SPA News

PANAMA BEACH, FLORIDA - With ANN HUMBLE looking down from above  the initial SPA ANN HUMBLE MEMORIAL WINTER WORLD SERIES went off in perfect weather November 1-3 at the PANAMA BEACH'S FRANK BROWN PARK COMPLEX.

HUMBLE (1948-2018) was a well loved and dominant force in women's softball, especially in the GULF area where she spent 30 years with the HILTON SOFTBALL team as player, manager and coordinator.

HUMBLE was also a member of THE SPORTS HALL OF FAME.

She along with her husband ROBERT HUMBLE , who is still involved with HILTON SOFTBALL, together were mainstays of women.s softball.

In its initial appearance as a SPA TOURNAMENT, the ANN HUMBLE MEMORIAL saw champions crowned in five divisions.

In a white-knuckler 55'S BRACKET, SHO ME 55'S won by edging SLUGGERS 22-21 and 13-12 in the bracket finals. In opening action they beat SHO-ME 60'S 21-9.;

In bracket play the champs edged SLUGGERS 22-21 for the title  and 13-12 in an earlier bracket game. In pool play.

The SLUGGERS reached the finals by beating SHO-M 60's 22-9.

But talk about close games, in pool play the SLUGGERS beat SERIOUS FUN 9-8 lost to FIRE&ICE 12-13 but beat SHO-ME 55'S 10-9. Then in bracket play they lose to SHO-ME 55's 21-22 and 12-13.

In five of their six tournament games they scored 63 runs and their opponents 65 with all games decided by one run. In their only non-one run game they beat SHO-ME 60'S 22-9.

The champion SHO-ME 55's were similar scoring 63 runs in five games and gave up 69 with the sixth a 21-9 win over SHO-ME 60's.

FIRE&ICE downed JWP 50'S twice 19-10 and 14-11 in winning the 50 PLUS CROWN.

EAST COAST GEMS continued their domination of SPA WOMEN'S 55 PLUS division by going 6-0 in pool and bracket play to easily take the title.

The Champs beat SERIOUS FUN 19-6, 12-8 and THE PLAYERS 12-6 in bracket play. SERIOUS FUN downed THE PLAYERS 21-15 to reach the finals.

HIGH CALIBRE dropped LADY SHOT CALLERS 20-6 and 13-3 in winning the 45 PLUS championship.

PITCHES BE CRAZY 35's downed HILTON 40's 35 PLUS 15-13 and 11-7 to take the 35/40 title. PITCHES other bracket win was 26-13 over their sisters the PITCHES BE CRAZY 40's.

HILTON 40'S 35 PLUS bear PITCHES BE CRAZY 40'S 22-3 to reach the finals.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - Ten teams challenged the weather OCTOBER 17-20 at MIKE DESORBO EXCHANGE PARK in PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.

TEAM LOUISIANA downed DOC C twice 23-17 and 20-13 for the 50 PLUS CROWN.

Four teams went at it in the 60 PLUS group with SMITH MASION beating BAND OF BROTHERS for the title. SMITH MASON reached the finals with a 23-20 over WESTROCK.

WESTROCK had the satisfaction of sending BAND OF BROTHERS to the loser's bracket 20-19 in first round play. The fourth team in the bracket was SMITH MASON.

TRAVELERS an DAG went best two-out-of-three for the 70 GOLD title with winning twice 25-9 and 14-13. DAG took the middle game 17-11.

THE 70 SILVER went to BOYD METAL over MISFITS.

DALTON, GA - The GOLDEN GIRLS downed the CHATTANOOGA CHARGERS twice in bracket play to win the 2019 SPA WOMEN'S 70's SILVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AUG 18-22 at DALTON. GEORGIA'S HERITAGE PARK.

The GOLDEN GIRLS and the CHARGERS played each other three times in bracket play. GOLDEN beat CHATTANOOGA 10-7 in the DE second round but lost to them 11-23 when the CHARGERS came out of the loser's bracket.

The tournament was decided in the third match between the two as the GIRLS won 15-8.

THE GOLDEN GIRLS opening round game was 16-1 over NW MTN MAMA;S. The CHARGERS also beat the NW MOUNTAIN MAMA's by 20-17 to make it to the finals.

