While the top three seeds powered ahead Saturday afternoon in the winner's bracket of the Brunswick Billiards National 9-Ball Championships, the book closed on veteran pro Peg Ledman's 16-year WPBA career. Ledman, former association president, Classic Tour site coordinator and three-time tour titlist, lost to fellow longtime pro Belinda Campos, 9-2 in the loser's bracket to finish tied for 13th place. Ledman had perviously announced that the '97 Nationals would be her last WPBA event. She plans to continue working in the billiard industry, perhaps as a promoter or tournament coordinator.

"I'd been mulling this over for the past year and a half," said Ledman. "I had decided to give up the site coordination work and get off of the various association boards, and dedicate myself to my game again. But I realized I just don't have that desire or fire anymore. And I always said that when the game stopped being fun for me, I'd quit."

The Wisconsin native won WPBA tour titles in '86, '89 and '92, and finished as high as third in the WPBA rankings (1989). Ledman was ranked 17th at the start of the Nationals.

In other Saturday action, top-seeded Allison Fisher pummelled Aileen Pippin, 9-3, setting up a winner's bracket semi-final tilt against roommate Gerda Hofstatter, who advanced with a 9-3 win over Nikki Benish. Second-ranked Jeanette Lee kept pace by beating Mary Guarino, 9-3, and Vivian Villarreal stopped Jennifer Chen, 9-5. Fifth-seeded Loree Jon Jones and seventh-seeded Robin Dodson exited the event earlier than expected, both losing Saturday afternoon and finishing tied for 17th. Jones fell to Linda Haywood, 9-6, while Dodson was upset by Shelly Barnes, 9-8.