day that started off not so good for the tournament staff. The building was suppose to be open at 10am, I think it was 10:30am when someone finally arrived to let us in. When you start like that you just know you're going to run behind the entire day. I don't envy the tournament staff b/c regardless of the reason, they are the "heavy" in it all. They did their best to keep things running smoothly. I know as soon as I finished mixed doubles I was called for my first round of singles, but then had to sit an hour between my first round and my 2nd round. That wasn't fun but I just hung out with the Bal'more crew (Mike, Mike, and oh yeah, Mike) and kept busy and kept laughing. Also, having my husband there and being able to go make out with him from time to time was cool. Sitting and chatting with Kim Trego and Chris Linkous was nice. In other words, there was plenty to do to kill the wait time.
Sunday ran so much smoother. They stayed on top of things and then of course they had their State Championships. Unfortunately, it was time for us to get on the road and so we didn't stay to see the outcome. I'm sure deserving competitors won the state titles. Results will be posted, I'm sure, at www.cmdldarts.com
NOVEMBER 25th - REGION V-3 CRICKET PLAYOFF
27 Men and ONLY 4 (yes, ONLY FOUR) Women participated in this regional, which took place on Black Friday pior to the start of the Long Island Classic. I don't know why the participation is down on the female end of things. Perhaps everyone is happy just playing league, unfortunately I don't play league, there are no blind draws in my area and regionals and tournaments are the only way I get to play any competition. So it saddens me to see so very few women show up to participate. Irregardless, b/c of the men showing up to play in such great numbers, and the women managing to get a 4th (thanks Laurette) to play, Region V-3 will send 3 men and 1 woman.
This regional was to advance to play in the National Cricket Championships in Las Vegas, NV at the end of January 2006. The winners receive a round-trip ticket and $150 stipend to be used for hotel and/or entry fee expenses while attending the Las Vegas Open during the weekend. Some clubs hold qualifiers for individuals to assist in the $110 entry fee which it costs to play in a regional. Some individuals pay the $110 on their own.
The winners from Region V-3 will be:
Johnny Kuczynski, Scott Wollaston (recently moved to the area), Dayton Strawbridge, and Doreen Berry.
NOVEMBER 19th - 20th - GREENSBORO CLASSIC - GREENSBORO, NC
This was a long drive, but we'd enjoyed ourselves at this tournament in the past and really needed some time away together.
Darrell and I shot in the mixed doubles event, and Bruce Marsahll joined us for the mixed trips. Both events we were sitting after the 2nd round. Not bad darts, the other team just shot better and hit their outs first.
Diane Rutkowski and I hooked up for the doubles and we took top 4 in the cricket and lost first round of the 01.
I didn't fare so well in the singles. I lost first round of the cricket to Charlie Daniels and lost in the top 8 to my friend Amy Newman. Congrats to Amy who went on to win the singles 501, as well break that run of beating me the first leg but losing the match (LOL).
OCTOBER 13TH - 15TH - LOUISIANA CLASSIC - SHREVEPORT, LA
Friday evening a mixed doubles event was thrown in and I joined forces with Cabell Staples. Unfortunately, I still wasn't shooting well (actually shooting horrific). We did win the first leg when I popped the double 20, as I said I was usually on my outs on Friday but my score was just awful. We lost the 2nd leg. The 3rd leg had a really good shot at being an 18 dart game thanks to Cabell's excellent scoring. Unfortunately, I missed the 70 and set Cabell on 20. Fortunately, Chris Helms missed the 25 and left Gwen 8. Unfortunately, Cabell laid all 3 of his darts on the outside wire of the double 10. Unfortunately, Gwen would not give me a chance to sneak in there and hit the double 2 on her last dart.
Saturday saw Angel and I start at 10am, ladies doubles cricket. The rhythm felt really good. We lost in the top 8 but it wasn't bad shooting just unlucky darts. Lots of wires w/out triples and lots of triples but in the wrong "house". Our loss was handed to us by Sherri Benton and Carolyn Mars. I played ladies singles 501 next and that seemed to be going well. My score was going well and I was on 18 dart or better pace (depending on how many darts it took me to hit the double). Of course the top-4 would see me playing Stacy and all of a sudden only solid 60's would leave my hand vs Stacy's never-ending slew of tons, 140's and good solid outshots. Later I would play the singles Cricket and that too seemed to be going well for me and then there was the top 8 where I would meet Marilyn Popp. Once again I was in the wrong triple or only catching singles and unable to combat the constant 5 or better marks of Marilyn. The 2nd leg seemed to go a bit better but I missed game shot of a single 15 and three 16s. Marilyn would hit the single 16 to tie the score and end the game.
Sunday, Angel and I weren't fortunate enough to get the double to go in and after our first leg my score started suffering again. It came back late in the 3rd leg, a little too late. Our opponent, Janet Watkins, sitting on 20, would hit the wood, that dart would almost hit the chalker on the next board (actually it landed right in front of her left foot), the 2nd dart would be about 2" away from the double 10 and the 3rd dart went nicely into the double 10. Jen and Janet were excited and I was happy to see them move on. I think they may have lost in the next round but their enthusiasm was something to watch.
This tournament was a first for me ~ and it had alot of fun people. Most people there seemed to be genuine, whether it be friendly or indifferent.
OCOTBER 13TH - ADO US TEAM NATIONALS - SHREVEPORT, LA
14 women and I think 27 men all showed up for this National Playoff with the winners going to Guyana, sometime in 2006.
I started off winning 4 of 6 legs. But trust me the only thing that was good about my darts were my outs. I didn't have any 0-3 matches but I did have a run of 1-2 matches. So going into my final match against Amy Newman I was sitting with a win record of 7, and had a feeling that 3 straight would at least put me in a playoff position. As it was Amy won the first leg and that ended my chance (in my mind) at getting into a playoff position. Meanwhile, Angel Gaffney and Deb Parker (very ironic as Angel and I were partnered for the weekend and Deb and Amy, of course, were partnered for the weekend) were playing and Angel's 3-0 win over Deb put her into a playoff position with Amy. I had taken the final 2 legs from Amy, when all else seems futile the darts just seem to fall. Angel would prevail in the playoff and join Stacy Bromberg, Gwen (sorry blank on the last name), and Sherri Benton in the top-4. Stacy and Sherri would go on to win the top 2 spots. Brad Wethington and Johnny Kuczynski took the honors for the men. Anyone up for a game of musical chairs?
OCTOBER 8TH - WESTERN MARYLAND OPEN - FREDERICK, MD
Darrell and I went to the tournament for this day only, as previously stated on this website. Darrell was expecting to hook-up with Bruce Marshall and the 3 of us would shoot mixed trips. Unfortunately, Bruce suffered car problems and didn't make it. So Darrell got set up with a buddy of Dave Reese's, but they lost first round. I wasn't set for doubles for this tournament, so just lingered around and let Mike know I'm available if it gets down to the last minute and someone needs a partner. Shortly after that Deb Straiton walked in and let Lori B know that her (Deb) partner is a no-show. So I set with Deb. Julie Nichol put in a call and didn't have a partner, Lori Poliquin showed w/out a partner and I assisted in that set. Which, now, karma comes into play and we have your first ladies doubles match. Julie and Lori vs Deb and Doreen. Fortunately, Deb and I prevailed and we went on to win this event. Ladies singles saw me through a couple first rounds and Julie waiting on my 2nd round match. She went to get Taco Bell for us and we ate before starting our match. Sandy Lawless was waiting for our match and the three of us were having a nice chit-chat which almost got Julie and I 2nd called. Julie and I were facing-off in a top 8 match, Sandy was chalking. Julie went on to face Sandy in the top 4, I chalked. Julie prevailed on that one and did win the singles. Mixed trips saw me connect with Dayton Strawbridge and Scott Wollaston, but the doubles avoided us like the plague and we were knocked out first round by the superb shooting of David Thibault, Stowe, and Nicole Smith.
