2022 USA Racquetball National Junior Championships

The USA Racquetball Junior Championships wrapped up last weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, where they’ve been held for two years in a row. One hundred and one players participated with about a 60/40 split between boys and girls (60 boys & 41 girls), including 16 girls in the U18 division. That continues the trend for more girls to be playing at USA Junior Nationals over recent years, although it is a slightly lower ratio than last year’s 54/46 split. It’s good to see an upward trend to girls participation, because girls can be as sporty as boys, and racquetball is a great sport to show off that sportiness.

Two differences in this event over last year’s, and they are a result of changes at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) level. The IRF introduced a U21 division beginning with the 2022 IRF World Junior Championships, so the USA Junior Nationals included U21 for the first time. Also, the IRF scoring for World Juniors will be best of 5 games each to 11 points with each rally resulting in a point (i.e., rally scoring), and each game has to be won by 2 points. Thus, that was the match format used in Des Moines.

"And the winners are..."

The champions in the U21 divisions were Micah Farmer of San Marcos, Texas and Annie Roberts of Gresham, Oregon. Farmer was runner up in U18 in 2019, but is a National Champion now, as he defeated Cody Elkins of Los Angeles, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, in the Boy’s U21 final. Roberts came out on top of a six player round robin competition in the Girl’s U21 division, including a win over runner up Shane Diaz of San Antonio, won by Roberts in three close games, 12-10, 13-11, 12-10.

Roberts’s win was her fifth consecutive USA Junior Championship in singles. She’s the first player to win five consecutive Girls Singles titles since Kelani Lawrence (née Bailey) won five in a row from 2009 to 2013, although that’s only counting titles from U14 and up. Heather Mahoney won two U10 titles, three U12 titles then two U14 titles from 2014 to 2019.

Prior to that Aubrey O’Brien won five titles from 2006 to 2010, and Adrienne Fisher won seven titles from 1998 to 2004 (the first was a U12 title), and that looks to be the girls’ record for consecutive titles.

Farmer was a double champion in Des Moines, as he won Boy's U21 Doubles with Assuan Castaneda (Hialeah, FL) by defeating Elkins and Samuel Schulze (Ocala, FL) in the final, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8. However, Roberts didn’t win Girl’s U21 Doubles, as she and Khyathi Velpuri (Castle Rock, CO) lost to Diaz and Graci Wargo (Clearwater, FL), 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4.

The winners in Boy’s and Girl’s U18 had similar storylines. Both Josh Shea of Cortlandt Manor, New York and Heather Mahoney of Penngrove, California were 3rd in their respective U16 divisions last year, but won U18 this year, although both also needed five games to come out on top. Shea defeated last year’s Boy’s U18 Champion Timmy Hansen of Wellington, Florida, 11-9, 11-3, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7, and Mahoney got the better of Julia Stein from Malvern, Ohio, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9.

Both Mahoney and Shea were double champions in Iowa. Shea and Paul Saraceno of Simi Valley, California won Boy’s U18 Doubles by defeating Hansen and Andrew Gleason of Johnston, Iowa, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7, while Mahoney teamed up with Stein to go undefeated in a six team round robin competition in Girl’s U18 Doubles, including a win over 2nd place finishers Brielle Fernando of Beaverton, Oregon and Gabbie Roseman of Des Peres, Missouri, 11-5, 11-3, 11-4.

Both the Boy’s and Girl’s U16 Champions were repeat winners from 2021, as Nikhil Prasad of Fremont, California and Naomi Ros of San Antonio successfully defended their titles. They also both defeated players they’d defeated last year, but this year’s matches were closer. Prasad came back to defeat Gatlin Sutherland from Great Falls, Montana, 12-14, 11-3, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3. Last year, Prasad beat Sutherland in two straight games in the semi-finals.

The girls final was a repeat of 2021, as Ros faced off with Ava Kaiser of Lake Elmo, Minnesota once again, and again won, 9-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-8, although last year, Ros’s victory over Kaiser was in two straight games.

The U16 doubles champions were largely repeat winners also. Prasad and Sutherland teamed up to win doubles last year, and did so again this year, going undefeated in a five team round robin. Similarly, Kaiser and Ros also teamed up to win a six team round robin in Girl’s U16 Doubles, which was a second consecutive title for Kaiser, who won with Kareena Mathew of Convallis, Oregon last year.

