Lela Andrews Goes Undefeated for First-Ever Victory on The West Coast Women’s Tour at Dog House

Emilyn Callado, Lela Andrews and Motoko Siguenza

On Saturday, May 3, The West Coast Women’s Tour came out to launch their 2025 season at Dog House Billiards in Cotati, California with a talented field of 34 ladies. While the majority of the players at the season’s inaugural event were returning tour members including Emilyn Callado, Motoko Siguenza, Shawn Modelo, Becky Simi, and Lela Andrews, TWCWT also welcomed five new competitors to this double-elimination 9 ball battle. 

The story of this day came to light as Redwood City-based Lela Andrews fired her way through the winner’s bracket to dominate the tournament. Andrews, who has played on TWCWT since 2021 and had some strong performances on the tour in 2024, made her breakthrough at Dog House to claim her first-ever tour victory. With time spent practicing and competing in leagues at California Billiards and The Great Entertainer over the last several years, Andrews has proven herself to be one of the strong up-and-coming players in the region. 

“I’ve been working hard on my game for a few years. I started working with a coach (Angelo Inness) last summer. Although he moved away in the fall, I’ve been fortunate enough to get a couple of sessions with him since he left, and he is always willing to provide feedback if I send him a quick video. We changed everything, and it was super painful for a while. I had to increase my practice to try to match his expectations. My stroke. My grip. My bridge. My eye pattern. The way I apply English. My breaks. Safety play. The list goes on. I continue to do the drills we worked on together, and they continue to reinforce my game,” explained Andrews.

Moving through the bracket, Lela Andrews scored wins over Michelle Fraser (5-4), Shawn Modelo (5-2), Jaime Dizon (5-3), Maria Lopez (5-3), and Motoko Siguenza (5-3) to position herself in the final. To lead into the final match of the winner’s bracket, Siguenza also made an impressive mark, winning 5-1 over former tour champion Emilyn Callado. 

On the loss side of the bracket, newcomer to the tour Maria Lopez marked a 4-2 win over Becky Simi in the final four round, while Emilyn Callado defeated Milianne Chin with a 4-2 score as well. This resulted in a quarterfinal pairing between Callado and Lopez, which ended in another 4-2 score line in favor of Callado and a strong 4^th place finish for Maria Lopez. Emilyn Callado then had her shot at a rematch against veteran tour player Motoko Siguenza, where she avenged her earlier loss with a 5-1 victory. 

To start out the final between Emilyn Callado and undefeated Lela Andrews, the two players each missed their first shot at the 9 ball before Andrews secured the first rack with a long, thin cut shot. From there, Andrews kept the pressure on and attributed her success to a combination of defensive play and putting trust in her ability during key moments. “I stuck her in jail a few times and I tried to play patiently. There were a few shots that last year I would never have taken on, and I tried to approach them with confidence and without fear. This paid off, as I sunk several difficult shots that led me to the end of a rack or to another safety position,” explained Andrews.

At the end of the long day, Lela Andrews walked away with an undefeated victory at Dog House, capping things off with a strong 5-1 score over Emilyn Callado. In her reflection about the final match, she acknowledged Callado’s toughness and consistency. “We have a fairly even match record, but I suspect she will beat me most days. She is so natural and consistent. She can break and run and she can kick out of most safeties on any table. I couldn’t ask for a tougher opponent.”

Lela Andrews also acknowledged the tour’s staff and the players who show up to elevate the game and support each other. “I’m grateful for the TWCWT and the people who make it happen, and the players who show up and try to do their best. I’ve gone from ‘happy to be there’ to ‘I’m happy to win just one match’ to ‘I’m here to win it all.’ I see this same spirit in all the players, and I love watching everyone progress. Together, we make each other better than the last time, and I love that so much,” said Andrews.

Alongside the main event, a second-chance tournament was held for the players who made an early exit. In this single-elimination bracket with twelve competitors, Kacie Ragen came out on top with a 3-2 win over Naomi Callado after Ragen snapped in the 9 on the break at 2-2. The ladies who finished tied for 3rd/4th place were Salvina Norris and Siara Waseem.

This event also marked the second straight year of Dog House’s tour sponsorship, after room owner Ron Schisler came on board in 2024. TWCWT director Cony Mendoza acknowledged Schisler for his contribution to the tour: “For the second year in a row, TWCWT was welcomed by Ron and his son Kevin to their location. The pool hall has seven regulation 9ft tables and twelve 7ft tables, which we had full access to through the day. Ron is an avid supporter of the sport of pool, and he runs ACS/BCA leagues as well as tournaments. Along with donating $500 to the player payout, he also donated a cue and a case which were raffled at the end of Stop 1.  Additionally, Ron donated a Heath Outlaw Cue valued at $1,000, which will be part of the final end-of-season raffle. We are thankful for his support and look forward to many future events at this location.”

TWCWT would like to give special thanks to tour sponsors: Adam Stickles, Realtor, Diablo Valley Pool League, San Mateo County APA Leagues, and Berkeley Girl Hustle for their support.

The next stop on The West Coast Women’s Tour will be held on June 21 at Racks-n-Cues Billiards & Brews in Windsor, CA. For more details and tour news, follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twcwtour

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