Gagnon and Saunders win Racquetball Canada's National Team Selection Event

Vincent Gagnon and Jennifer Saunders proved themselves worthy of being the #1 racquetball players in Canada by respectively winning the men's and women's event of the Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event in Edmonton. With the wins, Gagnon and Saunders have taken their first steps to qualifying for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico next October.

In the men's final, Gagnon got the best of his former doubles partner Francis Guillemette, 15-8, 15-3. The two players represented Canada together at the 2001 Pan American Championships.

Gagnon has represented Canada several times since then, but Guillemette hasn't. However, his good result has motivated Guillemette to train hard for the next Selection Event in Brossard, Quebec in early February.

Saunders defeated Frédérique Lambert in the women's final, 15-8, 15-6. The win avenged her loss to Lambert on Saturday in the pool part of the competition. Sunday, Saunders hit more drive serves as well as her favoured lob serves to provide a mix that kept Lambert off balance.

Lambert is also the Canadian Girls 18 and under junior champion and she'll be playing at the World Junior Racquetball Championship that begins on November 15 in Los Angeles, California.

Results from this event will be combined with results from the National Team Selection Event in February 2011 in Brossard, Que. and the Canadian National Championships next May in Nova Scotia to select the players who will represent Canada at the 2011 Pan American Games.

Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event - Edmonton

Men's Final: Vincent Gagnon d. Francis Guillemette, 15-8, 15-3
3rd Place: Tim Landeryou d. Conrad Cole, 15-10, 15-6

Women's Final: Jennifer Saunders d. Frédérique Lambert, 15-8, 15-6
3rd place: Brandi Jacobson Prentice d. Brigitte Richard, 15-9, 15-8

Follow the bouncing ball....