PARC - No surprises on Day 1 of 2012 Pan American Championships

The XXV Pan American Championships began Saturday in Temuco, Chile with round robin pool play that will set the seedings for the elimination round that will start on Wednesday. Thus, no one is facing elimination until Wednesday.

There have been no surprises so far, as most of the higher seeded players won in two straight games by comfortable margins. That includes defending champion American Rhonda Rajsich, who beat Argentinian Natalia Corti, 15-2, 15-2, and Mexican Paola Longoria, a 15-5, 15-8 winner over Véronique Guillemette of Argentina.

The other women's higher seeds - Susana Acosta (Mexico), Jennifer Saunders (Canada), Frédérique Lambert (Canada) and Carol Loma (Bolivia) - also all won in two games and none of them gave up more than 10 points total.

Men's singles went similarly, although last year's champion Daniel De La Rosa of Mexico didn't play. Also, his team-mate Misael Leija had the toughest test on Saturday as he needed a tie-breaker to beat Chilean Francisco Troncoso, 12-15, 15-8, 11-5.

Canadian Mike Green, Bolivians Kadim Carrasco and Carlos Keller, who's the current World Junior U18 Champion, all won in two games.

One other men's singles game went tie-breaker, as Luis Perez of the Dominican Republic defeated Teobaldo Fumero Adams, 15-7, 10-15, 11-8.

In women's doubles, two matches went tie-breaker. Colombians Cristina Amaya and Carolina Gomez squeaked out a win against Guatemalans Marie Gomar and Maria Rene Rodriguez, 15-8, 12-15, 11-10, and Ecuadorans Maria Paz Muñoz and Cristina Ana Velez needed a third game to defeat Mariana Paredes and Mariana Tobon of Venezuela, 15-13, 13-15, 11-3.

Men's doubles action also saw two tie-breakers. The Argentine team of Daniel Maggi and Fernando Kurzbard beat Pedro Manolo Sandoval and Edwin Galicia of Guatemala, 15-7, 12-15, 11-0, and Ecuadorans Imael Zhindon and Jose Daniel Ugalde defeated Sergio Baires and Servin Cruz, 15-6, 12-15, 11-1.

Pool play action continues in Temuco Sunday and Monday, and PARC is streaming some of it live via the internet through their website.

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Allen & Jackson win singles & doubles Intercollegiate titles

Jansen Allen (Colorado State, Pueblo) and Sharon Jackson (Alabama) are the new USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Champions in men's and women's singles as last year's champions - Taylor Knoth (Oregon State) and Danielle Key (Arizona State) - both lost in the finals of the 2012 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Moreover, Allen and Jackson both won their respective doubles titles too.

Allen, the 2nd seed, needed a tie-breaker to deny top seed Knoth's title defense, winning 15-11, 13-15, 11-0. Allen's the first Colorado State, Pueblo player to win the men's title since Ben Croft did it in 2007.

Allen then beat Knoth a second time, as he and Nick Montalbano beat Knoth and Grant Stalley, 15-6, 15-7. The win was Allen's second consecutive and third in four years, as he won last year with Felipe Camacho and with Tony Carson in 2009. Allen was also in the 2010 doubles final, but he and Tyler Otto lost to David Horn and Jose Rojas of Delta College.

On the women's side, Jackson won her second Intercollegiate title by stopping Key from a successful title defense on Key's home court. Jackson won in two close games, 15-12, 15-13.

In doubles, Jackson's gone one better than Allen, as she won her 4th consecutive Intercollegiate doubles title, and Sheryl Lotts of Baldwin Wallace was again on the losing side, as she had been the last three years. Saturday, Jackson and Madeleine Angles defeated Lotts and Molly Haragan by the closest of margins: one point in the tie-breaker, winning 15-7, 3-15, 11-10.

Jackson's previous doubles titles came with Brittany Travers last year and Kara Mazur in 2010 and 2009.

With four years of Intercollegiate competition, Allen and Jackson will not be able to defend their titles next year, ensuring there will be different champions in 2013.

