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….
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