2010 IRF Junior World Championship - PREVIEW

The 22nd World Junior Racquetball Championships hosted by the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) will begin Sunday with the opening ceremonies in Los Angeles, California with play starting on Monday November 15 and running to Saturday November 20. As a preview we have the podium finishers from 2009 below. Overall, players from 10 different countries won medals in 2009, which could be a record.

Last year in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Carlos Keller Vargas of Bolivia won both singles and doubles in the Boys U16 divisions, so he'll be one of the players to watch in Boys U18 this year. His main competition will come from Mexican Alejandro Cardona and American Taylor Knoth, who were silver and bronze medalists, respectively, in U18 last year.

In the Girls U18 division, American Aubrey O'brien, 2009 winner in Girls U16 singles title and U18 doubles, could be the favorite along with fellow American Danielle Key, who O'brien won the doubles with last year, and Cristina Cordova of Ecuador (U18 bronze medalist in '09).

Of last year's Girls U18 podium finishers in singles, only Key and Cordova are returning, but 6 of the 8 podium finishers in U18 doubles are back, which should make for a strong field.

Curiously, some of the American podium finishers from last year aren't on the USA team this year. Of course, some are no longer juniors, such as Jose Rojas winner in Boys U18 singles and doubles last year, but not all changes can be explained that way, as neither of the boys who played U14 for the States will be in Los Angeles this week.

Over 300 players from around the world will be competing at the Spectrum Club in Canoga Park, California from November 15 to 20, 2010.

2009 Junior World Racquetball Championship
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Girls 18 & under
1st Yazmine Sabja (Bolivia)
2nd Sheryl Lotts (USA)
3rd Cristina Cordova* (Ecuador) & Danielle Key* (USA)

Doubles
1st Danielle Key* & Aubrey O'brien* (USA)
2nd Yazmine Sabja & Maria Jose Vargas* (Bolivia)
3rd Jessica Parrilla* & Rocio Enriquez Gatz (Mexico) and Cristina Cordova* & Maria Paz Munoz* (Ecuador)

Girls 16 & under
1st Aubrey O'brien* (USA)
2nd Sofia Rascon* (Mexico)
3rd Frédérique Lambert* (Canada) & Adriana Riveros* (Bolivia)

Doubles
1st Amanda Lindsay & Jessica Munoz (USA)
2nd Adriana Riveros* & Carolina Ona* (Bolivia)
3rd Aisling Mickey* & Ciara Mcmanamon (Ireland) and Daniela Gascon & Elena Robles Molina* (Mexico)

Girls 14 & under
1st Lucia Gonzalez* (Mexico)
2nd Ximena Gonzalez* (Mexico)
3rd Kelani Bailey* (USA) & Masiel Rivera* (Bolivia)

Doubles
1st Kelani Bailey* & Abbey Lavely* (USA)
2nd Masiel Rivera* & Natalia Mendez* (Bolivia)
3rd Michelle Morissette* & Zoe Hanson (Canada) and Alexandra Herrera* & Regina Franco* (Mexico)

Boys 18 & under
1st Jose Rojas (USA)
2nd Alejandro Cardona* (Mexico)
3rd Roland Keller (Bolivia) & Taylor Knoth* (USA)

Doubles
1st Jose Rojas & Jose Serrano (USA)
2nd Jose Daniel Ugalde & Juan Diego Rodriguez (Ecuador)
3rd Javier Melendez & Ignacio Sabate (Costa Rica) and Conrad Cole & Colin Mohr (Canada)

Boys 16 & under
1st Carlos Keller Vargas* (Bolivia)
2nd Marco Rojas* (USA)
3rd Daniel De La Rosa* (Mexico) & Misael Lejia (Mexico)

Doubles
1st Jorge Luis Michel* & Carlos Keller Vargas* (Bolivia)
2nd Joshua Hungerford & Nick Montalbano* (USA)
3rd Carlos Santos & Alejandro Acostarubio (Venezuela) and Juan Felipe Garzon* & Sebastian Franco* (Columbia)

Boys 14 & under
1st Javier Estrada* (Mexico)
2nd Zachary Wertz (USA)
3rd Andres Acuna (Costa Rica) & Sam Reid (USA)

Doubles
1st Javier Estrada* & Eduardo Garay* (Mexico)
2nd Adam Manilla* & Zachary Wertz (USA)
3rd Andres Acuna & Andres Fabian Montecinos (Costa Rica) and Francisco De-leon* & Junior Rodriguez* (Dominican Republic)

(Note: * indicates player is competing this year)

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