AUGUST 12th - 14th - USA DART CLASSIC - STAMFORD, CT
Well this one is short and sweet..... Friday night blind draw I drew John Daddio and we had a top 16 finish.
Saturday Laurett and I finished Top 16 in the doubles 501.
My singles cricket loss was to Gail Payne in the first round. My singles 501 loss was to Kelly Meares of FL in the first round. Mixed Trips loss came at the hands of Kim and crew (of Pietros fame, ? ... sorry drawing a blank here) in the first round. Partner and I did make it to the 3rd round of the mixed doubles 501 but it was the round before the money and Tom Waterman and Gail Payne took care of us there. Laurett and I lost first round of the ladies doubles cricket
Other Stuff
Altho it wasn't suppose to happen until LA, it has been decided the twins are officially retired. Sorry to disappoint all of you, but that's the way it goes.
In all seriousness I probably only have 4 more tournaments maximum remaining this year. 2006 and forward will see me spending much more time with my husband and my boys ~ and doing the hit and miss on the tournament scene with Darrell. It was nice to be back for the year ~ but we have other things that we want to do as a family and a couple.
AUGUST 12th 2005 - EAST - WEST TEAM PLAYOFF - US Nationals Men/Women/Youth Champions
I managed to make it into the Top 8 again for the National Playoffs but failed to hit my doubles against Gail Payne, she beat me with a 3-2 record and went on to the top 4 to play (and lose to) Marilyn Popp. Marilyn, who defeated Stacy in the top 8, advanced to the finals to play against Joyce Hamilton. Marilyn is our 2005 National 501 Women's Champion. Congrats to Marilyn! Best of Luck to Joyce, who will travel to England in London, by invitation.
Scott Wollaston is our 2005 Men's National 501 Champion for the 2nd year running. Congrats to Scott!
BIG NEWS: ASHLEY STEWART, age 13 (soon to be 14), the FIRST FEMALE youth player and possibly the youngest ~ won the NATIONAL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! Ashley will travel to England in October!!!! When you see this girl (she is phenomenal!!!) Please wish her all the best ... IF any fund raisers are held PLEASE SUPPORT THEM! I'm sure all of her family would love to travel with her! Ashley is THE SWEETHEART of the DART WORLD in the USA ~ soon many more in the worldwide darting world will know about Ashley Stewart.
As soon as I figure it out... I'll be posting my song dedication to Ashley on this website.... Mark Wills ... And the Crowd Goes Wild!
WE ALL LOVE YOU ASHLEY!!!!
AUGUST 6, 2005 - REGION V-3 - US TEAM REGIONALS, MILFORD, NJ
21 Men and 5 Women participated in this regional for the chance to win a trip to Shrevesport, LA in mid-October.
Johnny K and Tom Waterman will represent the men, and I will represent the women. Once again it was a tight finish for me. I started off 6-0, then dropped 1 to Laurett Meddis and 2 to Nikki Passenti. That gave me a 9-3 record... Nikki had an 8-4 record.
Next Regional will be the Friday, November 25th, prior to the start of the Long Island Fall Classic.
JULY 15th - 17th - HOUSTON OPEN - HOUSTON, TX
FRIDAY, JULY 15TH
MIXED DOUBLES CRICKET
SATURDAY, JULY 16th
LADIES DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES SINGLES CRICKET
MIXED TRIPLES 601
SUNDAY, JULY 17th
LADIES DOUBLES 501
LADIES SINGLES 501
MIXED DOUBLES 501
COMMENTS:
FUN TIMES:
Ah.... a new ritual has begun. It involves FIRE and Top 16 certificates ~ which Angel and I both received in singles 501 ... do not forget the water.. do not try this inside... only do it outside.
Angel has a list of DO NOTs ~ LOL ~ but I'll save that for another time when wounds have healed.
JUNE 28TH - 29TH - PDC DESERT CLASSIC - LAS VEGAS, NV
There are 2 qualifying rounds each day. The format is 501 best of 5, modified knock out bracket. Basically this is how it works (the numbers may not be exact but close). You'll have up to 8 players on a board ~ each board has it's own bracket ... this is not round robin... you play a "normal" knock out bracket format and you have to win the board to advance to the playoff to win the qualifier. On the women's side only 1 woman per qualifier advances but 2nd thru 8th get paid ... so if you win your board... you get $$$ ~ unless you win the qualifier then you just advance to the top 4 (where you also get money).
JULY 3rd - PDC DESERT CLASSIC - CRICKET SINGLES
AH HA - YES! I can still throw darts ~ not good enough to beat Marilyn Popp in the top 8 but good enough to defeat Monika , Deb Parker, and Delphine on my board to advance to the top 8. It was nice to see them (my darts) leave my hand as my head instructed. This format was set up the same as described above ~ except the top 16 received money (so if you took 2nd on your board you got some money back).
COMMENTS
OMG! FIRST ... IF you LOVE to watch darts ... you MUST go to this event next year. If you don't want to try your luck at qualifying then come on out on Thursday (the top 16 starts) and stay through to the finals on Sunday. It truly is an experience.
NOTES
I made so many new friends while in Vegas. Alex Roy (and his entourage, including Keith, Steve and Dave)~ will they remember me next year???! Rumor has it I scared "Smitty". I've gained a new appreciation for "body art". My roommates were wonderful all weekend ~ and my bed buddy didn't snore (altho she did knee me in the back one morning... LOL). Brett, check out his product www.dart-stopbackboards.com.
JUNE 24TH - 26TH - COLORADO OPEN, DENVER, CO
SATURDAY, JUNE 25TH
MIXED DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES DOUBLES 501
LADIES SINGLES 501
MIXED TRIPS 601
SUNDAY, JUNE 26TH
CRICKET PLAYOFF FOR CRICKET INVITE TO MASTERS IN ENGLAND
LADIES DOUBLES CRICKET
I, of course, was warmed up and ready to go and feeling much more "the thing". So Sherri and I were off... to another 2nd place finish (yup Stacy B and Kathy P got us again) But still it's the first time we've ever shot together and how do you complain about two 2nd place finishes at a $15,000 tournament? YOU DON'T! Thanks again Sherri!!!!
LADIES SINGLES CRICKET
Well, well, well..... Guess who I got to play in this event? Linda Anglin! I won 2-0 ... LOL ... to advance to the next round. (So altogether that day we played 2 matches - we're at 1-1 - we played 8 legs - we're at 5-3 (ME!) -- POOP! She still goes to England! LOL) My top 4 match saw me pitted against Sally Wilmore -- that was an interesting 3 legs -- Sally advanced to the finals finishing 2nd to Stacy B.
