2011 USA Junior Championships

Nick Montalbano won both Boys U18 singles and doubles titles at the 2011 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics in Portland, Oregon on Sunday. Montalbano defeated Jose Diaz for the singles crown, 11-15, 15-4, 11-8, and partnered with Joshua Hungerford to win doubles, again defeating Diaz who played with Brad Schopieray, by the scores of 15-8, 15-3. Montalbano was defending champion in doubles having won the title last year with Bradley Kirch.

After dropping the first game of the singles final against Diaz 15-11, Montalbano took a big lead in game two at 8-2 and went that game comfortably 15-4. But the top seeded Diaz came out strong in the tie-breaker and took an early lead 4-1 lead on Montalbano, who was the 3rd seed.

But Montalbano turned the tide, scoring the next eight points to hold an 9-4 lead. Diaz clawed a couple of points back, making it 9-6. Montalbano then scored the tenth point, and it looked like he was going to complete the upset.

But when Montalbano skipped a center court set up on his first match point opportunity, Diaz took advantage and closed the gap to 10-8. That was as close as he'd get, however, as Montalbano finished it off at 11-8.

The story line was identical in Boys U16 with Adam Manilla in the winning role and John Lindsay the losing role. Manilla defeated Lindsay in singles, 13-15, 15-2, 11-2, and then won doubles with Nicholas Riffel against Lindsay and Sam Reid, 15-9, 15-9.

In Boys U14, last year's 3rd place finisher, Spencer Shoemaker, was this year's winner, but he had to defeat his doubles partner, Kyle Ulliman, to do it. Shoemaker defeated Ulliman in two straight games, 15-5, 15-10. Together they won doubles by defeating Jake Bimel and Ryan Francis, 15-10, 15-8, in the final.

In girls action, Devon Pimentelli needed three games to win the U18 singles final against Amanda Lindsay, winning 11-15, 15-2, 11-8. However, Lindsay defeated Pimentelli in doubles as she and Jessica Munoz beat Pimentelli and Courtney Chisholm, 15-8, 15-0.

Kelani Bailey was a double winner, as she took Girls U16 singles, beating Samantha Simmons in the singles final, 15-6, 15-3, and teaming up with Mercedes Arias to win the combined U16/U14 doubles division. Kaitlyn Simmons won the Girls U14 division by defeating all the other girls in the four player round robin.

The top finishers in singles and doubles divisions for U14, U16 and U18 will qualify for the U.S. Junior National Team that will compete next month at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

2011 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics
Portland, Oregon

Boy's U14
Final: Spencer Shoemaker (Findlay, Ohio) d. Kyle Ulliman (Westerville, Ohio), 15-5, 15-10
3rd: Jake Burnel (Bellingham, Wash.) d. Jacob Matthews (Bethel, N.C.), "(3), 9"

Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) d. John Lindsay (Oregon City, Ore.), 13-15, 15-2, 11-2
3rd: Sam Reid (Portland, Ore.) d. d. Nicholas Riffel (Loveland, Colorado), 15-5, 15-14

Boy's U18
Final: Nick Montalbano (West Islip, N.Y.) d. Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.), 11-15, 15-5, 11-8
3rd: Dylan Reid (Portland, Ore.) d. Brad Schopieray (Swartz Chreek, Mich.), 15-6, 15-10

Girl's U14
1st: Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Md.)
2nd: Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.)
3rd: Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.)
4th: Ashley Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.)

Girl's U16
Final: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Va.) d. Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Md.), 15-6, 15-3
3rd: Mercedes Arias (Ann Arbor, Mich.) d. Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.), 15-8, 15-3

Girl's U18
Final: Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.) d. Amanda Lindsay (Oregon City, Ore.), 11-15, 15-2, 11-8
3rd: Jessica Munoz (Burlington, Wash.) d. Courtney Chisholm (Marlborough, Mass), 15-14, 15-1

Boys U14 Doubles
1st: Spencer Shoemaker & Kyle Ulliman d. Jake Bimel & Ryan Francis, 15-10, 15-8
3rd: Jesse Mendoza & Daniel Fishbein d. Matthew Goolsby & Wayne Antone, "19,11" [sic]

Boys U16 Doubles
1st: Adam Manilla & Nicholas Riffel d. Sam Reid & John Lindsay, 15-9, 15-9
3rd: Connor Laffey & Joshua Lebow d. Raul Quintanilla & Tyler Kendrick, 15-14, 4-15, 11-5

Boys U18 Doubles
1st: Nick Montalbano & Joshua Hungerford d. Jose Diaz & Brad Schopieray, 15-8, 15-3
3rd: Dylan Reid & Joseph Lee d. Rick Charbonneau & Ryan Charbonneau, 15-5, 15-6

Girls U16/U14 Doubles
1st: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, VA) & Mercedes Arias (Ann Arbor, MI)
2nd: Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, MD) & Samantha Simmons (Crofton, MD)
3rd: Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, OR) & Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.)

Girls U18 Doubles
1st: Amanda Lindsay (Oregon City, OR) & Jessica Munoz (Burlington, Wash.)
2nd: Courtney Chisholm (Marlborough, MA) & Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, CA)
3rd: Elizabeth Simmons (Crofton, MD) & Sarah Lewis (Beaverton, Ore.)

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