2015 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships - Preview

The 2015 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships are underway in Tempe, Arizona on the campus of Arizona State University. Intercollegiates are organized in divisions according to teams ranking. A full team is six men and six women, and the top ranked men are one division, top ranked women another, and so on, down to the 6th ranked men and women. With six players each gender there are three doubles teams, which compete in similar divisions: the #1 teams playing off, #2s and #3 in different men's and women's divisions.

There are 223 players competing in Tempe, which is great. We're going to concentrate on the Men's and Women's #1 Singles and Doubles divisions, as those are the overall intercollegiate champions.

On the women's side, there will be a new champion or possibly a new again champion, as last year's winner Devon Pimentelli (Canada College) is not in the draw. But 2013 winner Kelani Bailey of Shenandoah University is in the draw, and if she wins, it would be her second title. Bailey's the 2nd seed with last year's 4th place finisher Elizabeth Simmons (University of Arizona) the #1 seed.

There's already been an upset in Women's Singles, as the 3rd seed Katie Niewiadomy of Texas A & M lost to 19th seed Hannah Shnurman of Northern Colorado in the Round of 16, 15-10, 15-7. Shnurman will next play 6th seed Jordan Cesak of Texas in the quarterfinals.

There will be a new winner in Men's Singles also, as last year's winner - Jose Diaz of Delta College - is playing for his country rather than his college at the 2015 Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This leaves the door open for last year's 3rd and 4th place players Adam Manilla (University of Colorado - Boulder) and Joel Barshaw (Oregon State), and they are the #1 and #2 seeds, respectively.

But also in the Men's Singles draw is Marco Rojas (University of the Pacific), who is the 3rd seed.

One small upset in early men's action, Dylan Reid of Washington University, the 10th seed, took out 7th seed Jordan Matthews of North Carolina State, 15-3, 15-9. Reid will play Barshaw in the quarters.

Below we have the intercollegiate champions from the last eight years.

USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Champions

Women's Singles

2014

1. Devon Pimentelli (Canada College)
2. Amanda Lindsay (Oregon State)
3. Samantha Simmons (Maryland)
4. Elizabeth Simmons (Arizona)

2013

1. Kelani Bailey (Shenandoah)
2. Danielle Key (Arizona State)
3. Amanda Lindsay (Oregon State)
4. Kelly Gremley (Purdue)

2012

1. Sharon Jackson (Alabama)
2. Danielle Key (Arizona State)
3. Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace)
4. Hailey Miller (Oregon)

2011

1. Michelle Key (Arizona State)
2. Sharon Jackson (Univ. of Alabama)
3. Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace)
4. Kelly Gremley (Purdue)

2010

1. Sharon Jackson (Univ. of Alabama)
2. Michelle Key (Univ. of Arizona)
3. Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace)
4. Ashley Willhite (Oregon State)

2009

1. Sheryl Lotts, Baldwin Wallace
2. Kara Mazer, University of Alabama
3. Ashley Willhite, Oregon State
4. Teresa Diaz, Delta College

2008

1. Kara Mazer, University of Alabama
2. Sarah Hettesheimer, Baldwin Wallace
3. Ashley Willhite, Oregon State
4. Sue Sublaban, Delta College

2007

1. Kimberly Irons, Ohio University
2. Jesi Fuller, University of New Mexico
3. Da'monique Davis, University of Alabama
4. Sarah Hettesheimer, Baldwin Wallace

Women's Doubles

2014

1. Elizabeth Simmons & Lindsay Rasmussen (Arizona)
2. Amanda Lindsay & Karissa Beatty (Oregon State)
3. Anna Schwartz & Rachel Schmidt (Missouri)
4. Adrienne Schneider & Sara Moulton (Brigham Young)

2013

1. Danielle Key & Devon Pimentelli (Arizona State)
2. Amanda Lindsay & Karissa Beatty (Oregon State)
3. Elizabeth Simmons & Lindsay Rasmussen (Arizona)
4. Eliza Culverwell & Mary Culverwell (Brigham Young)

2012

1. Madeleine Angles & Sharon Jackson (University of Alabama)
2. Molly Haragan & Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace)
3. Danielle Key & Izayadeth Aguayo (Arizona State)
4. Leah Redwine & Hailey Miller (University Of Oregon)