JUNE 10th - 12TH - WADA OPEN, HERNDON, VA
SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH
LADIES DOUBLES 501
LADIES SINGLES CRICKET
MIXED TRIPLES -01
SUNDAY, JUNE 12th
MIXED DOUBLES 501
LADIES DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES SINGLES 501
GENERAL COMMENTS
KUDOS
It should also be know that Chuck had his head shaved for charitable purposes at the Ladies tournament in May. What will he do next????????
JUNE 4th - REGION V-3 EAST-WEST REGIONAL PLAYOFFS
34 Men and 11 Women Converged upon Milford, NJ as directed. Each individual contributed an extra $10 to enable the addition of a woman to advance to the Nationals in August, pre-USA Dart Classic. We began at approximately 12:30pm, I think I finished at 8:15pm, I left at 10:00pm when the men were still finishing their top 6 playoff for the 3 spots to advance, thus (b/c I haven't asked for an update) the men's results are not included.
The women's race was tight, we played one bracket, so 10 matches. It wasn't going to be easy either, even with the absence of Tina DiGregorio. My first 2 rounds saw me in a hole with only one way out... UP! I had lost 5 of my first 6 legs (3 of them to Joyce). I tried to call a few people for a talk about using my head as a butt plug, but failed miserably. (Altho, I did find out that Lee Scott is preparing for marriage, again ~ so congrats to him and his bride-to-be ~ and I think there is a baby on the way too!) So after failing miserably I decided I had to do some self-extraction and thought "OK girl... 24 legs to go... WIN THEM ALL!!" I did win 20 of them which was enough to give me the 2nd place spot, but it very easily could have gone to Frannie.
Results: Joyce Hamilton took 1st with 22/30, I finished 2nd with 21/30, and Frannie Frederick finished 3rd with 20/30.
May 20th - 22nd - CVDA CLASSIC, RICHMOND, VA
SATURDAY, MAY 21st
MIXED DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES SINGLES 501
MIXED TRIPS 701
SUNDAY, MAY 22nd
LADIES DOUBLES 501
LADIES SINGLES CRICKET
MIXED DOUBLES 501
April 15th - 17th - CHARLOTTE OPEN, CHARLOTTE, NC
FRIDAY, APRIL 15TH - WINMAU MASTERS NATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Unfortunately, I did not fair well in this event. I only won 11 of 21 games. I started decently winning 5 of my first 6 legs. I then dropped to 6-3. My next 3 rounds were disastrous, as my darts were grouping nicely, albeit not in the 20s or any other significant number of importance. I finished strongly winning 5 of my last 6 legs. Congratulations to Marily Popp and Stacy Bromberg, the 2 women who will advance to the competition in England.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16th
MIXED DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES DOUBLES CRICKET
LADIES SINGLES CRICKET
SUNDAY, APRIL 17TH
MIXED DOUBLES 501
LADIES SINGLES 501
LADIES DOUBLES 501
The Good
I had fun. The rooms were nice and reasonably priced. The tournament played a decent mix of music for background noise. I think everyone attending had a good time. If there were complaints, they were few.
The Bad
This is just my opinion, but I thought the boards were a bit close together. It always felt like people were standing on top of each other, even in singles. I also never watched a finals match as they had a finals room. It just never occurred to me to go across the hall and watch a match. DRINK PRICES TOO HIGH! It doesn't cost that much up North.
THE FUNNY
Well... Sunday was great. I sat down and watched, then joined in that silly game of Left-Center-Right ... or Dots... or whatever they call it. I swear there were more people gathered round watching this idiotic pasttime then ever watched a finals match that weekend. Now, I only say idiotic, in the most fun way it can be meant. It was fun, we all laughed, sounded like pirates at times if we wanted an R to pop up on a die, and just had a great time laughing and hoping that when we were broke the die would give us a "chip".
April 9th - 10th - VARUNA CUP V, BROOKLYN, NY
SATURAY, APRIL 9TH
Ladies Doubles 501
Ladies Singles Cricket
Mixed Triples 601
SUNDAY, APRIL 10TH
Mixed Doubles 501
Ladies Singles 501
The Good
The Bad
March 18th - 20th - VIRGINIA BEACH CLASSIC, VA BEACH, VA
SATURDAY, MARCH 19TH
Mixed Trips 601
Ladies Doubles Cricket
Ladies Singles Cricket
SUNDAY, MARCH 20th
Ladies Doubles 501
Ladies Singles 501
Mixed Doubles Cricket
The Good
The Bad
March 4th - 5th - ALBANY, NY TOURNAMENT
FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH
Blind Draw - I played, I lost. I owe Joe Hogan $10.00 or 2 beers
SATURDAY, MARCH 5th
Ladies Doubles 501
Ladies Singles Cricket
Mixed Doubles
Blind Draw
SUNDAY, MARCH 6th
Ladies Doubles Cricket
Ladies Singles -01
COMMENTS
KUDOS
Burt ~ Thank you for holding this tournament and presenting plaques to the champions. I sincerely appreciate it, even if I hadn't won an event it would still garner my thanks and appreciation.
February 18th -20th - SYRACUSE OPEN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH
I opted to play the blind draw b/c there was no mixed doubles event for this tournament. I drew a fun guy, Buddha, unfortunately, our opponents weren't missing and it was a first round loss for us. Buddha did better in the Saturday, blind draw but we'll get to that in a minute.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH
Ladies Doubles Cricket
Ladies Singles Cricket
Mixed Trips 601
Blind Draw 501
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH
Ladies Doubles 501
Ladies Singles 401
KUDOS:
COMMENTS:
The hotel rooms are a good size, plenty of space, and they were reasonably priced at $70/night.
The lounge in the evening, with the right mix of people, is a great place to be. The events don't run too late (especially if you're me and either don't play the blind draw OR lose 1st round), thereby allowing one to go have a good time for a couple hours and still get a decent night sleep.
The events ran on time. And I mean that! It was great to have everything start on time, things went as smoothly as players would allow. I watched the finals of the mens singles 501 on Sunday and was on my way home at 4:45pm. That was great for me, as I have a 4 hour drive. I had finished play at 2:30 and watched the ladies finals, which wrapped up rather quickly.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this tournament an 11+! I highly recommend it to anyone that even considers it next year.
February 12th - MASTERS REGIONALS
8 Women and 29 Men Participated for the chance to go to Charlotte, NC in April and play for a shot at a trip to England in October 2005. Region V-3 will be sending 1 woman and 4 men, since the participants all eagerly agreed to put in an extra $10 in order for the 4th man to go and represent our region. I won 19 of 21 legs to finish first and win the trip. The 4 men (in no specific order) are Johnny K. (Zion Grove, PA), Darin Young (Hazelton, PA) , Tim O'Gorman (LI, NY)and Bill Davis (Phila., PA)
Jan 28th - NATIONAL CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIPS
This event started approximately at 10am on Friday morning. We had 4 brackets of women, the top 2 from each bracket would proceed to the Top 8. There were 23 women, so we had 3 brackets of 6 and 1 bracket of 5. I was in the 5 bracket. After my first 2 rounds I was sitting at 5-1! The next 2 rounds I lost 1-2, which put me into a tie with Kathy Podrazza of TX. It was a best of 5 playoff to see who would advance to the top 8. I advanced with a 3-1 record.
The top 8, is a knockout bracket, best of 5. I won my first round in the top 8 3-0. The semi-final round had me pitted against Stacy Bromberg. We traded legs and at the bottom of the board in the 5th leg Stacy caught that all important triple and I was unable to counter the move. Stacy advanced with a 3-2 record to play Marilyn Popp in the finals. Marilyn came away with the title.
