Juniors who have been Seniors

Some of the players in the 20th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships now going on in Tempe, Arizona on the campus of Arizona State University have already represented their country at senior IRF competitions.

Paola Longoria, playing in her last World Juniors, has already worn Mexico colours at five international competitions playing singles in each. She's been in three Pan American Championships (2006-2008), winning gold in 2006 and 2008, as well as two World Championships, in 2006 and 2008.

But Longoria isn't the only junior player to represent her country multiple times. Indeed like Longoria, Maria Paz Munoz has also represented her country of Ecuador five times: in singles at the 2006 and 2008 World Championships, and in both singles and doubles in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Pan American Championships.

Jenny Daza has played for Bolivia in four competitions. She played doubles in the 2006 World Championships, and both singles and doubles in the 2008 World Championships, as well as the 2007 and 2008 Pan American Championships.

Ecuadorians Juan Diego Rodriguez and Jose Daniel Ugalde have both represented Ecuador three times each. Rodriguez was at the 2007 and 2008 Pan Ams and 2008 Worlds, playing doubles each time. Ugalde played doubles in the 2007 and 2008 Pan Ams and singles also in the 2007 Pan Ams as well as in the 2008 World Championships.

Naomi Sasso of Costa Rica and Islhey Mariana Paredes of Venezuela have also represented their respective countries three times. Sasso played both singles and doubles at the 2007 and 2008 Pan American Championships and the 2008 World Championships. Paredes played doubles at last year's Pan American Championships and both singles and doubles at this year's Pan Ams and World Championships.

Carolina Bockmeulen of Venezuela played doubles in the 2008 Pan American Championships and singles in the 2007 Pan American Championships.

Cristina Cordova of Ecuador played singles in both the 2008 World Championships and 2008 Pan Americans as did Bolivian Yazmine Sabja.

Both Honduran Raul Banegas and Venezuelan Roberto Santander played doubles in the 2007 Pan American Championships.

Other juniors playing for their country at this year's World Championships in Ireland include Nawoo Kim of South Korea (doubles), Eithne Skehan of Ireland (singles), and Roland Keller of Bolivia (doubles).

Other junior players who have represented their country are American Jose Rojas, who played singles in 2008 Pan American Championships in Costa Rica. Also, in Costa Rica was Canadian Frédérique T. Lambert who played doubles with veteran Josée Grand'Maître, a player then more than three times Lambert's age.

The World Junior Championships is a big stage, but despite being only teenagers, some of the players in Tempe have already been on even bigger stages.

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