USA Racquetball Names Its Junior National Team

USA Racquetball has named its Junior National Team for the 2013 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Junior World Championships that will happen in Sucre, Bolivia in October. Players were named to the team based on the results from last week's 40th Wilson USA Racquetball Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa.

The top two finishers in each of the U14, U16 and U18 categories made the team. Thus, in Boy's U18 it's Adam Manilla and Connor Laffey, while in U16 it'll be Jake Birnel and Sam Bredenbeck with U14 players Jordan Barth and Mauro Rojas.

On the girl's side, Kelani Bailey and Samantha Simmons are the U18 players with Kaitlyn Simmons and Hollie Scott in U16 and Jordan Cooperrider and Erika Manilla in U14.

Of these 12 players, seven were medalists at the 2012 IRF Junior World Championships. Bailey and both Manillas were double medalists. Bailey got two bronze medals in U18 singles and doubles, with Samantha Simmons as her partner. Her sister Kaitlyn Simmons was a bronze medalist in U16 doubles.

Erika Manilla was bronze medalist in U14 singles and doubles, and Cooperrider was her doubles partner. Her brother Adam got two bronze medals in U16 (singles & doubles), and finally, Barth was a gold medalist in Boy's U14 doubles (with Justus Benson).

Except for Adam Manilla, who's moved up a division, all of those players will be competing in the same age division this year as last, so they should be medal threats again. Team USA should be strong in Bolivia.

The 2013 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Junior World Championships will be in Sucre, Bolivia from October 20 to 25, 2013.

40th Wilson USA Racquetball Junior Olympics
Des Moines, Iowa
Results Summary

Boy's U14 - Singles

1st Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN)
2nd Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA)
3rd Wayne Antone IV (Eugene, OR)
4th Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, WI)

Boy's U16 - Singles

1st Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA)
2nd Sam Bredenbeck (Marine On St Croix, MN)
3rd Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA)
4th Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, WI)

Boy's U18 - Singles

1st Adam Manilla (Centennial, CO)
2nd Connor Laffey (Salem, OR)
3rd Zack Wertz (Kenner, LA)
4th Nicholas Riffel (Loveland, CO)

Girl's U14 - Singles

1st Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, FL)
2nd Erika Manilla (Centennial, CO)
3rd Hollie Scott (Bellingham, WA)
4th Kristine Holman (Salem, OR)

Girl's U16 - Singles

1st Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, MD)
2nd Hollie Scott (Bellingham, WA)
3rd Molly Manning (North Mankato, MN)
4th Danielle Falvey (Sussex, WI)

Girl's U18 - Singles

1st Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, VA)
2nd Samantha Simmons (Crofton, MD)
3rd Hannah Shnurman (Prole, IA)
4th Krista Yourstone (Urbandale, IA)
5th Katie Nye (Urbandale, IA), 15-0, 15-1

Boy's U14 - Doubles

1st Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, WI)
2nd Wayne Antone IV (Eugene, OR) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA)
3rd Brady Yelverton (Garland, TX) & Jerry Yang (Sugar Land, TX)
4th Jared Lee (Danville, CA) & Nikhil Singh (Pleasanton, CA)

Boy's U16 - Doubles

1st Kyle Ulliman (Westerville, OH) & Sam Bredenbeck (Marine On St Croix, MN)
2nd Jacob Matthews (Bethel, NC) & Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA)
3rd Alec Wasilonsky (Torrington, CT) & Thomas Carter (Murrysville, PA)
4th Dima Wert (Petaluma, CA) & Luis Avila (Wilmington, CA)

Boy's U18 - Doubles

1st Adam Manilla (Centennial, CO) & Sawyer Lloyd (Petaluma, CA)
2nd Connor Laffey (Salem, OR) & Nicholas Riffel (Loveland, CO)
3rd Diego Perez (Tyler, TX) & Alec Wasilonsky (Torrington, CT)
4th Logan Nance (Lodi, CA) & Walker Plath (Stockton, CA)

Follow the bouncing ball….