IRF 25th World Juniors - Mexico sweeps Girl's Doubles

Mexico swept the gold medals in girl's doubles at the 25th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships in Sucre, Bolivia. We've earlier explained how that came about in the U18 and U16 divisions, but the last round of the Girl's U14 competition happened on Saturday, and Americans Erika Manilla and Jordan Cooperrider had a chance to prevent the Mexican sweep.

The American team were 5-0 playing their last match against the Mexican team of Monserrat Meija and Andrea Ramierez, who were 4-1 going into Saturday's last round of matches. A USA win would have given them the gold.

But the Mexicans beat the Americans 15-13, 15-11 (we had the score as 15-14, 15-12; but it's 13, 11 on the IRF site), which gave the gold to Mexico.

In the match, Mexico started strongly, as they took a 6-0 lead in game one and extended that to 11-3. However, the Americans then fought back, as they scored nine straight points to take the lead 12-11.

We have it that the Americans got to 14-12, but couldn't get that last point, which could have gotten them the gold, as there was going to be a three way tie with Mexico and Bolivia, who also finished 5-1 after beating the Puerto Rican team of Frances Vasquez Souchet and Charleen Tono, 15-3, 15-2, in the last round of play.

But with the tie-breaker rule, the USA needed only one game to come out ahead of Mexico and Bolivia, even if they lost to Mexico in a tie-breaker.

But Mexico came back and beat the USA in game one "15-13" (sic). In game two, it was the USA that took the early lead, as they were up 6-4 and then 10-7, so again it looked like the gold was within their grasp.

But Mexico came back and tied the game at 10, and they went back and forth, tying at 11 and at 12, and then Mexico pushed on to win "15-11" (sic). The last shot was a set up off the back wall that Meija killed with her backhand straight to the front wall.

Meija was clearly the better player of the two Mexicans, and if the Americans had kept the ball away from her, they maybe have won the match. Meija's not a power player, but has excellent control on the court.

Also, Ivana Sepertegui and Maria Jose Munoz of Ecuador defeated Valentina Valor and Lilian Zea of Venezuela in the last round, 15-8, 15-7, to finish fourth and Venezuela sixth. Canada was fifth and Puerto Rico seventh.

25th IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Sucre, Bolivia

Girl's U18 Doubles

GOLD - Mexico - Alexandra Herrera & Ximena Gonzalez
SILVER - Bolivia - Paola Cossio & Masiel Rivera
BRONZE - Guatemala - Ana Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez

Girl's U16 Doubles

GOLD - Mexico - Diana Aguilar & Montserrat Perez
SILVER - Bolivia - Natalia Mendez & Iriana Avendaño
BRONZE - Canada - Danielle Drury & Michelle Morissette
4th - Dominican Republic - Maria Cespedes & Merinanllely Delgado
5th - USA - Hollie Scott & Kaitlin Simmons

Girl's U14 Doubles

Round 7 - Saturday

Monserrat Meija & Andrea Ramierez (Mexico) d. Erika Manilla & Jordan Cooperrider (USA), 15-13, 15-11 (sic)
Wanda Carvajal & Adriana Homsi (Bolivia) d. Frances Vasquez Souchet & Charleen Tono (Puerto Rico), 15-3, 15-2
Ivana Sepertegui & Maria Jose Munoz (Ecuador) d. Valentina Valor & Lilian Zea (Venezuela), 15-8, 15-7

Standings

1. Mexico - 5-1
2. USA - 5-1
3. Bolivia - 5-1
4. Ecuador - 3-3
5. Canada - 2-4
6. Venezuela - 1-5
7. Puerto Rico - 0-6

Medals

GOLD - Mexico - Monserrat Meija & Andrea Ramierez
SILVER - USA - Erika Manilla & Jordan Cooperrider
BRONZE - Bolivia - Wanda Carvajal & Adriana Homsi
4th - Ecuador - Ivana Sepertegui & Maria Jose Munoz
5th - Canada - Annie Fisher & Alexis Iwaasa
6th - Venezuela - Valentina Valor & Lilian Zea
7th - Puerto Rico - Frances Vasquez Souchet & Charleen Tono

Follow the bouncing ball....