MANKATO — They were experienced, they were talented, they were nervous. And when they stepped off the plane from Las Vegas on June 1, they were champions.
Four women from across south central Minnesota — who dubbed themselves the Minnesota Wild —rallied from a second-round loss to win the 29th annual VNEA International Pool Championships regular team competition held the final week of May in Las Vegas. It was the first team championship for each of the 8-ball aficionados.
“I just remember thinking wow we did it,” said Chris Vorwerk of New Ulm. “I knew we had a chance even before we started playing because this is a solid team.”
Teammate Donna Hensel was also ecstatic. “I’ve been playing for about 25 years and this is the first time I’ve ever won a ‘Charlie’ for finishing first. If feels great.”
A Charlie, also referred to as a Cougar, is awarded to any individual or team that finishes in the top four in their bracket at the international competition. Hensel has a handful of other cougars lining her shelves but this was her first championship trophy.
Vorwerk and Hensel were joined in the 125-team tournament in Vegas by Judy Kelling and Dania Osmundson. Vorwerk, Kelling and Hensel play together on a team based out of the Circle Inn and on another based in Waseca. It was the Waseca team, sponsored by the D&R; Star association, that played in Vegas.
The trio’s normal fourth was unable to make the trip this year, which left them searching for a final player to accompany them to the tournament. They happened to be playing a league match at Jamie’s Pub in Pemberton when they ran into long-time acquaintance Dave Osmundson, who is also an excellent pool player.
“We had seen his daughter, Dania, play and knew she was good,” said Kelling, who lives in Janesville. “We asked him if he thought she might like to go to the tournament with us and he said I don’t see why not.”
The team contacted Dania, who lives in Rochester, and she jumped at the chance. She had never competed in Las Vegas before and was looking forward to the opportunity.
Dania, 23, is by far the youngest of the foursome but has nearly 10 years of competitive pool playing under her belt. Like Vorwerk, she said she could sense early on that the team would be successful.
“I knew it right after we won our first match,” Dania said. “Even though we lost our second match — to a pretty good team — I could just tell by the way we were shooting that we could win. All we had to do was get to the championship round of 32 teams and I knew we could do it.”
After losing in the second round, the members of the Minnesota Wild worked their way back through the loser’s bracket to qualify for the Round of 32. Once there, they went undefeated the rest of the way.
While Vorwerk and Osmundson were optimistic from the get-go, Kelling and Hensel took quite a bit longer to start thinking championship. Both are experienced tournament players in Vegas and know it doesn’t take much to get de-railed.
“It was right after we were guaranteed third that I looked at Donna and said ‘you know, we can win this thing,” Kelling said.
Hensel agreed: “Once we got third, I knew we had a good shot. It was a total team effort; nobody was really hot and carrying the rest of us, we just kind of took turns getting on streaks and winning games.”
Although the league season runs from October through March, Vorwerk can’t wait to get started again.
“I want to go back right now,” she said of Vegas. “It was a fun time; we all played pretty well and came out on top. That’s pretty awesome.”
Sports
Related Photos
-
Jim Rueda
Area pool team takes first in Vegas tourney
- Sports
-
-
Author Friedlander to cover Mavericks
It's not often a distinguished author will offer to cover a college baseball team for the local newspaper but that's just what Brett Friedlander has agreed to do for The Free Press. Read more at Jim Rueda's blog here.
-
Loyola helps Cleveland find track home
When Cleveland junior Bryce Omtvedt realized his school would have fewer than 20 kids out for boys track this spring, he knew the Clippers would have a tough time being competitive. Thanks to a co-op with Mankato Loyola, Omtvedt and his teammates are doing just fine.
-
Denn's seconds help LCWM/Nicollet finish first
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet’s Breanna Denn failed to win a single event in Thursday’s Subsection 7, Section 2A girls track and field meet, but she was anything but disappointed. The senior ended up second in four events, advancing her to the section meet in all of them.
-
Courrier: Sum greater than parts for MSU baseball team
Past Minnesota State baseball teams have had a lot of high-end talent, and you could see future professional players pitch and hit. But those teams didn’t win 48 games in a season. And most of those team didn’t advance to the Division II World Series.
-
PucKato by Shane Frederick
Former Minnesota State standout was the unlikely No. 1 star for the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, scoring the game-winning goal late in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and giving his team a 3-2 series lead over the New York Rangers.
-
Minnesota State thrower is a real big shot
Chris Reed and four other MSU athletes will compete in the NCAA Division II track and field meet, starting today in Pueblo, Colo.
-
Rueda: ‘Lefty’ wins adapted bowling title
Colby Tolzmann of Mankato East won the state adapted bowling title, and Mikala Sexson placed ninth in the tournament.
-
St. Peter falls in Section 2A tennis final
Mound Westonka avenged a regular-season loss to St. Peter by winning the Section 2A team tennis final on Wednesday.
-
Loyola cruises into subsection semifinals
The Madelia/Truman softball team was on a roll when it took the field against Class A’s No. 1-ranked Mankato Loyola Tuesday in the Section 2A playoffs.
The Jayhawks had won four straight games, including an extra-inning win against Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton in the first round of the tournament. -
Minnesota State coach Margenthaler adds another D-I transfer
Minnesota State men's basketball head coach Matt Margenthaler has overhauled his roster from a season ago.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Author Friedlander to cover Mavericks
French Open Preview: Women's draw
French Open Preview: Men's draw
Controversial Show Offers Alternative Listening for Women During Stanley Cup Finals
Tebow Teased by Jets Teammates Over Virginity, Lolo Jones
Jets learn Sparano's offense
1st Inning: Hakeem Nicks
Tweet Talkback: Brandon Jennings
QB Kafka gaining valuable experience
Showalter and Arrieta on the loss to the Red Sox
Jenkins: 'I think I won'
D'Brickashaw Ferguson
Horrow: Steinbrenner's know what they have
On the Record: John Orozco
On the Record: Sarah Robles
Kendall: Indy 500 Preview
Heat knock out Pacers
Barfly Week 5: Behind the Scenes
Barfly Promo: Adam Carolla and Warren Moon
On the Record: Steven Lopez
Highlights: Charlotte qualifying