Changing divisions

With the introduction of the U21 division, the IRF World Junior Championships will switch their World Cup divisions to be U21, U18 and U16, rather than U18, U16, and U14. Thus, U14 divisions are less emphasized, which overall is a sensible decision. Athlete development begins young, but it’s not great to push kids into competition too soon or with too much emphasis on winning and losing at too young an age, because that can lead them to think about their outcomes, rather than their development.

An athlete winning at 24 is significant, but not so much for a player winning at 14.

Emphasizing winning and losing at a young age can lead kids to think they are not good at a sport, and lead them out of the sport, which you don’t want to happen. You want to keep as many kids in your sport as possible for as long as possible, because that will maximize the chances that some of them will turn out to be really good at your sport.

Development takes time, which is why you do want young kids to play sports, so that they can develop a base of skills to use later. But differences in performances up to the age of 12, 13, 14, are going to be primarily determined by differences in maturation, rather than physical potential. Kids mature at different times, and that difference drives results for young kids more than their potential ability. But it’s easy for kids (and their parents and coaches) to think that any difficulties in sport are due to something inherent to the kids rather than that they just haven’t yet matured as much as their peers.

Another issue is players leaving sport when they get to 18, 19, 20 years of age. This happens in many sports, not just racquetball, because around that time a person's life changes substantially with decisions to be made about what a person is going to do with their life. The person may not have been doing sport for their own reasons, so they may choose to leave the sport, because it isn't a priority for them.

Again, we don't want people leaving the sport, because in doing so we can miss out on people who could develop into very good players. If introducing a U21 division for World Juniors gives players a reason to stay in the sport, and keep playing racquetball, then it will be a very positive thing.

Finally, the 2022 USAR Junior Championships had some great matches. If you want to look back on some of the action, check out the USA Racquetball Livestream channel for the event, where over 40 matches are archived.

2022 USA Racquetball National Junior Championships
June 23-26, 2022 - Des Moines, Iowa

Boy's U21 Singles - Final

Micah Farmer (San Marcos, TX) d. Cody Elkins (Los Angeles), 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3

3rd Place

Assuan Castaneda (Hialeah, FL) d. Samuel Schulze (Ocala, FL), 11-3, 11-6, 11-8

Semi-finals

Micah Farmer (San Marcos, TX) d. Assuan Castaneda (Hialeah, FL), 11-7, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5
Cody Elkins (Los Angeles) d. Samuel Schulze (Ocala, FL), 11-8, 11-1, 6-11, 10-12, 12-10

Boy's U18 Singles - Final

Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL), 11-9, 11-3, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7

3rd Place

DJ Mendoza (San Antonio, TX) d. Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA), forfeit

Semi-finals

Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL) d. DJ Mendoza (San Antonio, TX), 11-2, 11-5, 11-5
Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA), 11-8, 11-7, 10-12, 12-10

Boy's U16 Singles - Final

Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) d. Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT), 12-14, 11-3, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3

3rd Place

Benjamin Horner (Ankeny, IA) d. Cole Sendrey (Frisco, TX), 9-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3, 11-9

Semi-finals

Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) d. Benjamin Horner (Ankeny, IA), 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT) d. Cole Sendrey (Frisco, TX), 11-13, 11-3, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7

Boy's U14 Singles - Final

Nathan Rykhus (Stockton, CA) d. Eshan Ali (Union City, CA), 13-11, 10-12, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8

3rd Place

Axel Lopez (Chicago) d. Joshua Tramm (New Brighton, MN), 11-5, 11-8, 11-7

Semi-finals

Eshan Ali (Union City, CA) d. Joshua Tramm (New Brighton, MN), 11-5, 11-3, 11-7
Nathan Rykhus (Stockton, CA) d. Axel Lopez (Chicago), 11-8, 11-7, 11-7

Girl's U21 Singles - Round Robin

1. Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR) - 5-0
2. Shane Diaz (San Antonio) - 4-1
3. Estefania Perez Picon (Manteca, CA) - 3-2

Girl's U18 Singles - Final

Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) d. Julia Stein (Malvern, OH), 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9

3rd Place

Gabbie Roseman (Des Peres, MO) d. Hailey Fitts (Wildwood, MO), 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7

