Tuesday, June 26, 2012
2012-13 IRT Tournament Schedule
The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) has released its schedule for 2012-13. There are 14 Tier 1 or Grand Slam events on the schedule for next season, which is up from 12 this past season. The season will kick off in Kansas City on September 13th with the Novasors Kansas City Open.
Eleven of the twelve events of 2011-12 are back for 2012-13, including the two Grand Slam events: the United Healthcare US Open in Minneapolis and the Pro Nationals in Fullerton, California, which will again end the season.
The three new events are the Lawler Sports Pro-Am in Terre Haute, Indiana, which returns after a one year hiatus, the New Jersey Open, and the Denver Pro/Am. The Lawler Sports event will be the second one of the season running from September 27th to 30th, with the New Jersey Open in December and the Denver Pro/Am in March.
There will be five events in 2012 and nine in 2013, so you know that they aren't equally spaced. The season starts with a burst: three events in four weeks, with the third being the US Open. Then there's only one event in November and one in December, although that will be the first IRT event in December for several seasons.
The new year starts off quickly with back to back tournaments on opposite coasts, as the California Open happens the first weekend of 2013 and the Cactus Salon New York City Pro/Am is the following weekend.
There will be a three week break before the Salt Lake City Pro/Am, and another three weeks until the tournament after that, which will be the San Diego Open. Then in March there will be two events: the Florida Spring Break Pro/Am and the Denver Pro/Am.
There are no events in April, but the IRT season comes to a close with another burst of events as there are three events in May: the Stockton Pro/Am, the Party With The Pros and Pro Nationals.
It's the International Racquetball Tour, but the international part will have to come from the players rather than the venues as all the events of 2012-13 are scheduled to happen in the USA. Of course, that could change over the course of the season, but for now you racquetball fans can plan your seasons accordingly.
2012-13 International Racquetball Tour Schedule
September 13-16 - Novasors Kansas City Open - Kansas City
September 27-30 - Lawler Sports Pro-Am - Terre Haute, Ind.
October 3-7 - United Healthcare US Open - Minneapolis
November 1-4 - Red Swain Shootout - Davison, Mich.
December 13-16 - New Jersey Open - Fairfield, N.J.
January 3-6 - Coast to Coast California Open - Canoga Park, Calif.
January 10-13 - Cactus Salon NYC Pro Am - Long Island, N.Y.
January 31-Feb 3 - Salt Lake City Pro/Am - Salt Lake City, Utah
February 21-24 - San Diego Open - San Diego
March 7-10 - Florida Spring Break Pro/Am - Tampa, Fla.
March 21-24 - Denver Pro/Am - Denver
May 2-5 - Stockton Pro/Am - Stockton, Calif.
May 16-19 - Party With The Pros - St Louis
May 22-26 - Pro Nationals - Fullerton, Calif.
(note: Grand Slam events in bold; Tier 1 events in normal font)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, June 25, 2012
USA Racquetball 2012 Junior Olympic Doubles Champions
Here's a rundown of the doubles winners from the 2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics in Fullerton, California. We did mention some of these results on Saturday, as many of the divisions finished up then. But below we've got a complete summary including the third place matches.
All three Boys singles champions in U14, U16 and U18 as well as the Girls U18 champion in singles won their respective doubles division also.
Jose Diaz and Marco Rojas won the Boys U18 doubles title against Rick Charbonneau and Ryan Charbonneau, 15-4, 15-10. In Boys U16, Adam Manilla and Sawyer Lloyd defeated Connor Laffey and Alex Winter, 15-11, 15-6. Finally, in Boys U14 Jordan Barth and Justus Benson defeated Mauro Rojas and Jake Birnel, 11-15, 15-7, 11-3.
The girls doubles U16 and U18 divisions were combined to make a six team round robin, and Kelani Bailey and Samantha Simmons came out on top. Only two teams were entered in the U16 division with Kaitlyn Simmons and Lexi York defeating Hollee Hungerford and Rebecca Nielsen, 15-6, 15-5.
Where are the girls? (Reprised)
The girls doubles divisions were combined, because there weren't many girls entered. Compared to two years ago there were a few more girls in the Junior Olympics (33 this year compared to 30 in 2010), and with a slightly lower participation overall the percentage of girls in the tournament was higher (23.2% this year compared to 19.5% in 2010). So, girls participation is up ever so slightly.
