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....