2016 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics

The 2016 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics happened on the weekend at the Life Time Fitness club in Fridley, Minnesota, and there were plenty of close matches, but unlike some other years, only one boy was a double winner across the U14, U16, and U18 divisions, which was Antonio Rojas of Stockton, Calif., as he defeated Akul Ramayani of Poughkeepsie, NY, 11-15, 15-12, 11-9, in the Boy's U14 final, and then teamed up with Ramayani to win the U14 doubles title, beating Nick Birnel (Bellingham, WA) and Jay Ferrer (Clearwater, FL), 15-7, 15-4, in the final.

Wayne Antone IV of Eugene, Oregon won Boy's U18 Singles by defeating Kevin Vazquez of Miami, FL, 15-12, 15-9. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA) and Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA) won the Boy's U18 Doubles with a close two game match against Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN) and and Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, WI), 15-13, 15-13.

However, Barth was able to successfully defended his Boy's U16 Singles title, as he defeated Ramayani, 15-14, 15-0, in the final. The Boy's U16 Doubles title went to Californians Ricardo Diaz (Stockton, CA) and Dane Elkins (Los Angeles), who beat Julian Singh (Pleasanton, CA) and Mitchell Turner (Salem, OR), 15-3, 15-14, in the final.

On the girl's side, the big winner was Jordan Cooperrider of Palm Harbor, FL, who defeated her doubles partner, Erika Manilla of Centennial, CO in the Girl's U18 Singles final, 15-14, 15-13, and teamed up with Manilla to take the doubles title also, beating Karina Quintanilla (Harlingen, TX) and Daniela Torres (San Antonio, TX), 15-6, 15-0.

Newcomer Ingrid Robledo of San Diego defeated Briana Jacquet of Phoenix, 7-15, 15-4, 11-7, to win Girl's U16 Singles title, and the two won Girl's U16 Doubles together. In Girl's U14, Nikita Chauhan of San Ramon, CA was the double winner, as she defeated Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA), 6-15, 15-5, 11-4, in the singles final, and won the doubles round robin competition with Elena Dent of Lumberton, NC.

If you missed the action from Minnesota on the weekend, you can see some of the matches archived at the 2016 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Livestream channel.

2016 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics
Fridley, Minnesota

Boy's U14

Final

Antonio Rojas (Stockton, CA) d. Akul Ramayani (Poughkeepsie, NY), 11-15, 15-12, 11-9

3rd place

Sahil Thacker (Tracy, CA) d. Krish Thacker (Tracy, CA), forfeit

Semi-finals

Akul Ramayani (Poughkeepsie, NY) d. Krish Thacker (Tracy, CA), 15-6, 15-14
Antonio Rojas (Stockton, CA) d. Sahil Thacker (Tracy, CA), 13-14, 15-13, 11-8

Boy's U16

Final

Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN) d. Akul Ramayani (Poughkeepsie, NY), 15-14, 15-0

3rd place

Dane Elkins (Los Angeles) d. Sahil Thakur (Tracy, CA), 14-15, 15-10, 11-5

Semi-finals

Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN) d. Sahil Thakur (Tracy, CA), 14-15, 15-10, 11-2
Akul Ramayani (Poughkeepsie, NY) d. Dane Elkins (Los Angeles), 1-15, 15-4, 11-8

Boy's U18

Final

Wayne Antone IV (Eugene, OR) d. Kevin Vazquez (Miami, FL), 15-12, 15-9

3rd place

Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA) d. Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA), forfeit

Semi-Finals

Wayne Antone IV (Eugene, OR) d. d. Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA), 15-10, 2-15, 11-8
Kevin Vazquez (Miami, FL) d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA), 7-15, 15-7, 11-10

Girl's U14

Final

Nikita Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) d. Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA), 6-15, 15-5, 11-4

3rd place

Elena Dent (Lumberton, NC) d. Graciana Wargo (Clearwater, FL), 12-15, 15-7, 11-6

Semi-Final

Nikita Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) d. Graciana Wargo (Clearwater, FL), 15-9, 15-8
Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) d. Elena Dent (Lumberton, NC), 11-15, 15-5, 11-6

Girl's U16

Final

Ingrid Robledo (San Diego) d. Briana Jacquet (Phoenix, AZ), 7-15, 15-4, 11-7

3rd place

Nikita Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) d. Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR), 15-14, 15-11