Nevertheless, as we wrote in 2010, these numbers are shockingly low. There are only 12 girls in the entire USA playing elite level racquetball? Really? That number's way too low.
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has begun a GoGirlGo! racquetball program, which will hopefully lead to more girls' participation. USA Racquetball has a women's committee focussed on increasing women's participation, but it doesn't mention girls' participation.
Regardless, while it's nice to have programs from the big organizations, there needs to be action at a local level to change things. In this case, that means recruiting girls to participate in junior programs, and maybe putting more effort into recruiting girls than boys as boys are easier to convince to play sports.
The bottom line for the US is that low participation levels at younger ages is going to catch up to them as the senior level. The US lost two consecutive major women's doubles competitions - 2010 Worlds and 2011 Pan American Games - for the first time ever, and without more girls playing that might be the beginning of a negative trend that could continue for many years to come.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Doubles Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) & Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.) d. Rick Charbonneau & Ryan Charbonneau (Oregon City, Ore.), 15-4, 15-10
3rd: John Lindsay (Oregon City, Ore.) & Nicholas Riffel (Oregon City, Ore.) d. Dustin Cole (Oklahoma City, Okla.) & Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 15-2, 15-12
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) & Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.) d. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) & Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 15-11, 15-6
3rd: Joshua Lebow (Salem, Ore.) & Matthew Goolsby (Portland, Ore.) d. Diego Perez (Tyler, Tex.) & Alec Wasilonsky (Torrington, Conn.), 15-3, 15-9
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 11-15, 15-7, 11-3
3rd: Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.) & Daniel Fishbein (Barrington, N.H.) d. Jared Lee (Danville, Calif.) & Nikhil Singh (Pleasanton, Calif.), 15-7, 15-4
Girl's U16/18
1st: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) & Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.)
2nd: Courtney Chisholm (Marlborough, Mass.) & Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.)
3rd: Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) & Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.)
4th: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) & Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.)
5th: Sarah Lewis (Beaverton, Ore.) & Elizabeth Simmons (Tucson, Ariz.)
6th: Erika Lipski (Portland, Ore.) & Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.)
Follow the bouncing ball....
All three Boys singles champions in U14, U16 and U18 as well as the Girls U18 champion in singles won their respective doubles division also.
Jose Diaz and Marco Rojas won the Boys U18 doubles title against Rick Charbonneau and Ryan Charbonneau, 15-4, 15-10. In Boys U16, Adam Manilla and Sawyer Lloyd defeated Connor Laffey and Alex Winter, 15-11, 15-6. Finally, in Boys U14 Jordan Barth and Justus Benson defeated Mauro Rojas and Jake Birnel, 11-15, 15-7, 11-3.
The girls doubles U16 and U18 divisions were combined to make a six team round robin, and Kelani Bailey and Samantha Simmons came out on top. Only two teams were entered in the U16 division with Kaitlyn Simmons and Lexi York defeating Hollee Hungerford and Rebecca Nielsen, 15-6, 15-5.
Where are the girls? (Reprised)
The girls doubles divisions were combined, because there weren't many girls entered. Compared to two years ago there were a few more girls in the Junior Olympics (33 this year compared to 30 in 2010), and with a slightly lower participation overall the percentage of girls in the tournament was higher (23.2% this year compared to 19.5% in 2010). So, girls participation is up ever so slightly.
Nevertheless, as we wrote in 2010, these numbers are shockingly low. There are only 12 girls in the entire USA playing elite level racquetball? Really? That number's way too low.
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has begun a GoGirlGo! racquetball program, which will hopefully lead to more girls' participation. USA Racquetball has a women's committee focussed on increasing women's participation, but it doesn't mention girls' participation.
Regardless, while it's nice to have programs from the big organizations, there needs to be action at a local level to change things. In this case, that means recruiting girls to participate in junior programs, and maybe putting more effort into recruiting girls than boys as boys are easier to convince to play sports.