Semi-finals

Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) d. Hailey Fitts (Wildwood, MO), 11-4, 11-6, 11-1
Julia Stein (Malvern, OH) d. Gabbie Roseman (Des Peres, MO), 11-3, 11-4, 4-11, 11-6

Girl's U16 Singles - Final

Naomi Ros (San Antonio) d. Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN), 9-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-8

3rd Place

Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA) d. Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA), 11-6, 11-7, 11-5

Semi-finals

Naomi Ros (San Antonio) d. Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA), 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN) d. Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA), 8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-4

Girl's U14 Singles - Final

Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA) d. Elizabeth Denier (Champlin, MN), 11-3, 11-8, 11-6

3rd Place

Montserrat Torres (Bellwood, IL) d. Lydia Werk (Wildwood, MO), 11-3, 11-8, 11-5

Semi-finals

Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA) d. Montserrat Torres (Bellwood, IL), 11-0, 11-6, 11-4
Elizabeth Denier (Champlin, MN) d. Lydia Werk (Wildwood, MO), 11-1, 11-5, 11-3

Boy's U21 Doubles - Final

Assuan Castaneda (Hialeah, FL) & Micah Farmer (San Marcos, TX) d. Cody Elkins (Los Angeles) & Samuel Schulze (Ocala, FL), 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8

Boy's U18 Doubles - Final

Paul Saraceno (Simi Valley, CA) & Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA) & Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL), 4-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7

3rd Place

Ethan Flavell (Beaverton, OR) & Spencer O’Dea (DeMotte, IN) d. Tucker Elkins (Salem, OR) & Armando Perez (Pasadena, CA), 12-10, 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4 [sic]

Semi-finals

Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA) & Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL) d. Tucker Elkins (Salem, OR) & Armando Perez (Pasadena, CA), 11-8, 11-2, 11-2
Paul Saraceno (Simi Valley, CA) & Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Ethan Flavell (Beaverton, OR) & Spencer O’Dea (DeMotte, IN), 11-3, 11-6, 11-7

Boy's U16 Doubles - Round Robin

1. Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) & Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT) - 4-0
2. DJ Mendoza (San Antonio) & Cole Sendrey (Frisco, TX) - 3-1
3. Benjamin Horner (Ankeny, IA) & Juan Herrera II (Freeport, IL) - 2-2

Girl's U21 Doubles

Shane Diaz (San Antonio) & Graci Wargo (Clearwater, FL) d. Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR) & Khyathi Velpuri (Castle Rock, CO), 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4

Girl's U18 Doubles - Round Robin

1. Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) & Julia Stein (Malvern, OH) - 5-0
2. Brielle Fernando (Beaverton, OR) & Gabbie Roseman (Des Peres, MO) - 4-1
Hailey Fitts (Wildwood, MO) & Hannah Werk (Chesterfield, MO) - 3-2

Girl's U16 Doubles - Round Robin

1. Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN) & Naomi Ros (San Antonio) - 5-0
2. Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA) & Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA) - 4-1
3. Thea Mattfeldt (Glendale, AZ) & Montserrat Torres (Bellwood, IL) - 3-2

Follow the bouncing ball….

Barrios wins in Kansas & summer preview

Angelica Barrios capped off a great season Sunday by winning Women’s Open at the 2022 TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas, where she defeated Kelani Lawrence in the final, 15-4, 15-13. Earlier this season, Barrios won Women's Singles at the 2022 Pan American Championships, and reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time.

In the Women’s Open semi-finals, Barris defeated Valeria Centellas, 15-11, 14-15, 11-5, and Lawrence beat Micaela Meneses, 15-6, 15-5.

Barrios lost in the Round of 16 of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) singles draw in Kansas to veteran Rhonda Rajsich, but nonetheless should be ranked in the season ending LPRT top 10 for the first time. She's had a great season indeed.

Upcoming events

It will be a busy summer of racquetball this year, as the 2022 World Games take place in Birmingham, Alabama next month, and then the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships happen in San Luis Potosi, Mexico from August 19-27.

The World Games competition will begin on July 10 and run to July 13. Only singles will be played, and 16 players qualified for the event from the IRF World Championships last year in Guatemala. The men’s Round of 16 will be on July 10 with the women’s 16s on July 11. Then the quarterfinals and semi-finals will be July 12 and the finals on July 13. We think there will be 3rd place matches as well on the 13th.

The main court from the US Open will be used for the event, and all matches will be played on that court. Also, we understand that video replay rather than line judges will be used for all appeals. It will be interesting to see how well that works.