Jan 28th - 30th - LAS VEGAS OPEN
I opted out of the blind draw on Friday night, sheer exhaustion and a migraine put me to bed quite early.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 29TH
Ladies Doubles 501
Ladies Singles Cricket
Mixed Doubles Cricket
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30TH
Ladies Singles 501
Mixed Doubles 501
KUDOS:
2005 Womens National Cricket Champion - Marilyn Popp
Jan 14th - 16th - NY/NJ OPEN
Pro Shoot 501 Singles
Luck of the Draw 501
Ladies Doubles 501
Ladies Singles Cricket
Mixed Trips 601
Believe it or not.. that was it for Saturday b/c I went to bed at 8:00pm. Yup, I'd been up for 23.5 hours when I went to bed Saturday "morning" at 2:30am and got 5 hours of sleep. But by Saturday evening that long "up time" caught up with me and I was down for the count.
Mixed Doubles 501
Ladies Doubles Cricket
Ladies Singles 501
KUDOS:
January 7th - 9th - Rae Chesney PA Open
Saturday Events
First event - Ladies Doubles 501:
Ladies Singles Cricket:
Mixed Trips 601:
Sunday's Events
Ladies Doubles Cricket
Ladies Singles 501:
Tournament Comments:
Most Positive Comment: Still ONE of the BEST tournaments to attend in any given year. Plenty of room in the hall. Nice hotel.
Most Negative Comment: First round of mixed trips was at 5:30pm on Saturday. At 10:30 top 8 matches were beginning to be called after a 2.5 hour wait for some and an hour for others.
KUDOS:
The darts didn't go well, but we did manage to get some alone time and that in and of itself was worth the trip.
Diane fared better in the singles winning the cricket and taking 2nd in the 501.
I got to catch up with a few people and enjoy myself without over-endulging. I think the prices for the food were a bit high, but I didn't have anything to eat in the dart hall. The breakfast buffet was only $7.95 and that was a pretty fair deal, tho the food was on the cold side.
The hotel is close to the casinos, but I don't gamble. Those that did, I think they did well overall. I heard quite a few stories of people leaving the casino ahead of what they went in with.
The dart hall was 'ok' most of the weekend, but then Sunday it was just terrible. There was no air and the smoke was stagnant. I only played one round of one event, I chalked 2 matches and maybe warmed up for an hour, I think in total I was in the dart hall for 2.5 hours on Sunday and my clothes smelled TERRIBLE! I was so thankful I had the forethought to leave a change of clothes on top of my packed bag and couldn't wait to get into them. I wish I could have showered also as I'm sure my hair was just as nasty smelling.
I connected with long lost Florida buddy, Tex, for this event. Unfortunately, we lost 2nd round, so there isn't much to write about.
I connected with old partner, Angel Gaffney, for this event. Unfortunately, we lost 1st round, so there isn't anything to write about this event. We went three legs but fell short.
Texas is NOT easy! The majority of my legs went 300+ points, the very first one went over 600, I don't recall where the last one ended. I lost in the Top 16 to Amanda Feuge, went three legs but fell one bull short for the win.
I connected with Tex and Bob (don't try to say his last name) Leifeste (did I get it right?) We finished top 16 (I think) I was so irate that I once again had game shot and missed again... all I wanted to do was never see another dart. (Speaking of that... there is this story about Friday night, me losing/misplacing darts, 2 announcements being made, several people looking for them and then all of a sudden they appeared as I was ranting to Dennis Aitken about the situation! Thanks again Dennis ~ and to everyone that heard me ranting and raving ... I told you I'd put it on my website.)
Angel and I made it to the money... I think top 8 but maybe only top 16 of this event. We were doing so well and then ... *poof* like magic they were gone! Ah well ... Next time.
I lost in the top 16 to Amanda Feuge again and the crowd was extremely pleased. I was happy with the way I shot, missed my double (of course), the chalker did an EXCELLENT job of following the Chalking Commandments, and I wished Amanda well.
Well this was a crash and burn! We lost the first leg and shouldn't have, shot a spectacular 2nd leg, and then I just took flight the 3rd leg ~ I don't know where they went or why ... Tex continued to shoot well, but my darts (or my ethereal being that plays darts) left the building. Sorry Tex! Still time to back out of future sets.
Very well run tournament, very much run on time. Very strict policy on in/out of drinks but nothing that hindered play or caused problems.
Difficult to get chalkers at times but eventually someone would step up to the plate and handle the job. (Note for all tournaments: I think the 10 Commandents of Chalking need a place at the tournament ... LOL... but that's just me.)
DAMN! I can't remember the name of the bar but Jodie (bartender) was my partner and we finished 3rd and it was FUN FUN FUN! HI JODIE!
That being said... I WAS ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC! It was not nerves, it wasn't anything inside my head... I don't know what it was... well I do know that my fingers were swollen like little pork sausages and I had no natural moisture on my fingers so my darts were sticking. Monday's darts were mortifying, Tuesday's were better ... I'd rate them horrendous. There wasn't a thing I could do about it, except muddle through and hope things are better next year.
This year we had 5 Americans (4 men, 1 woman) reach the stage. George Walls and Johnny K were knocked out in the top 32. However, both Darin Young and Ray Carver made it to the top 16 which are televised (at least in England). Darin, unfortunately, was knocked out by John Part, but it was a valiant comeback effort to be envied by all. Ray Carver battled back from an 0-2 (sets) deficit to advance to the top 8. Unfortunately, Ray's journey would end in the top 8 at the hands of Wes Newton. Wes would face Phil Taylor in the top 4. John Part won his top 8 match against Roland Scholten and would face Wayne Mardle in the top 4. Phil and Wayne advanced to the finals , best of 5 legs, first to 6 sets. Phil came out on top 6 sets to 1.
On the women's side, Stacy would face #1 World Ranked Trina Gulliver in the semi-finals ~ this is a best of 7 legs ~ Trina would win 4-3, and in the finals face Deta Hedman, who defeated Trish Wright. Trina would win the ladies best of 11 legs a final score of 6-2.
I've learned that I have to practice w/out drinking if I'm going to participate in PDC (and probably BDO and WDF) sponsored events. There is no drinking (except water) or smoking during match play. Once you are finished throwing you may go away from the area and drink and smoke BUT you cannot stop during play to drink and smoke. This could explain why one of the top 8 players was seen consuming 6 beers within 45 minutes at 9am on Friday morning (and NO! he wasn't an American). In other words "get your buzz on" ... LOL.
The atmosphere is truly electrifying and it's an experience I'll never forget. I can't wait for next year ... the watching alone is enough to get me out there! Alex Roy is truly one of the most "animated" players and still pictures do not do him justice. You really do have to watch him to get the full experience. Wayne Mardle tries to make every match a show. The faces of these world ranked players on stage is definitely different from when you see them away from the game. Adrian Gray plays to the camera. Of course there is our own Ray Carver that gets pumped up when his darts gets going. One can't help but to jump out of their chair (get a bruise) and cheer along with him. BUT one (me) must wait for the announcer to call "game shot" before yelling "YEAH" (b/c the dart wasn't actually "in" the double ~ but the next one was), Sorry Ray! And what a vacation ... at least for me.