The bottom line for the US is that low participation levels at younger ages is going to catch up to them as the senior level. The US lost two consecutive major women's doubles competitions - 2010 Worlds and 2011 Pan American Games - for the first time ever, and without more girls playing that might be the beginning of a negative trend that could continue for many years to come.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Doubles Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) & Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.) d. Rick Charbonneau & Ryan Charbonneau (Oregon City, Ore.), 15-4, 15-10
3rd: John Lindsay (Oregon City, Ore.) & Nicholas Riffel (Oregon City, Ore.) d. Dustin Cole (Oklahoma City, Okla.) & Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 15-2, 15-12
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) & Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.) d. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) & Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 15-11, 15-6
3rd: Joshua Lebow (Salem, Ore.) & Matthew Goolsby (Portland, Ore.) d. Diego Perez (Tyler, Tex.) & Alec Wasilonsky (Torrington, Conn.), 15-3, 15-9
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 11-15, 15-7, 11-3
3rd: Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.) & Daniel Fishbein (Barrington, N.H.) d. Jared Lee (Danville, Calif.) & Nikhil Singh (Pleasanton, Calif.), 15-7, 15-4
Girl's U16/18
1st: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) & Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.)
2nd: Courtney Chisholm (Marlborough, Mass.) & Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.)
3rd: Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) & Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.)
4th: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) & Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.)
5th: Sarah Lewis (Beaverton, Ore.) & Elizabeth Simmons (Tucson, Ariz.)
6th: Erika Lipski (Portland, Ore.) & Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Sunday, June 24, 2012
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics - Finals
Jose Diaz and Kelani Bailey are the Boys and Girls 2012 USA Racquetball U18 Champions, respectively, as they won their finals on Sunday in Fullerton, California. Diaz beat his doubles parter and fellow Stockton, Calif. resident Marco Rojas in the Boys U18 singles final, 15-10, 15-3.
Rojas fought hard as he was down 10-2 to Diaz in game one, and came back to 14-10 before Diaz closed it out. Unfortunately for Rojas the momentum did not carry over to game two, as Diaz rolled through that, winning 15-3.
Like Diaz, Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) also defeated her doubles partner to take the title in the U18 Girls division. She beat Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 15-7, 15-1. It's Bailey's fourth consecutive junior title as she was the U16 champion the last two years and U14 champ in 2009.
Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) repeated as the Boys U16 champion, as he defeated 2nd seed Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) in the final, 15-9, 15-4, to win his third consecutive junior title to go with his U16 title last year and U14 title in 2010.
Manilla's sister Erika won the Girls U14 division, as she came out on top of a five player round robin by defeating all four of her competitors, including a win on Sunday over Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.), 13-15, 15-7, 11-9. In the Boys U14 division top seed Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) won the final over 3rd seed Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 15-12, 15-13.
On Saturday, Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) won the Girls U16 division by defeating Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) in the final, 14-15, 15-5, 11-9. In the semi-finals, Nielsen beat Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 15-11, 11-15, 11-8, and Simmons defeated Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.), 9-15, 15-6, 11-4. Hungerford won the 3rd place match over Boyle, winning 10-15, 15-5, 11-8.
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 later this year at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships in Los Angeles.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) d. Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 15-10, 15-3
3rd: Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.) d. Chase Robison (Fort Worth, Texas), 15-10, 15-14
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) d. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.), 15-9, 15-4
3rd: Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.) d. Alex Winter (Melville, NY)
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) d. Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 15-12, 15-13
3rd: Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.) d. Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.), 15-8, 11-15, 11-5
Girl's U18
Final: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) d. Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 15-7, 15-1
3rd: Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.) d. Elizabeth Simmons (Tucson, Ariz.), 15-6, 15-4
Girl's U16
Final: Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) d. Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 14-15, 15-5, 11-9
3rd place: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) d. Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 10-15, 15-5, 11-8
Girl's U14
1st Erika Manilla (Centennial, Col.) - 4 wins
2nd Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.) - 3 wins
3rd Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.) - 2 wins
5th Daniela Torres (San Antonio, Texas) - 1 win
4th Kire Mendoza (San Antonio, Texas) - 0 wins
Follow the bouncing ball....
Rojas fought hard as he was down 10-2 to Diaz in game one, and came back to 14-10 before Diaz closed it out. Unfortunately for Rojas the momentum did not carry over to game two, as Diaz rolled through that, winning 15-3.
Like Diaz, Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) also defeated her doubles partner to take the title in the U18 Girls division. She beat Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 15-7, 15-1. It's Bailey's fourth consecutive junior title as she was the U16 champion the last two years and U14 champ in 2009.
Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) repeated as the Boys U16 champion, as he defeated 2nd seed Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) in the final, 15-9, 15-4, to win his third consecutive junior title to go with his U16 title last year and U14 title in 2010.