The World Games match format will be the same as for the 2022 Pan American Championships: best of 5 games with the first four games to 15 points, win by 1, and the fifth game, if necessary, will be played to 11 points, win by 2. Rally scoring - every rally results in a point for a player - will used.

But for the 2022 World Championships will use rally scoring with a match format of best of five games to 11 points with each game win by 2. That’s similar to what the pro tours used to do, but with rally scoring rather than scoring only when serving.

It should make for an exciting summer of racquetball.

2022 TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam, June 9-12, 2022
Overland Park, Kansas 

Women’s Open - Final

1) Angelica Barris d. 2) Kelani Lawrence, 15-4, 15-13

Semi-finals

1) Angelica Barris d. 5) Valeria Centellas, 15-11, 14-15, 11-5
2) Kelani Lawrence d. 3) Micaela Meneses, 15-6, 15-5

Quarterfinals

1) Angelica Barris d. 8) Sheryl Lotts, 15-9, 15-8
5) Valeria Centellas d. 4) Carla Muñoz, 7-15, 15-8, 11-9

3) Micaela Meneses d. 6) Hollie Scott, forfeit
2) Kelani Lawrence d. 7) Adriana Riveros, 3-15, 15-13, 11-10

Round of 16

1) Angelica Barris d. 16) T. J. Baumbaugh, 15-0, 15-2
8) Sheryl Lotts d. 9) Susana Acosta, 15-12, 12-15, 11-3

5) Valeria Centellas d. 12) Annie Roberts, 15-13, 15-8
4) Carla Muñoz d. 13) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-2, 15-3

3) Micaela Meneses d. 14) Sunshine Arterburn, 7-0, injury forfeit
6) Hollie Scott d. 11) Camila Rivero, 15-6, 15-4

7) Adriana Riveros d. 10) Linda Tyler, 15-12, 15-6
2) Kelani Lawrence d. 15) Martina Katz, 15-2, 15-0

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria, Herrera & Manilla win at 2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam

Paola Longoria defeated Montserrat Mejia, 15-14, 15-10, to win the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas in what was a rematch of last year’s TeamRoot.com final that Mejia won. Last year’s win was Mejia’s first LPRT title, while today’s win was Longoria’s 107th, and further solidified her as the LPRT’s #1 player for an 11th straight season and 13th time overall.

In the doubles final, Alexandra Herrera and Erika Manilla defeated Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez in two straight games, 15-12, 15-14.

Longoria led most of the way in game one, and when she was up 7-1, it seemed that she might steam roll Mejia. But that was not the case, as Mejia came back and got within one at 7-6 and kept it close from there.

Longoria did go up 13-9 and then 14-10 on Mejia, but for the longest time she couldn’t get the last point. After two game point opportunities went by Longoria took a timeout prior to serving for her third game point. Yet Mejia again denied her by hitting a nice touch backhand shot.

That led to three Mejia winners on consecutive rallies to get her within one at 14-13. Longoria won the next rally, despite two dives by a Mejia the second of which was unsuccessful in keeping the ball in play.

On her fourth game point, Longoria skipped a forehand shot, which was an uncommon unforced error by the LPRT #1, who made more than a few such errors in game one. They exchanged sideouts again - Mejia fighting off Longoria’s fifth game point with a backhand cross court serve return off a drive serve to the left side. That led to a point for Mejia, as she drove serve to the right side and Longoria skipped the forehand return to make it 14-14.

Mejia hit a drive Z serve to the left side on the next rally, which was the serve she used almost exclusively late in game one. This time the ball came off the side wall into the middle of the court, and Longoria’s serve return hit Mejia, who was directly between the ball and the front wall. The referee called an avoidable hinder, which put Longoria back in the service box. Mejia did appeal, but the line judges agreed with the referee’s call.

The sixth time proved to be a charm for Longoria, as she won game one on her sixth game point when Mejia skipped a backhand shot, making the final 15-14.

They were close in game two with ties at 4-4, 7-7 and 10-10. That last tie came after a Longoria timeout following a six rally exchange of sideouts. She got two more points to lead 12-10, and Mejia called a timeout.

Mejia got the serve back after play resumed following her timeout, but she didn’t score as a Longoria forehand winner got her the serve back. Two points followed on consecutive rallies, which put Longoria on match point at 14-10.

