WPRO Season Ending Rankings

Paola Longoria is the #1 women's racquetball player in the world according to the latest Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) rankings. It's the first time a Mexican player - man or woman - has risen to #1.

At 19, Longoria is also the youngest woman to be #1 since Christie Van Hees was #1 in December 2000 at age 23. Longoria may be the youngest woman, and only teenager, to ever be #1. Michelle Gould (Gilman) was 20 when she was #1 at the end of the 1990-91 season.

Kristen Bellows finished the season at #4, her highest ranking since 2006. Coming off her first tour victory in Stockton and on the eve of her 27th birthday, Bellows may be coming into the prime of her career, as several other WPRO players have done well in their careers during this period, including Van Hees, Rhonda Rajsich, Cheryl Gudinas Holmes and Kerri Wachtel.

Also, it's the first time four international players have finished in the top 10, as Longoria is joined in the top 10 by Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) in 6th, Angela Grisar (Chile) in 8th, and Canadian Jennifer Saunders in 9th. The last two seasons have seen three international players in the season ending top 10: Grisar, Longoria and Van Hees last season, and Samantha Salas with Grisar and Van Hees at the end of the 2006-07 season.

2008-09 WPRO Season Ending Rankings
Rank - Name - Points
1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1356.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1235.740
3 Cheryl Gudinas Holmes (USA) 838.74
4 Kristen Bellows (USA) 632.50
5 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 521.20
6 Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) 423.90
7 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 391.20
8 Angela Grisar (Chile) 330.50
9 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 270.45
10 Jo Shattuck (USA) 238.41
11 Diane Moore (USA) 228.00
12 Doreen Fowler (USA) 222.34
13 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 183.00
14 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 178.21
15 Brenda Kyzer (USA) 176.50
16 Keely Franks (USA) 158.25
17 Krystal Csuk (USA) 157.93
18 Vivian Gomez (USA) 127.50
19 Christie Van Hees (Canada) 102.00
20 Brandi Jacobson Prentice (Canada) 96.54

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