Manilla's sister Erika won the Girls U14 division, as she came out on top of a five player round robin by defeating all four of her competitors, including a win on Sunday over Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.), 13-15, 15-7, 11-9. In the Boys U14 division top seed Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) won the final over 3rd seed Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 15-12, 15-13.
On Saturday, Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) won the Girls U16 division by defeating Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) in the final, 14-15, 15-5, 11-9. In the semi-finals, Nielsen beat Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 15-11, 11-15, 11-8, and Simmons defeated Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.), 9-15, 15-6, 11-4. Hungerford won the 3rd place match over Boyle, winning 10-15, 15-5, 11-8.
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 later this year at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships in Los Angeles.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) d. Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 15-10, 15-3
3rd: Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.) d. Chase Robison (Fort Worth, Texas), 15-10, 15-14
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) d. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.), 15-9, 15-4
3rd: Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.) d. Alex Winter (Melville, NY)
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) d. Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 15-12, 15-13
3rd: Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.) d. Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.), 15-8, 11-15, 11-5
Girl's U18
Final: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) d. Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 15-7, 15-1
3rd: Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.) d. Elizabeth Simmons (Tucson, Ariz.), 15-6, 15-4
Girl's U16
Final: Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) d. Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 14-15, 15-5, 11-9
3rd place: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) d. Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 10-15, 15-5, 11-8
Girl's U14
1st Erika Manilla (Centennial, Col.) - 4 wins
2nd Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.) - 3 wins
3rd Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.) - 2 wins
5th Daniela Torres (San Antonio, Texas) - 1 win
4th Kire Mendoza (San Antonio, Texas) - 0 wins
Follow the bouncing ball....
Saturday, June 23, 2012
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics - Semi-finals
They're down to the finals at the 2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics in Fullerton, California. Two Stockton boys will face off in the Boys U18 singles final, as Jose Diaz will play Marco Rojas on Sunday. Diaz, the top seed, defeated Chase Robison (Fort Worth, Texas) in one semi-final while 3rd seeded Rojas defeated 2nd seed Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 12-15, 15-2, 11-4, in the other.
Diaz and Rojas are already champions though, as they won the U18 doubles title by defeating Rick and Ryan Charbonneau (Oregon City, Ore.), 15-4, 15-10, on Saturday.
In Boys U16, Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) has a chance to repeat, as the left hander reached the U16 final with a semi-final win over Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.), 15-2, 15-11. Top seeded Manilla will face 2nd seed Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) in the final, as Laffey beat 3rd seed Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 11-15, 15-8, 11-6, in the other semi-final.
The semi-finals were battles of doubles partners as Manilla and Lloyd are teamed up as are Winter and Laffey. Those two teams met in the Boys U16 doubles final on Saturday with Manilla and Lloyd winning, 15-3, 15-6.
In Boys U14, top seed Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) faces 3rd seed Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.) in the final on Sunday. In Saturday's semi-finals, Barth defeated Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.), 15-7, 8-15, 11-1, and Rojas beat Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.), 12-15, 15-5, 11-8.
Barth already has one victory over Rojas, as he and Justus Benson defeated Rojas and Birnel in the U14 doubles final, 11-15, 15-7, 11-3.
In girls action, last year's U18 champion Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.) won't repeat, as she lost to Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) in the semi-finals Saturday, "9.0.3" [sic]. In Sunday's final, Simmons will face last year's U16 champion Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.), who won the other semi-final against Simmons's sister Elizabeth, 15-5, 15-2.
Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) is the 2012 Girls U16 Champion, as she defeated Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) in the final on Saturday, 14-15, 15-5, 11-9. In the semi-finals, Nielsen beat Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 15-11, 11-15, 11-8, and Simmons defeated Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.), 9-15, 15-6, 11-4. Hungerford won the 3rd place match over Boyle, 10-15, 15-5, 11-8.
The Girls U14 division is a five player round robin that will come down to Sunday's match between Erika Manilla (Centennial, Col.) and Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.). If Manilla wins, she'll win the division, but if Cooperrider wins then she, Manilla and Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.) will all have three wins and a tie-breaking formula will have to be used. On Friday, Manilla beat York.
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 later this year at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships in Los Angeles.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) v. Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.)
Semi-finals: Jose Diaz d. Chase Robison (Fort Worth, Texas)
Marco Rojas d. Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 12-15, 15-2, 11-4
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) v. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.)
Semi-final: Adam Manilla d. Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.), 15-2, 15-11
Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) d. Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 11-15, 15-8, 11-6
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) v. Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.)