As in game one, Mejia staved off Longoria’s match point, but a great backhand pinch by Longoria prevented Mejia from scoring and put Longoria into the service box for her second match point. She converted that with a forehand pinch winner, winning game two 15-10 and the match in two straight games.

In doubles, Herrera and Manilla led early in game one versus Martinez and Rodriguez at 5-1. But then Martinez and Rodriguez put together a run and won the mid-game to take a 12-8 lead. However, they stalled there, as Herrera and Manilla won the last seven points of the game to take it, 15-12.

In game two, Martinez and Rodriguez led the whole way, including at 7-2, 10-5 and 14-10. Herrera and Manilla called a timeout at 14-10, and won the next two rallies to get the serve back. They scored two points to get within two at 14-12 before giving the serve back to Martinez and Rodriguez.

But the third and fourth game points went by the boards, as Martinez and Rodriguez again couldn’t get the point they needed to force a tie-breaker. They called a timeout after Herrera and Manilla got within one at 14-13.

Martinez hit a winning forehand kill shot to put Herrera and Manilla half down. Herrera hit a forehand pinch winner to tie it at 14-14, and Manilla won them the match on the next rally, when she hit a backhand cross court winner to make it 15-14. They never led in game two until the end.

It was a remarkable win, as Herrera injured her right ankle recently and wasn’t sure she was going to be able to play in Kansas. Indeed, she couldn’t play her singles match, as she forfeited it a few points into the first game.

Yet Herrera managed to put it together for doubles with Manilla, who had more than enough energy to cover the balls that Herrera couldn’t reach. And when Herrera could reach the ball, she was more than able to do something with it.

Herrera is great when her feet are planted, and this weekend it was hard for her to have her feet anything but planted.

The win was Manilla’s first LPRT title. She was runner up with Rhonda Rajsich in Women’s Doubles at the first event of this season in Colorado, but that wasn’t a full LPRT doubles draw as they played mixed doubles with the International Racquetball Tour in that event. So, this was probably Manilla’s first LPRT final also.

This brings the 2021-22 LPRT season to a close. If you missed any of the action from Kansas, go to the LPRT YouTube channel or the LPRT website. There were several great matches, including Sunday’s finals.

2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com, June 9-12, 2022
Overland Park, Kansas

Final - Sunday 

1) Paola Longoria d. 6) Montserrat Mejia, 15-14, 15-10

Doubles - Final - Sunday

2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla d. 5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-12, 15-14

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria & Mejia in 2nd straight LPRT TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam final

Paola Longoria and Montserrat Mejia will faceoff in the final of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas for a second consecutive year, as they also met in last’s years final, when Mejia beat Longoria for the first time on tour. They both won their respective semi-final matches in two straight games. Longoria - the LPRT’s #1 player - beat her doubles partner Samantha Salas, 15-2, 15-5, while 6th seed Mejia defeated 18th seed Hollie Scott, 15-8, 15-9.

Longoria and Mejia were both solid in the semis. Salas and Scott played well, but both were a bit all or nothing on their shots, and while they made a good number of shots, they were not as consistent as their opponents.

The drama on Saturday was all in the doubles semi-finals. Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez were down 14-0 in game one against the #1 seeds Longoria and Salas, yet they came back to win the match in a tie-breaker, 5-15, 15-6, 11-7. This is Martinez and Rodriguez’s second win over Longoria and Salas on tour and the first came in the semi-finals of last year’s TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam.

In the other semi-final, Alexandra Herrera and Erika Manilla came back to defeat Mejia and Jessica Parrilla, 5-15, 15-4, 11-4. Herrera is practically playing on one leg, as she suffered an injury recently, and withdrew in game one of her first singles match this weekend. But the lefthanded Herrera can still shoot the ball when she doesn’t have to move too much to get to it, and Manilla is more than able to cover the balls that don’t come to her partner, so they managed to pull out the victory.

Manilla also helped her side’s cause by hitting drive jams serves to the left side that came over to Parrilla on the right side at an awkward angle that she had trouble handling.

Herrera and Mejia played together in last year’s TeamRoot.com event - as they usually do - and they defeated Martinez and Rodriguez in the final. Martinez and Rodriguez will be looking to get a bit of revenge for that loss and to capture their first LPRT doubles title. Sunday’s final will be just the second time Martinez and Rodriguez are in a final.

