Bolivia & Argentina are Pan American Team Champions

Bolivia and Argentina won the Men’s and Women’s Team competitions, respectively, at the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Saturday, and they both did it in two straight matches, and in both cases Mexico was the runner up. This is the first time a team competition has been held at the Pan American Championships. The team competition was a best of three matches: two singles and one doubles with each game played to 11 points.

In the Men’s Team final, Bolivia’s Conrrado Moscoso - who won the Men’s Singles Pan American title this week - got things rolling by defeating Mexican Rodrigo Montoya, 11-3, 11-2, 11-8. Then Carlos Keller - the two time former Men’s Singles Pan Am Champion - won the competition for Bolivia by defeating Elias Nieto, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6.

Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina won the first match of the Women’s Team final, beating Mexican Alexandra Herrera, 11-9 11-6, 11-5. Natalia Mendez won the second match against Samantha Salas, but that went to a tie-breaker, before Mendez pulled it out, winning 2-11, 11-10, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7.

After a dominant first game, Salas was up 10-8 in the second game, but skipped three shots in a row to give the game to Mendez, and level the match at a game apiece. If Salas makes one of the those shots, then she’s up 2-0 in the match, and it seems like that they would have to play a doubles match to decide the team competition. But that’s not what happened.

If you missed any of Saturday's action, or matches from earlier in the week, you can see them at the International Racquetball Federation's (IRF's), Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel. There were many good matches at the 2022 Pan Am Championships, so we encourage to check some of them out.

XXXIII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia - April 9-16, 2022

Women's Team - Final - Saturday

2) ARGENTINA d. 4) MEXICO

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Alexandra Herrera (Mexico), 11-9 11-6, 11-5
Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. Samantha Salas (Mexico), 2-11, 11-10, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7

Men's Team - Final - Saturday

1) BOLIVIA d. 3) MEXICO

Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico), 11-3, 11-2, 11-8
Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Elias Nieto (Mexico), 11-6, 11-5, 11-6

Follow the bouncing ball….

Argentina, Bolivia (twice), Canada & Mexico are Pan American Champions

Bolivia swept gold in Men’s and Women’s Singles at the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Angelica Barrios won Women’s Singles by coming back from two games down against top seed and former Pan Am Champion María José Vargas of Argentina, winning in five games 14-15, 10-15, 15-10, 15-14, 12-10. Barrios was playing in her 1st international final, and her 1st medal is gold.

In the men’s final, Conrrado Moscoso defeated Costa Rican Andres Acuña, 15-14, 14-15, 15-6, 15-13, to win his first Pan American Championship in singles, but his second overall, as he and Roland Keller won Men’s Doubles in 2019. Bolivia has now won Men’s Singles at Pan Am Championships for three years running - the third country to do so (after the USA and Mexico).

In Women’s Doubles, the 2nd seeded Argentine team of Natalia Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas won their 1st Pan American Championship in doubles - and first for Argentina overall and, indeed, for a South American country, as they defeated the #1 seeded team of Alejandra Herrera and Samantha Salas of Mexico, 15-14, 14-15, 15-10, 8-15, 11-8. It was a cagey match with many ceiling ball exchanges.

But down the stretch of game five it was Vargas who was hitting the winning shots. With Mexico leading 6-4, a Salas shot was called a skip. She appealed it, but the line judges upheld the call. From 6-5, Vargas hit winners for all six of Argentina’s points, the most spectacular of which was a backhand off a dive to the left wall that just made the front wall. A “you know things are going your way when” kind of shot. She ended the game and match with a forehand kill shot to the right side from the front court.

The gold is Vargas’s 2nd at the Pan Am Championships, as she was the Women’s Singles champion back in 2014, and Mendez’s first gold at Pan Ams.

Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray, the 4th seeds, came back from a game down to defeat 3rd seeds Juan Francisco Cueva and Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, in five games, 10-15, 15-13, 15-5, 11-15, 11-5, and win the Men’s Doubles title. It’s the first gold at an international event for both Iwaasa and Murray, and the first for Canada in Men’s Doubles at the Pan Am Championships since 2010, when Mike Green and Tim Landeryou won. Ecuador is still seeking its first Pan Am Championship gold medal.

Rodrigo Montoya and Samantha Salas of Mexico won the Mixed Doubles final, beating Boliviaians Micaela Meneses and Conrrado Moscoso, 15-12, 15-7, 14-15, 15-12.

If you want to watch the finals - and you should definitely check out the Women’s Singles final - they are available via the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Facebook page and the IRF YouTube channel.