Semi-final: Jordan Barth d. Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.), 15-7, 8-15, 11-1
Mauro Rojas d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.), 12-15, 15-5, 11-8
Girl's U18
Final: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) v. Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.)
Semi-finals: Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) d. Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.), "9.0.3" [sic]
Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) d. Elizabeth Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 15-5, 15-2
Girl's U16
Final: Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) d. Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 14-15, 15-5, 11-9
3rd place: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) d. Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 10-15, 15-5, 11-8
Girl's U14
1st Erika Manilla (Centennial, Col.) - 3 wins
2nd Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.) - 3 wins
3rd Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.) - 2 wins
4th Daniela Torres (San Antonio, Texas) - 0 wins
4th Kire Mendoza (San Antonio, Texas) - 0 wins
(note: with 2 matches still to play on Sunday)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Diaz and Rojas are already champions though, as they won the U18 doubles title by defeating Rick and Ryan Charbonneau (Oregon City, Ore.), 15-4, 15-10, on Saturday.
In Boys U16, Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) has a chance to repeat, as the left hander reached the U16 final with a semi-final win over Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.), 15-2, 15-11. Top seeded Manilla will face 2nd seed Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) in the final, as Laffey beat 3rd seed Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 11-15, 15-8, 11-6, in the other semi-final.
The semi-finals were battles of doubles partners as Manilla and Lloyd are teamed up as are Winter and Laffey. Those two teams met in the Boys U16 doubles final on Saturday with Manilla and Lloyd winning, 15-3, 15-6.
In Boys U14, top seed Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) faces 3rd seed Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.) in the final on Sunday. In Saturday's semi-finals, Barth defeated Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.), 15-7, 8-15, 11-1, and Rojas beat Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.), 12-15, 15-5, 11-8.
Barth already has one victory over Rojas, as he and Justus Benson defeated Rojas and Birnel in the U14 doubles final, 11-15, 15-7, 11-3.
In girls action, last year's U18 champion Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.) won't repeat, as she lost to Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) in the semi-finals Saturday, "9.0.3" [sic]. In Sunday's final, Simmons will face last year's U16 champion Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.), who won the other semi-final against Simmons's sister Elizabeth, 15-5, 15-2.
Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) is the 2012 Girls U16 Champion, as she defeated Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) in the final on Saturday, 14-15, 15-5, 11-9. In the semi-finals, Nielsen beat Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 15-11, 11-15, 11-8, and Simmons defeated Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.), 9-15, 15-6, 11-4. Hungerford won the 3rd place match over Boyle, 10-15, 15-5, 11-8.
The Girls U14 division is a five player round robin that will come down to Sunday's match between Erika Manilla (Centennial, Col.) and Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.). If Manilla wins, she'll win the division, but if Cooperrider wins then she, Manilla and Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.) will all have three wins and a tie-breaking formula will have to be used. On Friday, Manilla beat York.
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 later this year at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships in Los Angeles.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) v. Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.)
Semi-finals: Jose Diaz d. Chase Robison (Fort Worth, Texas)
Marco Rojas d. Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 12-15, 15-2, 11-4
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) v. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.)
Semi-final: Adam Manilla d. Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.), 15-2, 15-11
Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) d. Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 11-15, 15-8, 11-6
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) v. Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.)
Semi-final: Jordan Barth d. Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.), 15-7, 8-15, 11-1
Mauro Rojas d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.), 12-15, 15-5, 11-8
Girl's U18
Final: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) v. Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.)
Semi-finals: Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) d. Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.), "9.0.3" [sic]
Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) d. Elizabeth Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 15-5, 15-2
Girl's U16
Final: Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.) d. Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.), 14-15, 15-5, 11-9
3rd place: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) d. Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.), 10-15, 15-5, 11-8
Girl's U14
1st Erika Manilla (Centennial, Col.) - 3 wins
2nd Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.) - 3 wins
3rd Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, Fla.) - 2 wins
4th Daniela Torres (San Antonio, Texas) - 0 wins
4th Kire Mendoza (San Antonio, Texas) - 0 wins
(note: with 2 matches still to play on Sunday)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
WPRO's 2012-13 Tournament Schedule
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has posted its schedule for the 2012-13 season. There are 10 Tier 1 or Grand Slam events on the schedule, which is balanced between events in 2012 and in 2013 with five in each. There's also a Tier 3 event - the traditional Wilson Tour for Hope in Cincinnati.
