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....