Florida’s finest joined players from across the country at Capone’s Billiard Lounge on December 3^rd and 4^th for the 2005 Ladies Spirit Tour Florida State Championship.  For the fourth year in a row, Capone’s owner Rocky McElroy has hosted the State Championship, with this year’s event boasting the highest payout on the tour to date.  Generous sponsors LTLUniverse.com added $4500 plus paid entry into the 2006 US Open, Simonis Cloth added $2000, and Capone’s Billiard Lounge added $1000, making for a total purse of $9150 with entry fees.  The top three players would also receive glass trophies by Chirino Touch of Glass.

The competition was heated from the start and many matches went hill-hill.  A first round upset drew much applause from the crowd as Florida’s Vanessa Seaver defeated WPBA pro Tiffany Nelson 7-6.  The double-hill theme ensued as Ming Ng won over Bonnie Coats in the fourth round and new-member Jennifer Kraber drew out a 7-6 victory over Debbie Schjodt.  As the tournament continued into Sunday, Jeannie Seaver made her stand with a 7-1 win over Ng to make it into the hot seat match.  Also rising to the occasion was WPBA player Kim Shaw, who made her debut on the Spirit tour with an undefeated run through the field to meet up with Jeannie Seaver in the hot seat match.

Seaver and Shaw each posted two games to tie in the race to seven hot seat match but Shaw was the one to take the first substantial lead at 4-2.  Seaver put another game on the board with a run out to trail 4-3 but a missed 8-ball let Shaw back to the table to jump ahead to a 5-3 lead.  In the next rack, Shaw played a decisive safety, while breaking up a cluster to gain ball-in-hand and run out the table to get on the hill, leading 6-3.  Seaver took advantage of an open table in the next game to run out to a tough shot on the 9, which she sliced in to trail 6-4.  Seaver hung on for control in the next inning, making two jump-banks to get herself out of trouble, but a break-out shot on the 5-ball left her hooked behind the 8.  A kick shot at the 6 left Shaw an open shot to run out and close the set 7-4, sending Seaver to the B-side to wait for the semifinals.

Meanwhile, defending State Champion, Tracie Hines, was fighting through the B-side, taking a win over Tiffany Nelson before facing Ming Ng.  Ng kept control of the table, playing many safeties and leaving Hines in tough spots, putting the cooler on Hines to win the match.  Ng advanced to match up with Tour Director Bonnie Coats, who kept her head in the game and ran up a 4-0 lead over Ng at the outset of the match.  Coats kept the pressure on Ng until she closed the match 7-2 and, with her win, Coats secured the qualifier for the 2006 US Open, donated by LTLUniverse.com.

With qualifier in hand, Coats advanced to the semifinals to face Seaver.  The players traded the first four racks, posting two games a piece.  After a bad hit on the 6, Coats relinquished ball-in-hand to Seaver, who ran out to lead 3-2.  From there, Seaver shot decisively and took the next four games to Coats’ one game, winning the set 7-3.

Shaw and Seaver met in the finals for a rematch, but this time, Seaver would have to defeat Shaw in two races-to-seven in order to take the championship and Shaw was ready to prevent that from happening.  As with the hot seat, both players scored two games a piece to tie at 2-2, but a missed shot on the 8-ball by Seaver gave Shaw the opportunity to take control at 3-2.  Shaw approached the table on the next inning with the last six balls on the table and executed the run out to strengthen her lead to 4-2.  Shaw seemed to find a comfort zone in the next rack and displayed amazing efficiency with the bridge to navigate the table and run out from the 2-ball to go up 5-2.  Seaver fought her way back in the next two games, running two racks to trail by only one game at 5-4 but a scratch on the 4-ball put Shaw back in control to run the remaining balls to get on the hill at 6-4.  It seemed that the match was drawing to a close when Shaw began her run out in the next game, but a position error left her hooked on the 6-ball.  Shaw kicked and made contact but left a shot and Seaver ran out to again trail by only one at 6-5.  Seaver broke but failed to make a ball and Shaw ran to the five but missed, letting Seaver back to the table with a long straight in 5-ball and a chance to tie the match.  Seaver jarred the 5-ball and Shaw was quick to take advantage of the opportunity to seal the deal and secure the win 7-5 to become the new Florida State Champion.