The WPRO season begins in late August with the Ektelon Texas Open in Dallas. Then there will be a break of over a month before the US Open in Minneapolis in early October.
In November, the WPRO will play in Mexico, which will be its first event outside the USA since September 2010, when they were in Cali, Columbia, and two weeks later in Seattle before ending the year with the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia.
Two of the five events in the second half of the season are new and they are the first two events of 2013. The WPRO will begin the new year with the Winter Freeze tournament in Dayton, Ohio in early January and then in late February they'll be in Overland Park, Kansas for the Winter Classic.
The WPRO season will end with the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio in April, the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia and finally with the Ektelon Nationals Presented by Penn in Fullerton, California. The WPRO was in Fullerton this past season, but only as a Tier 3 event. Next year they plan to have a Tier 1 event in Fullerton.
Of the eight Tier 1 or Grand Slam events this past season, seven of them are on the schedule for next season. The only exception is the Denver event, but three events have taken its place: in Mexico, Dayton and Overland Park.
All in all the schedule represents a nice progression for the WPRO from what seems to be a stable base of support. The spacing of events might be a bit better, as there are no events in September or March and multiples in November and May. But that's not something that's entirely within the WPRO's control.
We look forward to the next WPRO season, which is only a little over two months away.
2012-13 WPRO Schedule
Dates - Tournament - Location
August 24-26 - Ektelon WPRO Texas Open, Dallas
October 3-7 - US Open Championships - Minneapolis
November 1-4 - Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Mexico
November 16-18 - Seattle Event, Seattle
December 7-9 - Christmas Classic, Arlington, VA
January 4-6 - Winter Freeze, Dayton, Ohio
January 25-27 - Wilson Tour for Hope, Cincinnati
February 22-24 - Winter Classic, Overland Park, Kansas
April 19-21 - 2013 Battle at the Alamo, San Antonio
May 3-5 - 2013 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am, Herndon, Virginia
May 22-27 - Ektelon Nationals, Presented by Penn, Fullerton, California
(note: Tier 1 events in bold, Grand Slam events in bold italic)
Follow the bouncing ball….
The WPRO season begins in late August with the Ektelon Texas Open in Dallas. Then there will be a break of over a month before the US Open in Minneapolis in early October.
In November, the WPRO will play in Mexico, which will be its first event outside the USA since September 2010, when they were in Cali, Columbia, and two weeks later in Seattle before ending the year with the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia.
Two of the five events in the second half of the season are new and they are the first two events of 2013. The WPRO will begin the new year with the Winter Freeze tournament in Dayton, Ohio in early January and then in late February they'll be in Overland Park, Kansas for the Winter Classic.
The WPRO season will end with the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio in April, the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia and finally with the Ektelon Nationals Presented by Penn in Fullerton, California. The WPRO was in Fullerton this past season, but only as a Tier 3 event. Next year they plan to have a Tier 1 event in Fullerton.
Of the eight Tier 1 or Grand Slam events this past season, seven of them are on the schedule for next season. The only exception is the Denver event, but three events have taken its place: in Mexico, Dayton and Overland Park.
All in all the schedule represents a nice progression for the WPRO from what seems to be a stable base of support. The spacing of events might be a bit better, as there are no events in September or March and multiples in November and May. But that's not something that's entirely within the WPRO's control.
We look forward to the next WPRO season, which is only a little over two months away.
2012-13 WPRO Schedule
Dates - Tournament - Location
August 24-26 - Ektelon WPRO Texas Open, Dallas
October 3-7 - US Open Championships - Minneapolis
November 1-4 - Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Mexico
November 16-18 - Seattle Event, Seattle
December 7-9 - Christmas Classic, Arlington, VA
January 4-6 - Winter Freeze, Dayton, Ohio
January 25-27 - Wilson Tour for Hope, Cincinnati
February 22-24 - Winter Classic, Overland Park, Kansas
April 19-21 - 2013 Battle at the Alamo, San Antonio
May 3-5 - 2013 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am, Herndon, Virginia
May 22-27 - Ektelon Nationals, Presented by Penn, Fullerton, California
(note: Tier 1 events in bold, Grand Slam events in bold italic)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, June 18, 2012
The final IRT 2011-12 Rankings
The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) has released its 2011-12 season ending rankings, which are topped by Kane Waselenchuk for the fourth consecutive season. Waselenchuk now been in a top 10 IRT player at the end of 9 IRT season and 7 times he's been #1. It's an astonishing record.