Saturday night I was finally ready to throw darts again (I lost all my "mates" Saturday afternoon). So I went to CDs Sports Lounge on E. Desert Inn ... mixed drinks are $4 and are well worth it! I got there early and fortunately Brian Jones came in and threw some with me. Unfortunately, the blind draw wasn't very lucky for me... except I did get a great partner in Deb Parker, but we got unlucky on doubles. Still it was a fun night for me ~ for the most part.
Darin Young set me up with Roland Scholten for this event. Which I was just absolutely thrilled about. Roland and I won this event. It was an excellent start to my day. I also had the pleasure of meeting Roland's girlfriend, Mariah. These two people are the two of the sweetest people anyone could ever have the pleasure of meeting.
Brenda Roush did me a favor and set me up with Sherri Benton for the ladies doubles events at this tournament. Actually, it's not as easy as it sounds, but it all worked out... LOL. Sherri and I took 2nd (losing to Stacy B and Kathy Podrazza) in this event. Not bad for your first time shooting together. I absolutely enjoyed the experience and look forward to this annual meeting.
Along the way, I had to play Sherri (actually it was a top 4 match) and I defeated her, only to finish 2nd to Stacy B in the finals. It wasn't an easy room to deal with at all.
Darin Young and Roland Scholten were my partners for this event. They were throwing well and I was having a bit of an issue finding anything worthy of mention. In the top 4 we played Stacy B, Paul Lim and Johnny K. YUP... I started shooting and Darin and Roland continued to shoot well... UNFORTUNATELY, the other team didn't miss and top 4 is where we would finish for this one.
This event was specially scheduled for a playoff between Linda Anglin and myself due to the fact there was a tie that had not been broken back in February at the National Cricket event in Las Vegas. It would be a best of 5, cricket, the winner would receive the invite (based on the fact that both Marilyn (1st) and Stacy B (2nd) earned their spots on the team through the playoff program). The winner would receive the invite (usually given to the Cricket National Champion) but all expenses are their own.
We set this for 8am Sunday morning, yes, early, but Linda and I both got a good night sleep and were ready ~ the bar even accomodated our early rising. Unfortunately, I also woke up quite ill (probably nerves) and spent about 30 minutes praying to the porcelain god. I was feeling much better by the time the playoff started. It went 5 legs, but to Linda's credit she shot much more consistent then I did all 5 legs. I just really couldn't get it going and she did... and in the 5th leg she started with a round of 9 on the 20's. Of course, I'm never one to say die... BUT at the end of this 5th leg my darts were all over the board ... nowhere near the bulls, which is quite pathetic considering I am usually very strong on them. So if you see Linda, please, congratulate her and wish her well on her trip to England. (She hates 501 and that's what they'll be playing so if you live near her make her practice ... LOL) After my performance in Vegas (previous entry) I need a ton of practice before I go to England
Laurett and I gave it a go, again.... unfortunately, we were bested by Carolyn and partner in the top 8 of this event.
Guess who knocked me out in the top 8??? Yup... Carolyn. The story is getting boring .... LOL So I'm going to try to STOP writing it!
Partners were Chris Linkous and Rusty, we lost to Dayton and team. It was a fun time, but I shot like crap! Doesn't matter anyway, Laurett and the two "A" Sons won (sorry Johnny... LOL) OK OK I'll spell it out... Ray Carver, Laurett Meddis, Darin Young were crowned the champions. That does make Johnny the step-child, right???
Chris Linkous and I have been trying to hook up FOREVER. We finally managed to do it this tournament and we drew Dayton Strawbridge and Amy (whatever she wants to be called - Sybil) Newman in the first round. We had a shot (actually a couple in the 3rd leg but failed to convert and thus took a seat. Promising to shoot together again ~ at a location near you! (now see.. emoticons, a pointing finger would be great here!) Love you Chris!
Laurett and I were shooting REALLY well! She had just won the mixed doubles with Darin Young. (Oh yeah... she's got this mixed thing down pat!) She was all warmed up and she was on fire, I was on fire... things were going well. We needed a total of 6 bulls in the first leg of the top 8 to beat (yeah yeah HER again) and I broke the ice with one. Laurett had some darts bounce out. I hit another one. Laurett had some more darts bounce out. I missed. Laurett had some more darts bounce. I missed. If you think I'm repeating myself I AM NOT! God is trying to send me a message that I evidently can not figure out yet! So we lost the first leg and lost the 2nd leg too! BUT Amy/Sybil and Deb Parker won this event, and they had to defeat Carolyn and partner in the semis.
I swear I don't think ANYONE wanted to play this event. Everyone looked dog tired and some of us (MARY JO) had to be TOLD to play the event (THANKS BRUCE, take her home next time!) So we progress through, struggling in the first round with me... it was Nicole Smith. The 2nd round, it was Nikki Passenti. The 3rd round (top 8) it was Paula Bushey, I owed her one from the Philly tournament. The 4th round it was Deb Parker (who had defeated Lou Boone, who had defeated Amy/Sybil). The finals it was Mary Jo, she had bested Carolyn in the top 4. So no matter what else I may think of Mary Jo, she deserved to win. Although, she did try to force feed me the first 3 legs, I only accepted one though. I requested the next time she is going to give me a present to put a bow on it... maybe I'll be more tempted to open it. BTW ~ I happen to think MJ is ONE terrific person, and along with a few others, an individual I can count on for friendship! Thanks MJ!
PLEASE ATTEND THIS TOURNAMENT NEXT YEAR!
It REALLY is one of the best ones offered. Many people from the South couldn't make it b/c of a scheduling conflict ... but there were MANY people that I didn't see there and they are locals! Please please please, as a player, I'm requesting support ALL tournament within a 2 hour driving distance of your home! I'll even take you home Saturday night and pick you up Sunday morning if you are too drunk to drive!
What some people will do to help raise money for a charity. Chuck (aka Billy Goat) had his goatee clipped, then shaved ~ and that is b/c the people attending the tournament raised $1500 for the charity! Chuck's clippings have a new home in NC! If you want to know the rest of the story........ Sorry!
Darrell (my husband) and I gave it a go at this tournament. It had been a while, and so we figured what the heck ~ Darin Young and Lou Boone were kind enough to end our endeavors in the first round. We shot well, it went 3 legs, we missed key shots and that's the story.
Laurett and I forge ahead as partners. Through the good times, the bad times, the painful times and the GOSSIP! That said, we were knocked out before the money round of this event. I felt terrible, as I had started really strong and then just had nothing to give in the 3rd leg. I don't know where they went or maybe it was me that left, but it was bad. I felt like I'd been denying Laurett a win. See before I moved back "north" she would play local ones with Marcia Loche, Kim Enslin, and others and usually always win at least one of the doubles events and place in the money in the other. So I feel as tho I've been dragging her down. And my hate to lose attitude doesn't always help, nor does it relay the correct message to others. Alas, always remember tomorrow is another day.
I was performing quite well here, getting better each round. Carolyn Mars and I met in a best of 5 finals, we traded legs (whomever won the diddle lost the leg). I don't believe that had anything to do with it. There were times she missed her out and I took advantage and vice-versa. In the end I did win the diddle for the 5th leg and I did lose the match.
Vernon Berry, Darrell Berry, Doreen Berry (nee Sweeny) report to a board to get your butts kicked. LOL OK OK that's just a little funny thing. Because Team Alan Matthews TRIED REALLY HARD to let us win the match. I SWEAR! Ask them!