2011

1. Brittany Travers & Sharon Jackson (University of Alabama)
2. Sheryl Lotts & Tracy Hawthorne (Baldwin Wallace)
3. Hailey Miller & Leah Redwine (University of Oregon)
4. Izayadeth Aguayo & Michelle Key (Arizona State)

2010

1. Kara Mazur & Sharon Jackson (University of Alabama)
2. Sheryl Lotts & Tracy Hawthorne (Baldwin Wallace)
3. Haley Strom & Holly Hettesheimer (University Of Cincinnati)
4. Izayadeth Aguayo & Michelle Key (Arizona State)

2009

1. Sharon Jackson & Kara Mazer, University of Alabama
2. Sarah Hettesheimer & Sheryl Lotts, Baldwin Wallace
3. Alyssa Asay & Ashley Willhite, Oregon State
4. Eliza Culverwell & Charlotte Macfarlane, Brigham Young University

Men's Singles

2014

1. Jose Diaz (Delta College)
2. Nick Montalbano (Colorado State, Pueblo)
3. Adam Manilla (Colorado State)
4. Joel Barshaw (Oregon State)

2013

1. Taylor Knoth (Oregon State)
2. Nick Montalbano (Colorado State, Pueblo)
3. Cole Burr (Brigham Young)
4. Jordan Matthews (North Carolina State)

2012

1. Jansen Allen (Colorado State, Pueblo)
2. Taylor Knoth (Oregon State)
3. John Craig Chisholm (Boston Univ.)
4. Jose Diaz (Delta College)

2011

1. Taylor Knoth (Oregon State)
2. Nick Montalbano (Colorado State, Pueblo)
3. Danny Lavely (Univ. of Alabama)
4. John Craig Chisholm (Boston Univ.)

2010

1. Jose Rojas (Delta College)
2. Taylor Knoth (Univ. of Oregon)
3. Joey Lakowske (Oregon State)
4. Allan Crockett (Univ. of Alabama)

2009

1. Jose Rojas, Delta College
2. Allan Crockett, University of Alabama
3. Anthony Carson, Colorado State
4. Anthony Herrera, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

2008

1. Tony Carson, Colorado State
2. Anthony Herrera, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
3. Bradly Rogers, Wichita
4. Allan Crockett, University of Alabama

2007

1. Ben Croft, Colorado State, Pueblo
2. Agustin Tristan, University of Alabama
3. Evan Ussery, University of New Mexico
4. Phil Matthews, University of Illinois

Men's Doubles

2014

1. Felipe Camacho & Brad Schopieray (Colorado State, Pueblo)
2. Adam Manilla & Nick Riffel (Colorado State)
3. Joel Bradshow & Sam Reid (Oregon State)
4. Danny Sardina & Zachary Patterson (Arizona State)

2013

1. Taylor Knoth & Joel Bradshow (Oregon State)
2. Nick Montalbano & Jake Bredenbeck (Colorado State, Pueblo)
3. Cole Burr & Brian Zundel (Brigham Young)
4. Alex Fischler & Joe Koch (Missouri)

2012

1. Jansen Allen & Nick Montalbano (Colorado State, Pueblo)
2. Grant Stalley & Taylor Knoth (Oregon State)
3. Brad Falvey & Danny Lavely (Alabama)
4. Cole Burr & Joseph Blank (Brigham Young)

2011

1. Felipe Camacho & Jansen Allen (Colorado State, Pueblo)
2. Allan Crockett & Danny Lavely (University of Alabama)
3. Joey Pryor & Taylor Knoth (Oregon State)
4. Jeff Skanchy & Joseph Blank (Brigham Young)

2010

1. David Horn & Jose Rojas (Delta College)
2. Jansen Allen & Tyler Otto (Colorado State)
3. Allan Crockett & Jonathan Doyle (University of Alabama)
4. David Laforest & Joey Lakowske (Oregon State)

2009

1. Tony Carson & Jansen Allen, Colorado State
2. Jose Rojas & Ismael Aldana Jr. (Delta College)
3. Allan Crockett & Jonathan Doyle (University of Alabama)
4. Harry Matt Fuller & Zach Apperson (Baldwin Wallace)

Follow the bouncing ball....