Rocky Carson finished at the #2 player, and was the winner of the New York City Pro-Am after Waselenchuk could not finish the final due to injury. But Carson was a finalist in only two of the six tournaments since then.
Alvaro Beltran was the finalist in the other four tournaments since New York, and that helped him into the top 10 for the first time since the 2008-09 season when he finished 4th. Yet Beltran only finished 5th this season, as he didn't play two of the events in the first part of the season, choosing to focus on the Pan American Games, which were held in his home country of Mexico in October, and he also lost in the Round of 16 at the US Open to Charlie Pratt.
Waselenchuk missed two events due to injury, but those events weren't won by Carson or Beltran, but rather by Jose Rojas and Ben Croft, who finished the season ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively. Third is a career high for Rojas, who's only in the top 10 for the third time in his career. Rojas's rise pushes Croft down one spot from last season, when he finished third.
Chris Crowther finished 6th, Shane Vanderson 7th and Andy Hawthorne 8th. It's the 9th time Vanderson's finished in the top 10, tying him for 10th most top 10 appearances all time with several players including Waselenchuk, Sudsy Monchik, and Ruben Gonzalez, who finished 16th this season just a couple months short of his 60th birthday.
Tony Carson finished in the top 10 for the first time in his career, as he came in at #9 one ahead of Pratt, who was 9th last year.
Finally, Rocky Carson is now 3rd all time in most appearances in IRT season ending top 10s, as he been there 13 times. Beltran has moved up to 6th on that list with 10 seasons of top 10 finishes. Cliff Swain has finished in the IRT top 10 more than any other player. He did it 20 times. Jason Mannino is second with 15 top 10s.
IRT Rankings - 15 June 2012
Rank - Player - Points
1 Kane WASELENCHUK 4200
2 Rocky CARSON 3428
3 Jose ROJAS 2715
4 Ben CROFT 2588
5 Alvaro BELTRAN 2503
6 Chris CROWTHER 2280
7 Shane VANDERSON 2085
8 Andy HAWTHORNE 1890
9 Tony CARSON 1560
10 Charlie PRATT 1515
11 Javier MORENO 1385
12 Anthony HERRERA 1208
13 Juan HERRERA 785
14 Brad SCHOPIERAY 765
15 Alejandro LANDA 745
16 Ruben GONZALEZ 728
17 Polo GUTIERREZ 548
18 Arthur SCHMEISER 515
19 Daniel DE LA ROSA 504
20 Taylor KNOTH 428
Follow the bouncing ball....
Rocky Carson finished at the #2 player, and was the winner of the New York City Pro-Am after Waselenchuk could not finish the final due to injury. But Carson was a finalist in only two of the six tournaments since then.
Alvaro Beltran was the finalist in the other four tournaments since New York, and that helped him into the top 10 for the first time since the 2008-09 season when he finished 4th. Yet Beltran only finished 5th this season, as he didn't play two of the events in the first part of the season, choosing to focus on the Pan American Games, which were held in his home country of Mexico in October, and he also lost in the Round of 16 at the US Open to Charlie Pratt.
Waselenchuk missed two events due to injury, but those events weren't won by Carson or Beltran, but rather by Jose Rojas and Ben Croft, who finished the season ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively. Third is a career high for Rojas, who's only in the top 10 for the third time in his career. Rojas's rise pushes Croft down one spot from last season, when he finished third.
Chris Crowther finished 6th, Shane Vanderson 7th and Andy Hawthorne 8th. It's the 9th time Vanderson's finished in the top 10, tying him for 10th most top 10 appearances all time with several players including Waselenchuk, Sudsy Monchik, and Ruben Gonzalez, who finished 16th this season just a couple months short of his 60th birthday.
Tony Carson finished in the top 10 for the first time in his career, as he came in at #9 one ahead of Pratt, who was 9th last year.
Finally, Rocky Carson is now 3rd all time in most appearances in IRT season ending top 10s, as he been there 13 times. Beltran has moved up to 6th on that list with 10 seasons of top 10 finishes. Cliff Swain has finished in the IRT top 10 more than any other player. He did it 20 times. Jason Mannino is second with 15 top 10s.