Remember? I feel like I'm letting Laurett down, can't get her a win, I'm useless and pathetic (OK OK .. I'm building up for more laughs, so never mind). Laurett and I met Carolyn Mars and Gail Payne in the finals (only a best of 3). We were the ones to find 2 of the 3 needed doubles and so we won! YEAH! I told you "tomorrow is another day".
I need to start using emoticons here b/c I really really really want to stick my tongue out and spit! Anyway, I was doing well, really shooting well. I came up against Carolyn Mars in the top 4. Too many wired trips and a couple bounce out bulls and I was defeated. Better luck to me next time (and that means from June 13th forward)! Carolyn did win the event, defeating Lisa Sphritz in the finals.
Ok.. this weekend I developed a mantra evidently.... LOSE TO CAROLYN! EXCEPT for the ladies doubles 501. So anyway, Darrell and I were shooting well, hitting some stumbling blocks but overall doing good. We went 3 legs with Carolyn Mars and Bill Ford. The 3rd leg I royally mucked up a 40 out shot and that was to be the sword to die by. We left I don't know who won this event.
I joined forces with Lee Scott for the mixed events this weekend. Unfortunately we didn't have much force and lost first round.
Laurett and I were back together again. Plugging away and narrowly escaping some losses. The top 8 saw us pitted against Carolyn and Tracy and that would be the end of our trials. We gave them a good match, it wasn't meant to be. Good darts were thrown and I was very pleased with the overall event.
I was shooting well in this event, but faltered against Marilyn Popp in the Top 4. I had an excellent 2nd leg, and I think that really got Marilyn going, as she started the 3rd leg with a round of 7 on the 20s. UGH! I never said die, but I never was able to get that one big shot to make the difference up. Stacy defeated Marilyn in the finals of this event.
Well..... Lee and I had a really good first 15 darts. Then I missed the 86 out for an 18 dart game, I think another 21 darts and we were finally able to end this leg. Unfortuantely, that is exactly where it would end for us. Charity Corrigan and Stowe (make me spill a drink) Buntz defeated us in the first round. BUT I will say this... thanks for the laughs!
I was having some double trouble in this event also. It wasn't that I wasn't close, it's that I WAS close .... right on the wires ... and my score was going well... but the wires were driving me crazy. Something about Charlotte, me and the wires... I just don't know what it is. Anyway, I managed to continue to scrape by until the top 8... That's when my buddy Tracy knocked me out. Tracy advanced to the top 4 and faced Stacy Bromberg. Stacy faced Carolyn in the finals. I don't know who won... LOL
Well... UGH! More double trouble for Laurett and myself. We did manage (or should I say, Laurett managed) to shoot some really great shots in the 2nd leg and get me to an out (trust me no help in score from me). I popped the out. The 3rd leg we had our shots but Ginger and her partner defeated us. A good thing too, otherwise we would have had to forfeit so that we could catch our 7:10pm flight.
Charity, Stowe, Lee, and I probably had the most "exciting" match of the day. Lots of laughs and stories. I'm not telling anymore stories! They shot great after my stories.
A lesson learned... when you are carrying a cup in your mouth and someone walks up behind you, do not throw your head back... ESPECIALLY when you already know who it is. The drink is only going 2 places... your shirt and theirs! (BTW STOWE... don't forget my shirt!!)
2nd lesson learned... never trust a "man" with a cell phone (I'm sure someone will figure this out and put 2 and 2 together.)
Finally.... rumor has it that "rumor has it" is back. There's a rumor about a screen saver...
My regularly scheduled partner, Laurett, wasn't feeling up to playing. She's had a really hectic schedule the last few weeeks and the next few aren't looking to spare her much time either. So Laurett felt she should sit this one out and partnered me with Nikki Passenti (NJ). Nikki and I couldn't hit our outs. OK OK OK... here it is ... The first leg Nikki had 2 darts in her hand with 85 remaining, and I said "Trip 18, double 20" She looked at me like I was crazy and said "are you sure"... and I said "Trip 18, double 20" She looked at me again and said "Really, are you serious?" And I said "I said trip 18 didn't I ... I mean trip 15" Needless to say I completely messed her up on that b/c now she's thinking I've lost my brains. Well as luck would have it for the OTHER team they finished us off 2 straight and I didn't have to "help" Nikki anymore .... LOL I'm reviewing my outchart after finishing this update.
This was a small tournament but not an easy room. Each round was tougher than the next and it seemed as though I was going to get my butt handed to me in quite a few matches. Fortunately, luck went with me well and I won this event, defeating Marcia Loche in the finals.
Jimmy, Jay and I teamed up for this event. We've teamed up once before also. Same result, we lost first round. It'll get better, let's just keep plugging away! However, Nikki Passenti and her men won the event.
This event I hooked up with Todd Harrington (PHILA). Todd had to drag me through the first few rounds... I just wasn't hitting well. Darts were either on the wire or in the wrong triple... it was not good. However, Todd just kept plugging away and I eventually showed up for the latter matches. Todd and I defeated Darin Young and Laurett Meddis in this event finals.
Nothing better then to end the weekend with another singles win. As in the mixed I struggled in the early rounds but squeaked by. I struggled in the first leg of the finals against Courtney, I couldn't catch a triple and this girl couldn't miss (AGAIN!). The 2nd leg I struggled with my out but ended up taking the 20 (s-15, s-3, d-1). That shot gave me a surge and I got down and out the 3rd leg.
Fun group of people. Reasonable drink prices. Food was delish!
Sometimes there is a bad egg ... problem got fixed quick. This is nothing against the tournament, there was a bad incident but it was handled quickly and for the most part, quietly.
The room was a little crowded, so maybe remove one of the center tables.
Remember to check the cup!
I partnered with Jim Watkins (PA) and Ed Schupe (PA), things were going well. Jim was handling everything... LOL OK it was good team work. Then we got up against Ray Carver, Stacy Bromberg and Darin Young. It went 3 legs ~ and I really messed up the 3rd leg. We were sitting on 123 and they were sitting on either 16 or 32 (I forget), it was my shot. I know this stuff in my sleep. I practice it (not to hit it but to keep the smooth stroke when changing, to know what I have left after the first dart hits, to build confidence that I can hit it) So it's a 19 shot and I hit the single, great 104 left 2 darts in my hand, trip 18 double bull ... NO NOT ME! All of a sudden I have this urge to throw the triple 20... I just KNOW I'm going to hit it ... and I did... yeah really great shot but NO OUT, so all I can do now is set it for Jim and hope he gets the shot. I apologize profusely to the men and they tell me not to worry about it. I'm worried... Darin is NOT going to give Jim a shot. WRONG! Darin misses his double and Jim hits and we advance. GREAT! UGH ~ NOT! We lose next round (top 16) to Chris Lawson (VA) and his teammates.
Laurett and I didn't make it out of the first round here. Lou Boone (MD) and Teresa Johnson (MD) got us and advanced. They finished in the top 4.
I was shooting pretty good darts. I was going along fine and top 8 saw me pitted against Stacy Bromberg. She shot better... LOL And I went and spent some time with my daughter and her new baby girl, Jessica.