You can watch the LPRT TeamRoot.com finals live via the LPRT YouTube channel or the LPRT website (click “LPRT Live” at the top of the page). The singles final will be Sunday at noon with the doubles final to follow at 1 PM. All times central. 

2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com, June 9-12, 2022
Overland Park, Kansas

Semi-finals - Saturday 

1) Paola Longoria d. 13) Samantha Salas, 15-2, 15-5
6) Montserrat Mejia d. 18) Hollie Scott, 15-8, 15-9

Final - Sunday 

1) Paola Longoria v. 6) Montserrat Mejia - Noon

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez d. 1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas, 5-15, 15-6, 11-7
2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla d. 3) Montserrat Mejia & Jessica Parrilla, 5-15, 15-4, 11-4

Doubles - Final - Sunday

2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla v. 5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 1 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Three repeat semi-finalists & a first timer at the 2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam

Wins came in straight games in the quarterfinals at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) 2022 TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas after several tie-breakers in the Round of 16 on Friday. LPRT #1 Paola Longoria played one of the longest matches in the quarters, as she defeated 9th seed Erika Manilla, 15-4, 15-13. After being dominated in the first game, Manilla came back hard in game two, and almost forced it to a breaker only to see the #1 close it out in two games.

Longoria will play a familiar foe in the semi-finals later Saturday, when she faces her long time doubles parter and 13th seed Samantha Salas. Salas upset LPRT #5 Gabriela Martinez, 15-5, 15-12, in the quarters.

On the bottom half of the draw, it’ll be defending TeamRoot.com champion Montserrat Mejia against Hollie Scott. Mejia had a dominating win over 14th seed Carla Muñoz, 15-1, 15-7, and Scott, the 18th seed, defeated the 10th seed veteran Rhonda Rajsich, 15-6, 15-5, to reach the semi-finals for the first time in her career.

This is the last event of the 2021-22 LPRT season, so the season ending rankings will be determined after this event. Despite her loss, Manilla will be in the top 10 for the first time in her career. Salas may have an outside chance of making the top 10, as she comes in at #13, and is 36.5 points behind Rajsich in 10th. But Salas was also a semi-finalist in last year’s TeamRoot.com event, while Rajsich lost in the Round of 16, so Salas is defending more points than Rajsich, who should gain points from getting to the quarterfinals this year, while Salas needs to get to the final to do better than she did last year.

You can watch the LPRT TeamRoot.com event live via the LPRT YouTube channel or the LPRT website (click “LPRT Live” at the top of the page). The singles semi-finals are at 4 and 5 PM, and the final Sunday at noon. The doubles semis will be at 6 and 7 PM Saturday with the doubles final at 1 PM Sunday. All times central. 

2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com, June 9-12, 2022
Overland Park, Kansas  

Quarterfinals - Saturday 

1) Paola Longoria d. 9) Erika Manilla, 15-4, 15-13
13) Samantha Salas d. 5) Gabriela Martinez, 15-5, 15-12

6) Montserrat Mejia d. 14) Carla Muñoz, 15-1, 15-7
18) Hollie Scott d. 10) Rhonda Rajsich, 15-6, 15-5  

Semi-finals - Saturday 

1) Paola Longoria v. 13) Samantha Salas - 5 PM
6) Montserrat Mejia v. 18) Hollie Scott - 4 PM

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 7 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla v. 3) Montserrat Mejia & Jessica Parrilla - 6 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Upsets & tie-breakers in the Round of 16 at the 2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam

Upsets and tie-breakers were the order of the day in the Round of 16 at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) 2022 TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas on Friday, and that included LPRT #1 Paola Longoria, who was pushed to a tie-breaker by 17th seed Sheryl Lotts, but Longoria prevailed in the end, winning 15-8, 11-15, 11-4. Longoria will play 9th seed Erika Manilla in the quarterfinals on Saturday, as Manilla beat 8th seed Jessica Parrilla, 15-8, 15-10, in the 16s, which was one of only two matches in the Round of 16 to be completed in two straight games.

LPRT #2 Alexandra Herrera was one of the upset victims Friday, as she lost to 18th seed Hollie Scott. Herrera apparently hurt her ankle recently, and while she tried to play on it against Scott, she clearly was not match fit. Thus, she made the decision to retire early in game one. However, Herrera did play her doubles match with Manilla, and they came back to defeat Brenda Laime and Carla Muñoz, 7-15, 15-7, 11-8.

