Saturday, November 16, 2019

Four Gold for Bolivia, one for Costa Rica & the USA at 2019 IRF World Junior Championships

Bolivians swept gold in boy’s singles at the 2019 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships in San José, Costa Rica, and they also captured gold in one girl’s divisions. The results are confirmation of Bolivia’s strength as a racquetball super-power.

Gerson Miranda of Bolivia was top seed in Boy’s U18, and he lived up to that seeding by beating Costa Rican Tomas Sanchez in the final, 15-7, 15-6.

The other two Boy’s finals went to a tie-breaker. In the U16 final, 2nd seed Hector Barrios of Bolivia upset the top seed Sebastian Longoria of Mexico, 15-4, 13-15, 11-7, and in Boy's U14, the top seed Jhonatan Flores (Bolivia) came back from a game down to defeat Nikhil Prasad of the USA, 8-15, 15-11, 11-4.

Bolivian Angelica Barrios got the better of her team-mate Valeria Centellas in the Girl’s U18 final, winning 15-10, 15-13, and earning Bolivia its 4th gold medal.

Costa Rican Maricruz Ortiz denied Bolivia a fifth gold medal, as she came back against Bolivian Micaela Meneses to win gold in Girl’s U16, 11-15, 15-2, 11-10. We thought that would be a close match, as Ortiz and Meneses were impressive in their earlier matches, and it lived up to the billing.

Heather Mahoney won the USA’s only gold medal, as she defeated Mexican Angela Ortega, 15-10, 15-10, in the Girl’s U14 final.

The IRF streamed some of the finals via its Facebook page), and the matches are archived there, so if you missed some of the action - or want to see it again - check it out on Facebook.

31st IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
San José, Costa Rica - November 9-16, 2019


U18 Girl's Singles

Final - Saturday

3) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 1) Valeria Centellas (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-13

U16 Girl's Singles

Final - Saturday

5) Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 2) Micaela Meneses (Bolivia), 11-15, 15-2, 11-10

U14 Girl's Singles

Final - Saturday

2) Heather Mahoney (USA) d. 8) Angela Ortega (Mexico), 15-10, 15-10

U18 Boy's Singles

Final - Saturday

1) Gerson Miranda (Bolivia) d. 6) Tomas Sanchez (Costa Rica), 15-7, 15-6

U16 Boy's Singles

Final - Saturday

2) Hector Barrios (Bolivia) d. 1) Sebastian Longoria (Mexico), 15-4, 13-15, 11-7

U14 Boy's Singles

Final - Saturday

1) Jhonatan Flores (Bolivia) d. 2) Nikhil Prasad (USA), 8-15, 15-11, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

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