2016 IRF World Junior Championships - SUMMARY

The 28th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships wrapped up on Saturday in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. As expected, the home country came out on top of the overall standings, as they were tops in both boy’s and girl’s competitions. Leading the Mexico team was Cristian Longoria, who won gold in both Boy’s U18 Singles and Doubles. This was the fourth consecutive year Longoria won both singles and doubles at World Juniors, and his second consecutive year winning doubles with Gerardo Franco. Longoria has one more year of junior eligibility, so he could do it again in 2017.

Perhaps surprising to some, Longoria’s win in Boy’s U18 Singles was Mexico’s first in that division since 2007, when Ruben Estrada won gold in Coachabomba, Bolivia. In contrast, Longoria and Franco’s gold in U18 Doubles is Mexico’s fourth in a row.

Longoria’s younger team-mate, Eduardo Portillo was also a double gold medalist, as he won both Boy’s U16 Singles and U16 Doubles. But in Boy’s U14, there was no double gold winner, although Diego Garcia of Bolivia won gold in Boy’s U14 Singles and silver in Doubles, so he was close to a double gold achievment.

A three other boys were double medalists: Cristian Miña and Fernando Ruiz of Bolivia, and Jose Ramos of Mexico.

On the girl’s side, Gabriela Martinez was a double gold medalist, winning Girl’s U16 Singles and U18 Doubles with her sister Andrea. Those two gold give Martinez a total of six World Junior gold medals, and this with two years of junior eligibility to go.

Romina Rivero of Bolivia was also a double gold medalist, as she won gold in Girl’s U14 Singles and Doubles. Her singles gold medal was her second gold in U14 in as many years.

Six girls were double medalists, including Americans Erika Manilla and Jordan Cooperrider, Guadalupe Griffin and Monserrat Mejia of Mexico, Valeria Centallas of Bolivia, and Alexis Iwaasa of Canada.

The IRF will be posting videos of the matches that were recorded in San Luis Potosi on their IRF YouTube channel.

28th IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Girl's U18 Singles

GOLD: Erika Manilla (USA)
SILVER: Melania Sauma (Costa Rica)
BRONZE: Jordan Cooperrider (USA) and Maria Jose Munoz (Ecuador)

Boy's U18 Singles

GOLD: Cristian Longoria (Mexico)
SILVER: Cristhian Miña (Bolivia)
BRONZE: Wayne Antone (USA) and Set Cubillos (Colombia)

Girl's U16 Singles

GOLD: Ana Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala)
SILVER: Monserrat Mejia (Mexico)
BRONZE: Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) and Andrea Ramirez (Mexico)

Boy's U16 Singles

GOLD: Eduardo Portillo (Mexico)
SILVER: Sebastian Fernandez (Mexico)
BRONZE: Gerson Miranda (Bolivia) and Fernando Ruiz (Bolivia)

Girl's U14 Singles

GOLD: Romina Rivero (Bolivia)
SILVER: Delia Aguilar (Mexico)
BRONZE: Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) and Guadalupe Griffin (Mexico)

Boy's U14 Singles

GOLD: Diego Garcia (Bolivia)
SILVER: Jose Ramos (Mexico)
BRONZE: Sebastian Longoria (Mexico) and Felipe Cardona (Colombia)

Girl's U18 Doubles

GOLD: Gabriela Martinez & Andrea Martinez (Guatemala)
SILVER: Jordan Cooperrider & Erika Manilla (USA)
BRONZE: Mariel Morales & Erin Rivera (Mexico) and Brenda Laime & Flavia Meneses (Bolivia)

Boy's U18 Doubles

GOLD: Gerardo Franco & Cristian Longoria (Mexico)
SILVER: Jake Birnel & Mauro Rojas (USA)
BRONZE: Prado Mendoza & Cristhian Miña (Bolivia) and Christian Chavez & Jorge Ochoa (Ecuador)

Girl's U16 Doubles

GOLD: Ana Laura Flores & Monserrat Mejia (Mexico)
SILVER: Briana Jacquet & Ingrid Robledo (USA)
BRONZE: Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) & Marjolaine Parent (Canada)

Boy's U16 Doubles

GOLD: Eduardo Portillo & Rodrigo Rodriguez (Mexico)
SILVER: Fernando Ruiz & Bernardo Valencia (Bolivia)
BRONZE: Sergio Acuña & Pablo Freer (Costa Rica) and Johan Adasme & Ari Weissbrot (Chile)

Girl's U14 Doubles

GOLD: Valeria Centellas & Romina Rivero (Bolivia)
SILVER: Guadalupe Griffin & Valeria Hernandez (Mexico)
BRONZE: Sofia Freer & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) and Nathalia Pinero & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador)

Boy's U14 Doubles

GOLD: Martin Martinez & Jose Ramos (Mexico)
SILVER: Roberto Arellano & Diego Garcia (Bolivia)
BRONZE: Ian Frattinger & Sean Sauvé (Canada) and Juan Flores & Esteban Jano (Ecuador)

Girls Team Points

GOLD: Mexico - 992
SILVER: USA - 764
BRONZE: Bolivia - 692
4) Guatemala - 412
5) Costa Rica - 328
6) Ecuador & Canada - 316
8) Korea - 60
9) Colombia - 48
10) Chile - 40
11) Puerto Rico - 28

Boys Team Points

GOLD: Mexico - 1332
SILVER: Bolivia - 988
BRONZE: USA - 620
4) Costa Rica - 496
5) Ecuador - 400
6) Canada - 378
7) Guatemala - 256
8) Chile - 246
9) Colombia - 196
10) Honduras - 160
11) Korea - 66
12) Argentina - 38

Overall Team Points

GOLD: Mexico - 2324
SILVER: Bolivia - 1680
BRONZE: USA - 1384
4) Costa Rica - 824
5) Ecuador - 716
6) Canada - 694
7) Guatemala - 668
8) Chile - 286
9) Colombia - 244
10) Honduras - 160
11) Korea - 126
12) Argentina - 38
13) Puerto Rico - 28

Follow the bouncing ball....