Laurett was shooting GREAT! I was trying to stay solid at best. We kept chugging along. We had a 45 minute wait between our top 16 and top 32 match and a 1 hour and 20 minute wait between our top 16 and top 8 match. We lost in the top 8 to Diane Rutkowski (VA) and Sharon Borgeson (VA). They went on to the finals, where they took 2nd in this event. Diane and Sharon also placed 2nd in the Ladies Doubles Cricket on Saturday.
I was shooting really well, throwing 85s or better fairly consistent. Hitting quite a few 140s, a couple 180s, and nailing my outs. I was staying on a pretty good 18-dart game pace and feeling fairly confident. Then ~ yup, another hour wait between my top 8 and top 4 match. And Mary McLaughlin (Canada) finished me off and went on to finish 2nd to Stacy in the finals
Ed Schupe and I shot together. We were doing well, it seemed we were complimenting each other's shots and picking each other up as needed. It felt good, everything seemed to be working for us. We then drew Ray Carver (NH) and Laurett Meddis (NY) in the top 16 round. Ray was shooting excellent darts, Laurett was throwing great shots, Ed and I were sporadic at best. Flashes here and there but nothing consistent. So we were finished and I was able to head home, my family had been waiting in the van for 2.5 hours!
Beautiful venue! Right on the beach and has an indoor pool. Rooms are ample but the King Size rooms do NOT have fold out sofas. Reaonable rates (keeping in mind it is off-season). Smoking and Non-smoking dart rooms, as well as a separate "smoking lounge".
UGH! As mentioned above, TOO MUCH waiting time in between matches on Sunday. Players were holding their match tickets instead of turning them in after the win. It was crazy. People were checking out of their rooms AFTER 11am and AFTER play had started. UMMM... excuse me ??? But when you wake up do you think you're going to lose and then have time to get out of your room? I'm sure you wake up wanting to win ... pack your crap up, get out of your room and then show up to play darts! I threw my first mixed doubles round at 6:15pm (the event was slated to start at 4:00pm ~ the ladies singles was just finishing up then, and the mens doubles was still in progress. Mixed doubles cricket on Sunday!?? Last event??!?? Come on ... people have to get home. Some people HAVE to work on Monday or they lose the pay, so it's not just the expense of another night hotel, it's the loss of a days pay. Kids are present and some have to go to school ~ we aren't dealing with a holiday weekend here.
Laurett and I partnered again for this tournament. We lost in the first round, after 3 legs. The POSITIVE.. we had a 17-dart 2nd game. I started the leg with a 121 - Laurett finished it with a 46. The third leg found us on the wires of doubles and chasing it around until we ended on 3 and just couldn't catch a break.
I finished Top-8 in this event. Holly Carver wants to kick me in the shins, due to the fact that I knocked her out the round before Carolyn knocked me out. Holly and I had a hellacious 3-leg match. I don't feel I shot poorly against Carolyn ~ I just missed some key shots at the end of the game.
Tim Grossman and I hooked up for the first time at this tournament. We lost first round ~ we are hoping to find another tournament in the future to shoot together.
That guy that Kim Enslin went to the finals of the mixed doubles with, the one that "forced" me to have a good time during this event, that energetic guy, the tall guy.. WHAT WAS HIS NAME??? Anyway he was my partner and we finished top-4. We lost to the winners (that felt good to find out on Sunday morning).
Laurett and I went two rounds in this event (losing in the 2nd round). We struggled a bit and the triples were elusive. Sometimes luck comes into play (even bad luck!).
Ending the weekend, feeling pretty good about the way I shot, altho I didn't have much to show for it. And I had a long drive home... almost didn't play this one b/c of the snow, but found out that the snow was limited to the area I was in and it wasn't going to be around long... so I played. And finally, after a long weekend of good darts, and being right there, and the wrong side of the wire it all came together. And as Carolyn defeated me in the top-8 of the cricket on Saturday in 2 legs, I returned the favor in the finals of the 01 on Sunday.
Nice tournament. Bert VanWie and the Albany group know how to have a good time. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends on both Friday and Saturday evenings.
Everyone was in agreement the cost of drinks and food was a bit high on the scale. So I think the venue might have not realized as much profit as possible b/c of the prices
To ALL participants for having a good time. No problems, everyone laughed, got along and a few got drunk but not mean. Lots of smiles! Again, a different group of people but still, just like other darters, all know how to have a grand time. I look forward to attending next year.
I was fortunate enough to have a friend set me up with a great shooter from Canada, Trish G. (ok ok... I'll attempt it but she knows I didn't all weekend... Grzak ~ I'll do research and try to get it right). Trish and I performed well, we finished top 4, losing to Marilyn Popp and Carolyn Mars in the 3rd leg. A couple key shots missed, some strong counter shots to those misses by C&M and the match was over. Still a very enjoyable experience. Carolyn and Marilyn went on to win the event.
I was shooting well in this event and came up against Robin Currie in the top 4. This match went 3 legs with Robin prevailing and moving on to the finals to face Marilyn Popp. Good shooting all around for Robin in both our match and her finals match, but Marilyn came out with the win, again.
I had the pleasure of shooting with Jeff Steinberg and Bill Ford in this event. I was ready to break that top 4 bubble that I just hadn't managed to get over in the first two events. Alas, Trish and her partners had other plans for me in the top 8 and sent me off to change my clothes and try the blind draw. Carolyn Mars, Darin Young and Dan Olsen went on to win this event.
My partner will have to forgive me for not remembering his name. We had a good time, laughed and joked, (most of the Canadians made me laugh this weekend), but we lost first round to Buddha and his partner. (It's Monday morning and I'm trying to get this done so that certain individuals can check it out so names aren't coming to me easily. Next time I'll take notes.)
Trish and I made it to the finals of this event. Defeating some very tough teams along the way. Trish never lost hope (altho I just couldn't seem to stay consistent) and was confident in my abilities, even after a back to back 7 in the first round on board 19 against Sharon Ross and Jen Gaul. I know we also went on to defeat; Robin Currie and Sue ? and also in the top 4 we went on to defeat Kim Whalen and her partner (the spelling escapes me so I must apologize, again). We lost to Carolyn and Marilyn in the finals, 3 legs to 1 leg.
I know, I know. The tournament staff knows, it's something that was overlooked when they prepared the schedule for this year, but I've been informed they are looking to change it to 501. Sometimes tradition is a hard thing to shake. Anyway, this event found me shooting better than I had in the doubles event (Sorry Trish!). Then all of a sudden in the top 8, I played Kim (not Whalen, the other one). She had an excellent first leg. The 2nd leg I intended on sending the match into a 3rd leg, until 4 rounds later I was still looking at the double 8 and Kim took it out. Kim then went on to play Carolyn Mars in the top 4. Unfortunately for Kim that is where her journey would end. Carolyn went on to face Robin Currie in the finals. This time Robin prevailed and won the Singles 401.
Marilyn Popp and Carolyn Mars for a good showing. Even though they had to play each other in both singles events.
Darin Young for getting through another tournament, ill. (More Vitamin C Darin)
Thanks to everyone that made this an enjoyable tournament for me. I had a blast. I'm looking forward to next year.