MEMBERS OF THE 2019 SPA 70'S SILVER DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION GOLDEN GIRLS ARE: KAREN ADAMS, SANDY PRICE, SHARON BARAN, BARBARA LUKENS, JUDY COTHRAN, GAIL DOREO, AVIS VAUGHT, SUSAN HOPKINS, RONNIE RUMP, JOSIE LANASA, CAROL COURTER, GLORIA MILLER, KAREN PARRINELLO, CAROL WATERS, CAROL KOSZOLA, EVELYN BECK, RUTH WEIL, CAROLYN OLIVER and ELLEN BOWERS.

DALTON, GA - The OHIO TRI-STARS bested two other 75's teams to win the SPA 2019 WOMENS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AUG 18-22 at DALTON, GA'S HERITAGE FIELDS.

THE TRI-STARS downed the TN SR STARS 11-4 AND 12-8 in the winner's bracket to claim the title.

The TN SR STARS reached the finals with wins 10-3, 15-14 over GOLDEN GAls.

Members of the 75'S WORLD CHAMPION OHIO TRI_STARS are:JEANNINE BOHN, LIL BROUGHMAN, MARTHA MERTZ, EVELYN NEALEIGH, SHIRLEY SEVERHOF, JEAN LOIDICE, MARJORIE BOYD, DOREEN GARRETT, MARIE BLOIS, MARYLYNNE PATTERSON, ANNETTE SKELLO, DONNA SOGAN, GENETTE HEINZ, ELLEN CAVINS, MARY NIESSEL, DORIS BROWN, JUDY FISCHLIN, SUSAN H. WEST, TRISH COVODE and SARAH KLEINKNIGHT.

DALTON GEORGIA - The OHIO CARDINALS put a last minute 70's team together for the SPA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and surprisingly ended up winning the 2019 SPA 70 GOLD WORLDS CHAMPIONSHIP.

With no 65's tournament being held at DALTON,GA SEPT 18-32, the OHIO team made a roster out of their 70's players and entered as the OHIO CARDINAL 70's.

The BUCKEYE bunch may want to keep that team together in 2020 as they beat JOLICO SRS 18-3, GOLDEN GALS 20-7 and FUN BUNCH 15-3 to win 2019 SPA 70's GOLD WORLDS.

FUN BUNCH had a nice run when after losing their opening tournament game 23-30 to the GOLDEN GALS, they fought out of the loser's bracket beating JOLICO SRS 17-10 and GOLDEN GALS 16-8. before losing in the finals to OHIO CARDINALS.

Roster for the OHIO CARDINAL 70's team is not available for this article so here was their 65 roster which could not play in DALTON but some were members of the 70 WORLD CHAMPS:.JUDITH PEELE, ELLEN WOODARD, JEANETTE WORLEY, MAUREEN FITZGERALD, TERESA ANN SMITH, MARILYN LOVETT, JANET DETERS, SUE MINNICH, PEGGY MEACHAM, DORY WAGNER, CYNTHIA KELLY, LANI NEER, CATHY FLETCHER and OPHELIA MILEY.

DALTON, GA - SHO ME 60'S and HAMEL LADIES battled it out in the best two out of three SEPT 18-22 at  DALTON, GEORGIA HERITAGE PARK for the SPA 2019 60'S SILVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

To nobody's surprise it went the full three games to decide the champ.

SHO ME 60's took the opener 16-15 but HAMELS unIoaded the guns in game #2 roaring to a 20-10 win.

SHO ME 60'S showed everyone who the 60's champs were as they defeated HAMELS 16-11 in the deciding title game.

MEMBERS OF THE 2019 SPA WORLD CHAMPION SILVER SHO ME 60'S ARE: ROSE BOLL, MARY LAMBING, JUDY HURST, JANET WALTON. CINDY HIGGINBOTHAM, ANNETTE M. KIMERY, JOANN WILLIAMS, KAREN KUSHNER, PAMELA MOORE, THERESA HOUPOS, LORETTA JOHNSTON, BETH FRENCH, CINDY THOMAS, HOLLY STARKS, DONNA FOLEY and REBECCA ATKINS.

DALTON, GA - The 2019 60 GOLD WOMEN'S SPA WORLD CHAMPIONS chosen ones are the LADIES CHOICE team.

The LADIES CHOICE downed JOLICO 60'S 11-6 in the title game at DALTON, GA'S HERITAGE PARK.It was a do-or-die game for the champs since JOLICO had come out of the loser's bracket to give LADIES CHOICE their first loss (27-10).

The champs had gone undefeated in their first two games beating JOLICO 13-8 and SUNNY BEACHES 16-7.

