2019 Pan American Championships begin Saturday

The 2019 Pan American Championships begin Saturday in Barranquilla, Colombia. As expected, there will be three days of group play that will set the stage for an elimination round beginning on Wednesday. The seedings for the groups are based on past country results, so countries whose players have done well in the last three Pan American Championships are seeded higher than countries whose players have not done as well. The group stage lasts three days (Saturday to Monday) followed by a rest day (Tuesday) before the medal round begins on Wednesday.

In soccer competitions that involve a group stage, often one group is nicknamed the "Group of Death," because all the teams drawn into that group are strong, and only the top teams will advance to the elimination round. If one of the groups in Barranquilla was the Group of Death, it would have to be Group B in Women's Doubles, which has the USA team of Kelani Bailey Lawrence and Sheryl Lotts, the Argentina team of Natalia Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas, as well as the host country representatives Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros (Colombia). Matches between those teams have tie-breaker written all over them.

Of course, international racquetball events are more forgiving than soccer events, as no one is eliminated after the group stage, although we'd prefer if some of the players were. Because if there isn't elimination after the group stage, why play those games? Players have had remarkable results in the group stage and gotten a bad seeding in the elimination round. None more than Ecuador's Fernando Rios, who beat Jose Rojas of the USA at the 2014 World Championships, yet had to play Mexico's Polo Gutierrez in the 1st round of elimination, because Gutierrez lost some matches in the group stage due to defaults. Rather than Rios being rewarded for his win - and Gutierrez punished for his losses - Rios had a tough opponent in the elimination round, and Gutierrez - undoubtedly fresher because he'd played fewer matches - won their match.

Players eliminated from medal contention could still play matches in a consolation division. Other sports, such as Rugby 7s, do that sort of thing, so players would still be able to get match experience, which is what the lesser players need to have. The lesser players don't need to play one more match in a medal round that ends up with a score line of 15-1, 15-1, and the winner of such a match doesn't need to play it either.

Also, by eliminating players from the medal competition after the group stage the length of the event may be reduced, which would be welcome.

The IRF will be live streaming matches from Barranquilla, look for the action via the IRF Website or the IRF Facebook page.

XXXII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Barranquilla, Colombia - April 12-20, 2019
Results Summary

Women's Singles - Saturday

Group A

Monserrat Mejia (Mexico) v. Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador)
Adriana Riveros (Colombia) - BYE

Group B

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. Cristina Amaya (Colombia)
Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador) - BYE

Group C

Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. María José Vargas (Argentina)
Lilian Zea (Venezuela) - BYE

Group D

Kelani Bailey Lawrence (USA) v. Erin Geeraert (Canada)
Carla Muñoz (Chile) v. Yurisleidis Alluie (Cuba)

Group E

Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala) v. Natalia Mendez (Argentina)
Mariana Tobon (Venezuela) v. Alejandra Jimenez (Dominican Republic)

Group F

Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) v. Michèle Morissette (Canada)
Josefina Toro (Chile) v. Maria Regia Viera (Cuba)

Group G

Maria Gomar (Guatemala) v. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia)
Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) v. Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic)

Women's Doubles - Saturday

Group A

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. Danielle Drury & Jennifer Saunders (Canada)
Yurisleidis Alluie & Maria Regla Viera (Cuba) - BYE

Group B

Kelani Bailey Lawrence & Sheryl Lotts (USA) v. Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina)
Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia) - BYE

Group C

Maria Paz Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador) v. Josefa Parada & Carla Muñoz (Chile)
Merynanyelly Delgado & Alejandra Jimenez (Dominican Republic) - BYE

Group D

Maria Gomar & Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala) v. Valeria Centellas & Yazmine Sabja (Bolivia)
Mariana Tobon & Lilian Zea (Venezuela) - BYE

Men's Singles - Saturday

Group A

Alejandro Landa (Mexico) v. Johan Igor (Chile)
Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) - BYE

Group B

David Horn (USA) v. Andres Gomez (Colombia)
Mykel Mollet (Cuba) - BYE

Group C

Alvaro Beltran (Mexico) v. Francisco Troncoso (Chile)
Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala) v. Sebastian Mendiguri (Peru)

Group D

Charles Pratt (USA) v. Mario Mercado (Colombia)
Enier Chacon (Cuba) v. Jonathan Luque (Peru)

Group E

Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador)
Shai Manzuri (Argentina) v. Jesus Icaza (Honduras)

Group F

Samuel Murray (Canada) v. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica)
Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) v. Roberto Leyes (Venezuela)

Group G

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) v. Fernando Rios (Ecuador)
Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) v. Carlos Medrano (Honduras)

Group H

Coby Iwaasa (Canada) v. Andres Acuña (Costa Rica)
Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) v. Luis Felipe Zea (Venezuela)

Men's Doubles - Saturday

Group A

Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) v. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (Guatemala)
Ramon De Leon & Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) - BYE

Group B

Jake Bredenbeck & Mauro Rojas (USA) v. Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri (Argentina)
Andres Gomez & Mario Mercado (Colombia) v. Sebastian Mediguri & Oscar Navarro (Peru)

Group C

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. Andres Acuña & Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica)
Rafael Gatica & Francisco Troncoso (Chile) v. Enier Chacon & Mykel Mollet (Cuba)

Group D

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada)
Jesus Icaza & Carlos Medrano (Honduras) v. Gregorio Machado & Luis Reveron (Venezuela)

Follow the bouncing ball….