2012 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Men's Singles

Final: Jansen Allen (Colorado State, Pueblo) d. Taylor Knoth (Oregon State), 15-11, 13-15, 11-0

3rd Place: John Craig Chisholm (Boston Univ.) d. Jose Diaz (Delta College), forfeit

Men's Doubles

Final: Jansen Allen & Nick Montalbano (Colorado State, Pueblo) d. Grant Stalley & Taylor Knoth (Oregon State), 15-6, 15-7

3rd place: Brad Falvey & Danny Lavely (Alabama) d. Cole Burr & Joseph Blank (Brigham Young), 15-5, 15-11

Women's Singles

Final: Sharon Jackson (Alabama) d. Danielle Key (Arizona State), 15-12, 15-13

3rd place: Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace) d. Hailey Miller (Oregon), 15-13, 15-8

Women's Doubles

Final: Madeleine Angles & Sharon Jackson (University of Alabama) d.
Molly Haragan & Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace), 15-7, 3-15, 11-10

3rd place: Danielle Key & Izayadeth Aguayo (Arizona State) d. Leah Redwine & Hailey Miller (University Of Oregon), 14-15, 15-7, 11-9

Follow the bouncing ball....

Key & Knoth have the chance to repeat as Intercollegiate Champions

They're down to the finals at the 2012 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and last year's winners Taylor Knoth (Oregon State) and Danielle Key (Arizona State) both have a chance to defend their singles titles.

Knoth defeated John Craig Chisholm of Boston University, 15-4, 15-5, in the semi-finals, and that's the most points he's given up in five matches. Knoth'll face Jansen Allen (Colorado State, Pueblo) in the final, as Allen defeated Jose Diaz (Delta College) in a tie-breaker, 12-15, 15-11, 11-4.

Both Knoth and Allen will have a chance to be double champions Saturday, as they are both in the doubles final also. Allen and Nick Montalbano defeated Cole Burr and Joseph Blank of Brigham Young, 15-11, 15-11, in one semi-final, while Knoth and Grant Stalley beat Brad Falvey & Danny Lavely (Alabama), 15-8, 15-10, in the other.

Key advanced to the women's singles final by winning two close games against Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace), 15-14, 15-11. Sharon Jackson will be Key's opponent in the final, as Jackson defeated Hailey Miller (University of Oregon), 15-14, 15-4.

Jackson defeated Key in doubles on Friday, as she and Madeleine Angles beat Key and Izayadeth Aguayo, 15-9, 5-15, 11-9, in the semi-finals of women's doubles, which sets up a title defense for Jackson on Saturday as she won women's doubles last year with Brittany Travers.

To do that she and Angles will need to beat Baldwin Wallace players Lotts and Molly Haragan, who were winners over Miller and Leah Redwine (Oregon), 4-15, 15-13, 11-3.

2012 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships

Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Men's Singles

Semi-finals

Taylor Knoth (Oregon State) d. John Craig Chisholm (Boston Univ.), 15-4, 15-5

Jansen Allen (Colorado State, Pueblo) d. Jose Diaz (Delta College), 12-15, 15-11, 11-4

Men's Doubles

Semi finals

Jansen Allen & Nick Montalbano (Colorado State, Pueblo) d. Cole Burr & Joseph Blank (Brigham Young), 15-11, 15-11

Grant Stalley & Taylor Knoth (Oregon State) d. Brad Falvey & Danny Lavely (Alabama), 15-8, 15-10

Women's Singles

Semi-finals

Danielle Key (Arizona State) d. Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace), 15-14, 15-11

Sharon Jackson (Alabama) d. Hailey Miller (Oregon), 15-14, 15-4

Women's Doubles

Semi Finals

Madeleine Angles & Sharon Jackson (University of Alabama) d. Danielle Key & Izayadeth Aguayo (Arizona State), 15-9, 5-15, 11-9

Molly Haragan & Sheryl Lotts (Baldwin Wallace) d. Leah Redwine & Hailey Miller, (University Of Oregon), 4-15, 15-13, 11-3

Follow the bouncing ball....