Muñoz fared better singles, as she knocked off LPRT #3 Maria Jose Vargas in three games, 9-15, 15-13, 11-3. Muñoz will play defending TeamRoot.com champion Montserrat Mejia in the quarters on Saturday, as Meija beat 11th seed Kelani Lawrence, 15-11, 15-6, on Friday.

Also on Saturday, LPRT #5 Gabriela Martinez will play veteran Samantha Salas. Martinez held off 12th seed Brenda Laime, 15-11, 13-15, 11-5, and 13th seeded Salas upset LPRT #4 Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-13, 11-1.

Finally, veteran Rhonda Rajsich, the 10th seed, upset current Pan American Champion and 7th seed Angelica Barrios, 15-6, 12-15, 11-8. That win sets up an all American showdown with Scott on Saturday.

Doubles

Longoria and Salas - the top seeds in doubles - won their match against Lotts and Rajsich in two straight games, 15-7, 15-7, in the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals, they’ll play the 5th seeded Guatemala team of Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez, who upset the 4th seeds Mendez and Valeria Centellas, 15-8, 15-11.

Third seeds Mejia and Parrilla fended off 6th seeds Lawrence and Scott, 15-6, 9-15, 11-8, so they’ll play Herrera and Manilla in the semi-finals, which will be a battle of usual doubles partners, as Herrera and Mejia have played together for several years reaching the finals many times and winning some of them. This weekend one of them will again be in the final but at the expense of the other.

You can watch the LPRT TeamRoot.com event live via the LPRT YouTube channel or the LPRT website (click “LPRT Live” at the top of the page). The singles quarterfinals will be 11 and noon Saturday with the semi-finals are at 4 and 5 PM, and the final Sunday at noon. The doubles semis will be at 6 and 7 PM Saturday with the doubles final at 1 PM Sunday. All times central. 

2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com, June 9-12, 2022
Overland Park, Kansas

Round of 16 - Friday 

1) Paola Longoria d. 17) Sheryl Lotts, 15-8, 11-15, 11-4
9) Erika Manilla d. 8) Jessica Parrilla, 15-8, 15-10

5) Gabriela Martinez d. 12) Brenda Laime, 15-11, 13-15, 11-5
13) Samantha Salas d. 4) Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-13, 11-1

14) Carla Muñoz d. 3) Maria Jose Vargas, 9-15, 15-13, 11-3
6) Montserrat Mejia d. 11) Kelani Lawrence, 15-11, 15-6

10) Rhonda Rajsich d. 7) Angelica Barrios, 15-6, 12-15, 11-8
18) Hollie Scott d. 2) Alexandra Herrera, 3-5, forfeit  

Quarterfinals - Saturday 

1) Paola Longoria v. 9) Erika Manilla - Noon
5) Gabriela Martinez v. 13) Samantha Salas - Noon

6) Montserrat Mejia v. 14) Carla Muñoz - 11 AM
10) Rhonda Rajsich v. 18) Hollie Scott - 11 AM

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 8) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich, 15-7, 15-7
5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez d. 4) Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez, 15-8, 15-11

3) Montserrat Mejia & Jessica Parrilla d. 6) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott, 15-6, 9-15, 11-8
2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla d. 7) Brenda Laime & Carla Muñoz, 7-15, 15-7, 11-8

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 7 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla v. 3) Montserrat Mejia & Jessica Parrilla - 6 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam - Round of 32

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour’s (LPRT’s) 2021-22 season wraps up this weekend with the 2022 TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam, which has become the traditional season ending event held in Overland Park, Kansas. There’s a strong field of 28 players including the top 15 ranked LPRT players and 19 of the top 21. LPRT #1 Paola Longoria leads the field, along with two time winner on tour LPRT #2 Alexandra Herrera.

But neither of them is the defending TeamRoot.com champion. That is Montserrat Mejia, who upset Longoria in the final last year after defeating Herrera in the quarterfinals. That could happen again this year, as Mejia is seeded 6th, so could play Herrera en route to the final.

Mejia is off to a good start, as she defeated 27th seed Martina Katz, 15-2, 15-3, in the Round of 32. Katz was runner up in Girls U18 at last year’s International Racquetball Federation World Junior Championships. Mejia will play 11th seed Kelani Lawrence in the Round of 16 this afternoon, as Lawrence beat 22nd seed Camila Rivero, 15-5, 15-5, in the 32s.

