Salas is 24th; Croft wins in Garden City

Samantha Salas Solis became the 24th player to win a women's professsional racquetball tournament, according to The Racquetball Blog records. Her one win is a long way behind Lynn Adams, who we have winning 43 professional events.

But Salas Solis's victory at the Puget Sound Challenge in Olympia, Washington ties her with players like Angela Grisar and Kristen Walsh Bellows. Also on one win is Vicki Panzeri, a player from Washington state who was a top 10 player on the pro tour in the 1980s including finishing #2 behind Adams at the end of the 1984-85 season.

In fact, Panzeri played in Women's Open in Olympia last weekend and came third by defeating T.J. Baumbaugh in the quarter finals, 15-13, 13-15, 11-7, and Da'monique Davis, 15-14, 5-15, 11-10, in the 3rd place match. Panzeri lost to Susana Acosta in the semi-finals, 15-7, 15-12.

Keely Franks won Women's Open by defeating Acosta in the final, 15-8, 15-10. Franks beat Davis in the semis, 15-4, 15-10.

20th Annual Turkey Shootout

Ben Croft defeated Shane Vanderson, 5-11, 11-3, 11-1, 11-5, to win the Garden City YMCA 20th Annual Turkey Shootout in Garden City, Kansas this past weekend. The Turkey Shoot was a Tier 2 event on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT).

In the semi-finals, Croft defeated Tony Carson, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5, and Vanderson beat Jack Huczek, 2-11, 11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4.

There are two lower tier IRT events in December: the Rose City Pro/Am December 3-5 in Portland, Oregon (a Tier 3 event) and the Minot Open in Minot, North Dakota December 10-12 (a Tier 4 event).

In January, there will be three Tier 1 IRT events on consecutive weekends beginning with the California Open January 6-9 in Los Angeles, then New York City Pro/Am January 13-16, and finally the Lawler Sports Pro/Am January 20-23 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Follow the bouncing ball....