Semi-finals

Ingrid Robledo (San Diego) d. Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR), 15-5, 15-0
Briana Jacquet (Phoenix, AZ) d. Nikita Chauhan (San Ramon, CA), 15-5, 15-8

Girl's U18

Final

Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, FL) d. Erika Manilla (Centennial, CO), 15-14, 15-13

3rd place

Hollie Scott (Lynden, WA) d. Karina Quintanilla (Harlingen, TX), 15-2, 15-2

Semi-finals

Erika Manilla (Centennial, CO) d. Karina Quintanilla (Harlingen, TX), 15-6, 15-5
Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, FL) d. Hollie Scott (Lynden, WA), 15-10, 7-15, 11-7

Boy's U18 Doubles - Final

Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA) d. Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, WI), 15-13, 15-13

3rd place

Jeremy Dixon (Downers Grover, IL) & Gavin Usher (Portland, OR) d. Wayne Antone IV (Eugene, OR) & Kevin Vazquez (Miami, FL), forfeit

Semi-finals

Jake Birnel (Bellingham, WA) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, CA) d. Jeremy Dixon (Downers Grover, IL) & Gavin Usher (Portland, OR), 15-5, 15-5
Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, MN) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, WI) d. Wayne Antone IV (Eugene, OR) & Kevin Vazquez (Miami, FL), 15-13, 8-15, 11-9

Boy's U16 Doubles

Final

Ricardo Diaz (Stockton, CA) & Dane Elkins (Los Angeles) d. Julian Singh (Pleasanton, CA) & Mitchell Turner (Salem, OR), 15-3, 15-14

3rd Place

Ben Baron (Phoenix) & Benjamin Hyman (Denver) d. Micah Farmer (Trophy Club, Texas) & David Marsden (Arlington, TX), 5-15, 15-12, 11-9

Semi-finals

Julian Singh (Pleasanton, CA) & Mitchell Turner (Salem, OR) d. Micah Farmer (Trophy Club, Texas) & David Marsden (Arlington, TX), 15-11, 15-5
Ricardo Diaz (Stockton, CA) & Dane Elkins (Los Angeles) d. Ben Baron (Phoenix) & Benjamin Hyman (Denver), 15-6, 15-12

Boy's U14 Doubles

Final

Akul Ramayani (Poughkeepsie, NY) & Antonio Rojas (Stockton, CA) d. Nick Birnel (Bellingham, WA) & Jay Ferrer (Clearwater, FL), 15-7, 15-4

3rd place

Cayden Akins (Keller, TX) & Brian Barberis (McKinney, TX) d. Ivan Hernandez (Norwalk, CA) & Aidan Tu (Danville, CA), 15-6, 15-3

Semi-finals

Nick Birnel (Bellingham, WA) & Jay Ferrer (Clearwater, FL) d. Cayden Akins (Keller, TX) & Brian Barberis (McKinney, TX), 15-9, 15-11
Akul Ramayani (Poughkeepsie, NY) & Antonio Rojas (Stockton, CA) d. Ivan Hernandez (Norwalk, CA) & Aidan Tu (Danville, CA), 15-4, 15-2

Girl's U18 Doubles - Final

Jordan Cooperrider (Palm Harbor, FL) & Erika Manilla (Centennial, CO) d. Karina Quintanilla (Harlingen, TX) & Daniela Torres (San Antonio, TX), 15-6, 15-0

Girl's U16 Doubles - Round Robin

1st - Brian Jacquet (Phoenix) & Ingrid Robledo (San Diego)
2nd - Adriana Ramierez (San Juan, PR) & Frances Vasquez (San Juan, PR)
3rd - Emmalie Kernan (Douglasville, GA) & Alanna Shea (Cortland Manor, NY)

Girl's U14 Doubles - Round Robin

1st - Nikita Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) & Elena Dent (Lumberton, NC)
2nd - Hannah Carver (Spokane, WA) & Megan Carver (Spokane, WA)
3rd - Morgan Hansen (Hudson, IA) & Rei McCOrmick (Urbandele, IA)
4th - Lily Caldwell (Grand Junction, CO) & Sadie Hansen (Hudson, IA)

Follow the bouncing ball….