Doubles

Longoria and Samantha Salas are the top seeds in doubles, which is no surprise, but what is surprising is that the 2nd seeds are Herrera and Erika Manilla and the 3rd seeds are Mejia and Jessica Parrilla. This surprising because Herrera has successfully played with Mejia for several years, but when Mejia wasn’t at the last tournament in South Carolina Herrera played with Parrilla, and they won, beating Longoria and Salas in the final.

So, why are we messing with success here? Not sure. If any changes were to be made from the Herrera and Mejia partnership, we would have thought Herrera and Parrilla would play together given their win last month. But the players have chosen otherwise.

Finally, what a difference a year can make. Erika Manilla was seeded 31st at last year’s TeamRoot.com event, and played in the singles Round of 64. This year she’s the 9th seed, and the highest seeded USA player in the field, ahead of veteran Rhonda Rajsich, who is 10th. That’s remarkable progress in just one year.

You can watch the LPRT TeamRoot.com event live via the LPRT YouTube channel or the LPRT website (click “LPRT Live” at the top of the page). The Round of 32 began at 9 AM with the Round of 16 starting at 2 PM. The quarterfinals will be 11 and noon Saturday. Doubles began Thursday, and continues Friday evening at 6 and 7 PM Friday with the Round of 16 followed by the quarterfinals at noon and 1 PM Saturday. The singles semi-finals are Saturday at 4 and 5 PM and the doubles semis at 6 and 7 PM. The singles final will be noon Sunday with the doubles final to follow at 1 PM. All times central. 

2022 LPRT TeamRoot.com, June 9-12, 2022
Overland Park, Kansas 

Round of 32 - Friday 

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
17) Sheryl Lotts d. 16) Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-14, 13-15, 11-5

9) Erika Manilla d. 24) Susana Acosta, 15-3, 15-10
8) Jessica Parrilla d. 25) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-4, 15-3

5) Gabriela Martinez d. 28) Sunshine Arterburn, 15-1, 6-0, injury forfeit
12) Brenda Laime d. 21) Annie Roberts, 15-2, 15-5

13) Samantha Salas d. 20) Adriana Riveros, 15-1, 15-11
4) Natalia Mendez - BYE

3) Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
14) Carla Muñoz d. 19) Micaela Meneses, 15-0, 15-4

11) Kelani Lawrence d. 22) Camila Rivero, 15-5, 15-5
6) Montserrat Mejia d. 27) Martina Katz, 15-2, 15-3

7) Angelica Barrios d. 26) Linda Tyler, 15-9, 15-14
10) Rhonda Rajsich d. 23) Adrienne Haynes, 15-1, 15-2

18) Hollie Scott d. 15) Valeria Centellas, 15-7, 11-15, 11-7
2) Alexandra Herrera - BYE  

Round of 16 - Friday 

1) Paola Longoria v. 17) Sheryl Lotts - 5 PM
8) Jessica Parrilla v. 9) Erika Manilla - 5 PM

5) Gabriela Martinez v. 12) Brenda Laime - 2 PM
4) Natalia Mendez v. 13) Samantha Salas - 2 PM

3) Maria Jose Vargas v. 14) Carla Muñoz - 3 PM
6) Montserrat Mejia v. 11) Kelani Lawrence - 3 PM

7) Angelica Barrios v. 10) Rhonda Rajsich - 4 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera v. 18) Hollie Scott - 4 PM

Doubles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
8) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich d. 9) Micaela Meneses & Adriana Riveros, 15-6, 5-15, 11-1

5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez d. 12) Susana Acosta & Martina Katz, 15-8, 15-6
4) Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez - BYE

3) Montserrat Mejia & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
6) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott d. 11) T. J. Baumbaugh & Linda Tyler, 15-2, 15-14

7) Brenda Laime & Carla Muñoz d. 10) Camila Rivero & Annie Roberts, 15-5, 15-14
2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla - BYE

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 8) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich - 7 PM
4) Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez v. 5) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 7 PM

3) Montserrat Mejia & Jessica Parrilla v. 6) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott - 6 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Erika Manilla v. 7) Brenda Laime & Carla Muñoz - 6 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….