Once again partnering with Laurett Meddis, we managed to draw Marilyn Popp and Carolyn Mars the first round. We made an attempt to steal the first leg with them sitting on 32 and Laurett leaving me 160. The first 2 darts... trip 20.. the 3rd dart.. fat as fat can be. I got no extension on the dart at all. BUT we had another 4 or 5 sets to take the 20 out and it didn't pan out for us. The 2nd leg we also had a chance to nab it but missed the opportunity and the event ended. (Mental Note: Save the airfare next time... LOL.. we could have played this match on the East Coast)
This event was going well for me. I made it to the semi-final round and was playing Jennifer Daggy (CA). Jennifer owed me one from the National Event which took place on Friday. Altho I fought hard, Jennifer took me in 2 and advanced to the finals. (Mental Note: My turn next time Jennifer)
And I FINALLY partnered with Michael Abboud (PA), just like I did in 2003. Mike and I made it to the top 8 round of the cricket, losing to Anthony M. and Judy G. (who finished 2nd overall in the competition). We had a good time, just wish we could have hit that last bull we needed. Mike did most of the work all the way through, it was my turn to do something and I didn't. I'm over it now.
I drew my good friend, Kelly Dougherty, first round of this event. Kelly tried, HARD, to let me win the first 2 legs. Unfortunately, I didn't do my part, missing the double 20. Great shots, don't get me wrong... all 3 darts laying right ON TOP of the double 20 wire ~ not good enough... LOL They have to go IN. The 2nd leg I tried to finish with a 96 ... the trip 20 went... I hit a fat 18 after that and than outside the double 9. Kelly wasn't giving me another shot.
Mike Abboud and I finished 2nd in this event in 2003. This year we would shoot just as well but come up against Marilyn Popp and Johnny K in the top 4 match. Mike continued to shoot well, I had fallen off and couldn't grab a triple (not even a wrong one). So the semi-finals is where we finished this year. Still not a bad finish ... and once again, Mike did most of the work in this event.
2005 Mens National Cricket Champion - Chris White
2005 Las Vegas Open Overall MVP - Johnny Kuczynski
First Round Loss ~ Lesson learned... Practice Doubles
Top 8 Finish ~ Rich (and I'm not even trying the last name!) shot really well together. We had a lot of fun. Had a really nice guy chalk for most of our matches. Unfortunately, in this top 8 match we couldn't catch the triples like we had in our earlier matches. Still an overall good showing and quite pleased.
Once again partnered with Laurett Meddis. Unfortunately, they still require you to hit doubles to end this game and they seem to be avoiding us at this time. LOL However, as always, a pleasure shooting with Laurett and looking forward to the next tournament.
Three rounds into this match I ran into MaryJo Chesney. MaryJo and I have had many board battles over the years and I always look forward to playing against her. This round went 3 legs with MaryJo prevailing. It was a long 3 legs, especially the 2nd leg, which went to over 500 points on each side. Next time, my turn.
Partnered with Joe Hogan and Dean Goebel (both from the LI area) and altho Dean tried his best to drag Joe and I to the money round it wasn't to be. We all had shots at the double to win the match. But in the 2nd round Laurett Meddis, Bob Bettis, Kevin Lieberman hit their shots and moved on. *smile* However, anyone watching this match would have thought neither team really wanted to win.
Partnered with Dean Goebel for this one. Dean and I have only shot 2 tournaments together now and we keep getting knocked out in the 2nd round. We shot really well BUT ... yup... couldn't hit the double. URGH!!!! Time to really practice doubles! We did lose to MaryJo and Bruce "Go Pittsburgh" Cottrell, which they won the event.
Laurett and I did the best we could. Unfortunately, the other team was just a little better in the 2nd and 3rd legs. They shot extremely well and really started banging their trips and the bulls. So it was a first round loss for us.
My last event of the weekend saw me lose in the top 8 to Carolyn Mars. Not a bad showing. I was throwing well up until that match, now I couldn't find a triple. Carolyn was doing much better on the triple end of things. Especially when she threw a 14 dart game in the 2nd leg to seal the match. (YOU KNOW WHAT??? I HAVE GOT TO PRACTICE!!! .... HEHE)
Johnny K for another great all-around showing.
The LB Tournament Staff for another smoothly run weekend.
Me ~ for first being able to stay up 23.5 hours and then going to bed at 8pm!
The good: It's just the first tournament.
I had a bad week of practice leading up to the tournament. Very little focus and serious double trouble. NO cricket practice what-so-ever. Actually, had not played cricket since Long Island Classic the weekend after Thanksgiving. (HINT: ANYONE WANT TO PRACTICE? Will meet 1/2 way! Will drive to your location one non-tournament Saturday or EARLY Sunday per month! Any takers?)
I partnered with Laurett Meddis (Long Island, NY) (my regular ladies doubles partner). I was not happy at all with my performance. I couldn't find a rhythm, so just forget about finding a double. My focus was all over the place. (See a pattern yet? It's all about focus ~ for me, anyway.)
Talk about the Welcome Wagon! Stacy Bromberg was my first round draw and in oh so "I do not miss" Stacy style she showed me how to play cricket. Actually I didn't play poorly. I just never had a chance this round. She didn't miss. 5 Marks or better every time she walked to the board. I look forward to seeing her in a few weeks at the Nationals. I'll be working on my game.
I partnered with Keith Bauer and Scott Henning (Allentown area) for this one. The three of us have played a couple in the past and have a comfort zone. I wasn't throwing great, Scott was throwing great, and Keith was hitting the doubles. I had a couple good shots, and after Scott hit his share of doubles I finally hit at least one. Our darts were coming on as a team in the top 16 when we won the final leg of that match with a 140 100 140 scoring and then the out. And then ... a 2.5 hour wait and we were unable to grab the top 8 win. I had a shot in the first leg at 105, after the opponent added erroneously and shot the wrong double. I nailed the trip 15 and placed the next dart right where I like it below the double 20 wire .. unfortunately the third dart also went below the double 20 wire and Alan Matthews finished the leg for his team. The next leg I also had a shot for the out when the same guy missed the double, I forget what the out was, but I missed it again and once again Alan Matthews cleaned it up for his team.
I warmed up with Chris Linkous (Richmond, VA) in the morning. He was shooting extremely well and I felt the darts start to come on. Laurett and I won the first round but then lost to Tina DiGregorio and Kaem Coughlin. After a valiant effort (on their part) to let us back in the 2nd leg of the match and a valiant effort (on our part) to take advantage of the favor, all went wrong. I needed 3 bulls to win the 2nd game and push the match to the 3rd leg. The first dart stuck and I could "feel it". The next 2 darts bounced out and that was it. Their shot, game over.
Three rounds later I finished top-32 (no money, but a start on the ADO points). Losing in 3 legs to Paula Bushey (TADA). I missed my double 14 in the 3rd leg and she hit hers (yup she was sitting on double 14). She hit a nice set shot to leave her that 28.
This tournament draws players from near and far. One of the most locally supported tournaments in the United States. Not many Philly players travel, but then again the Eagles are going to the playoffs ~ again.
Sunday things ran smoother, at least, as far as I can tell.
The drink prices were a bit higher than what I'm accustomed to, even at a NY tournament. And the drinks were a bit on the "chintzy" (aka WEAK) side.
John Kuczynski (aka Johnny K) and Marilyn Popp were the MVPs of the tournament!
Tim O'Gorman for his singles cricket win over Gary Mawson (who?!) .. Just kidding Gary ~ long time, no see... nice to have you back.
Stacy Bromberg for soundly defeating me in the first round of the Ladies Singles Cricket and then holding true to her word to win, so that I don't feel so bad.