IRT Rankings - 15 June 2012
Rank - Player - Points
1 Kane WASELENCHUK 4200
2 Rocky CARSON 3428
3 Jose ROJAS 2715
4 Ben CROFT 2588
5 Alvaro BELTRAN 2503
6 Chris CROWTHER 2280
7 Shane VANDERSON 2085
8 Andy HAWTHORNE 1890
9 Tony CARSON 1560
10 Charlie PRATT 1515
11 Javier MORENO 1385
12 Anthony HERRERA 1208
13 Juan HERRERA 785
14 Brad SCHOPIERAY 765
15 Alejandro LANDA 745
16 Ruben GONZALEZ 728
17 Polo GUTIERREZ 548
18 Arthur SCHMEISER 515
19 Daniel DE LA ROSA 504
20 Taylor KNOTH 428
Follow the bouncing ball....
Monday, June 4, 2012
WPRO's season ending rankings
The season ending Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) rankings are out, and there were no changes from the results at the Ektelon Nationals in Fullerton, California.
Paola Longoria finished the season as the #1 WPRO player for 3rd time in her career. Rhonda Rajsich, last year's #1, drops to #2 with Kerri Wachtel in #3.
Krystal Csuk finishes at a career high at #4 in only her second top 10 season ending ranking. Csuk was #10 last season.
Adrienne Fisher is #5 for the second time in her career. She also finished #5 at the end of the 2009-10 season, and was #8 last season.
Susy Acosta and Jennifer Saunders are #6 and #7, respectively, which is exactly where they finished last season. Cristine Amaya is up one from last year, finishing in the #8 spot.
Kristen Bellows is in the top 10 for the first time since the 2008-09 season, when she was #4, as Bellows finished #9.
Cheryl Gudinas's streak of top 10 women's pro tour finishes that began back in 1994 continues, as she finished #10 this season a little over 30 pts ahead of Da'monique Davis.
WPRO Rankings - June 4, 2012
Rank - Name - Country - Points
1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1344.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1120.40
3 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 543.40
4 Krystal Csuk (USA) 418.20
5 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 375.00
6 Susy Acosta (Mexico) 333.50
7 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 330.50
8 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 301.00
9 Kristen Bellows (USA) 298.50
10 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 279.00
11 Da'monique Davis (USA) 247.60
12 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 207.00
13 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 179.00
14 Keely Franks (USA) 131.50
15 Grace Hughes (USA) 106.40
16 Laura Brandt (USA) 104.00
17 Linda Scales (USA) 95.50
18 Sarah Warhaftig (USA) 61.00
19 Sharon Jackson (USA) 58.60
20 Aimee Ruiz (USA) 57.00
Follow the bouncing ball....
Paola Longoria finished the season as the #1 WPRO player for 3rd time in her career. Rhonda Rajsich, last year's #1, drops to #2 with Kerri Wachtel in #3.
Krystal Csuk finishes at a career high at #4 in only her second top 10 season ending ranking. Csuk was #10 last season.
Adrienne Fisher is #5 for the second time in her career. She also finished #5 at the end of the 2009-10 season, and was #8 last season.
Susy Acosta and Jennifer Saunders are #6 and #7, respectively, which is exactly where they finished last season. Cristine Amaya is up one from last year, finishing in the #8 spot.
Kristen Bellows is in the top 10 for the first time since the 2008-09 season, when she was #4, as Bellows finished #9.
Cheryl Gudinas's streak of top 10 women's pro tour finishes that began back in 1994 continues, as she finished #10 this season a little over 30 pts ahead of Da'monique Davis.
WPRO Rankings - June 4, 2012
Rank - Name - Country - Points
1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1344.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1120.40
3 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 543.40
4 Krystal Csuk (USA) 418.20
5 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 375.00
6 Susy Acosta (Mexico) 333.50
7 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 330.50
8 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 301.00
9 Kristen Bellows (USA) 298.50
10 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 279.00
11 Da'monique Davis (USA) 247.60
12 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 207.00
13 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 179.00
14 Keely Franks (USA) 131.50
15 Grace Hughes (USA) 106.40
16 Laura Brandt (USA) 104.00
17 Linda Scales (USA) 95.50
18 Sarah Warhaftig (USA) 61.00
19 Sharon Jackson (USA) 58.60
20 Aimee Ruiz (USA) 57.00
Follow the bouncing ball....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