JOLICO had taken the long way yo the finals beating MARYLAND RR 6-1, losing to LADIES CHOICE 8-13, downing MARYLAND 17-5, beating LADIES CHOICE 27-10 and losing 6-11 in the title game.

MEMBERS OF THE 2019 SPA 60 GOLD DIVIDION WORLD CHAMPIONS LADIES CHOICE are: JUANITA EVANS, CAROL M. MCCOY, DONNA VANDAGRIFF, DARLENE SHELLEY, CYNTHIA TUCKER, JUANITA BRYANT, DANA MALONE, STEPHANIE SOARES, DONNA TOFT, CHERYL COYLE, JACQUELINE DIAZ, RUTH LITTLE, STEPHANIE HOFFMAN, LINDA PALMER, MILDRED ALLEN, YVONNE ARNOLD, C.R. RAMIREZ AND KATY BRADY.

DALTON, GA  - WAYPOINT FINANCIAL FANATICS left no doubt at to who the 2019 SPA WOMEN'S 55 SILVER DIVISION CHAMP was as they beat the other three teams to claim the crown.

In the tournament held SEPTEMBER 18-22 at DALTON, GEORGIA'S HERITAGE PARK, WAYPOINT went 3-0 in bracket play. The champs opened with a 17-7 win over SASSY SENIORS, followed by 17-3 win over SHO-ME and took the tournament final 19-12 over SLUGGERS.

The SLUGGERS reached the finals coming out of the loser bracket with close wins wins over SASSY SRS 17-15 and SHO-ME 13-12.

MEMBERS OF THE SPA 2019 SILVER DIVISION WAYPOINT FINANCIAL FANATICS CHAMPS are: CANDY FREDERICK, ANNETTE M. KIMERY, DEBRA RODERY, PAMELA MOORE, CINDY MOSGROVE, SHEILA LEDFORD, CATHY BELCHER, TERESA BROWN, RHONDA WILLIAMSON, SANDY BRYANT, DOROTHY ADKINS, MARVA ANDERSON, CHRISTINE SEAL and SANDY LOCKWOOD.

DALTON, GEORGIA - The EAST COAST GEMS 'polished' off the competition Sept 18-22 at the 2019 SPA  WOMEN'S 55 GOLD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS at DALTON, GA'S HERITAGE FIELDS.

The champs disposed of SERIOUS FUN twice (10-9,15-4) to take the title in two games.

SERIOUS FUN reached the finals by edging THE PLAYERS 8-7 in the three-team bracket.

MEMBERS OF THE SPA 2019 WOMEN'S 55 GOLD CHAMPIONS are: ANDREA HINTON, MONA ONYEMELUKWE, KELLY HARRIS, JEANETTE BAILEY, ROSE DAVIS, BRENDA JONES, CYNTHIA SMITH, CHERRI CLARK, KATHY KEYS, MISTY MCGILL, LOUISE O'DONNELL, CYNTHIA NELSON, JODY ANN TRIMMER, DEBORAH FRANKLIN, PAMELA GAMBLE, MARILYN JONES, DIXIE DALTON, TERRY JERMAN, PORTIA SLATON and DEBORAH KNAPP. 

DALTON, GA - DREAMGIRLZ had a  "DREAM" tournament in winning the 2019 SPA WOMEN'S 50 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEPT 18-22 at DALTON, GEORGIA'S HERITAGE FIELD COMPLEX.

The DREAMGIRLZ did it by going 3-0 in the three-team bracket play with wins over tn TN STARS 21-9 in the opener. followed by a 30-6 trouncing of SUNNY BEACHES and wrapping it up with a 18-14 win over the TN STARS in the finals.

The TN STARS beat SUNNY BEACHES 17-10 to make the finals.

The 2019 SPS 50 WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPS ROSTER:MONA ONYEMELUKWE, FREDA JONES, ANGELA HOLLOWAY, CYNTHIA MOBLEY, BARBARA FOXX, KATHY OMEARA, SYLVIA ECHOLS, LYDIA CRANDALL, DEBORAH FRANKLIN, SHIRLEY SNELL, SHERYL CONNERS, VANESSA MITCHELL, SONYA FULTZ, BEVERLY VOVETT, MICHELLE BROWN, ANITA MCCALL, ADRIAN BROWN, PATRICIA R. MCGRIFF and MELINA FRANKLIN.