XXXIII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia - April 9-16, 2022

Women's Singles - Final - Thursday

10) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 1) María José Vargas (Argentina), 14-15, 10-15, 15-10, 15-14, 12-10

Men's Singles -

Final - Thursday

1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 11) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica), 15-14, 14-15, 15-6, 15-13

Women's Doubles - Final - Thursday

2) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. 1) Alejandra Herrera & Samantha Salas (Mexico), 15-14, 14-15, 15-10, 8-15, 11-8

Men's Doubles - Final - Thursday

4) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) d. 3) Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 10-15, 15-13, 15-5, 11-15, 11-5

Mixed Doubles - Final - Thursday

6) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 1) Micaela Meneses & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 15-12, 15-7, 14-15, 15-12

Follow the bouncing ball….

Argentina & Bolivia win Women's & Men's Team events, respectively, at 2018 South American Games

Argentina won the Women’s Team event, and host country Bolivia won the Men’s Team event on Sunday at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Argentina defeated Bolivia in the Women’s Team Final, 2-0, and Bolivia defeated Colombia 2-0 in the Men’s Team Final, but all four of the matches went tie-breaker.

In the Women’s Team final, Argentines Natalia Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas came back from a game down to defeat Bolivians Stefanny Barrios and Jenny Daza, 13-15, 15-12, 11-4, in women’s doubles, and Mendez won a singles match against Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia), 15-8, 12-15, 11-4.

In the Men’s Team final, Carlos Keller of Bolivia defeated Mario Mercado of Colombia in singles, 15-10, 10-15, 11-8, and then in doubles, his brother Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso fought back after losing game one to beat Mercado and Sebastian Franco (Colombia) in three games, 13-15, 15-13, 11-6.

The South American Games occur every 4 years, and is the first of two quadrennial events this year. In the summer, the Central American and Caribbean Games will take place in Barranquilla, Colombia from July 19 to August 3.

2018 South American Games - Cochabamba, Bolivia
May 26-June 3, 2018

WOMEN’S TEAM

Final - Sunday

Argentina d. Bolivia, 2-0

Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 13-15, 15-12, 11-4
Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia), 15-8, 12-15, 11-4

MEN’S TEAM

Final - Sunday

Bolivia d. Colombia, 2-0

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-10, 10-15, 11-8
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Mario Mercado & Sebastian Franco (Colombia), 13-15, 15-13, 11-6

Follow the bouncing ball….

Bolivia & Argentina split the gold medals at the 2018 South American Games

Bolivia won gold in the men’s divisions and Argentina won gold in the women’s divisions at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia. In Men’s Singles, Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso won a tie-breaker to defeat Colombian Mario Mercado in the final, 15-10, 11-15, 11-6. In Women’s Singles, Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina defeated Yasmine Sabja, 15-4, 15-6, in the final to claim the gold.

Vargas was also part of the Argentina team that won Women’s Doubles, as she and Natalia Mendez beat Bolivians Stefanny Barrios and Jenny Daza, 15-11, 15-10, in the final. In Men’s Doubles, Bolivians Roland Keller and Kadim Carrasco beat Mercado and Sebastian Franco of Colombia, 15-11, 15-7, in what was a battle of two undefeated teams in a five team round robin playoff.

The South American Games occur every 4 years, and is the first of two quadrennial events this year. In the summer, the Central American and Caribbean Games will take place in Barranquilla, Colombia from July 19 to August 3.

2018 South American Games - Cochabamba, Bolivia
May 26-June 3, 2018

WOMEN’S SINGLES

Final - Friday

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia), 15-4, 15-6

WOMEN’S DOUBLES

Final - Friday

Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 15-11, 15-10

MEN’S SINGLES

Final - Friday

Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-10, 11-15, 11-6

MEN’S DOUBLES

Round 5 - Friday

Roland Keller & Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) d. Mario Mercado & Sebastian Franco (Colombia), 15-11, 15-7
Juan Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-4, 15-4
Juan Carlos Zamora & Oscar Navarro (Peru) - BYE

Standings

1) Roland Keller & Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) - 4-0
2) Mario Mercado & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) - 3-1
3) Juan Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - 2-2
4) Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile) - 1-3
5) Juan Carlos Zamora & Oscar Navarro (Peru) - 0-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Mexico sweeps doubles at 2015 Pan American Championships

Mexico swept the Women's and Men's Doubles finals at the 2015 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Saturday, which was to be expected, as they were the top seeded country in the competition and brought their best players to the event.

In the Women's Doubles final, Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas defeated Maria Jose Vargas and Véronique Guillemette of Argentina in the final, 15-4, 15-13, while Javier Moreno and Alvaro Beltran beat Costa Ricans Felipe Camacho and Teobaldo Fumero, 15-8, 15-5, to win the Men's Doubles title.

In the women's final, Mexico got out to an early 4-0 lead in game one, and weren't troubled after that. The second game began the same way, as Mexico took a 5-0 lead. However, Argentina got the serve back, and they scored their first point.

Everything starts from something small, and Argentina scored the next nine points in a row to lead 10-5. Mexico took their second time out at that point; their first came at 5-5. When play resumed Salas hit a winner to get the serve back.

Then there was some confusion over a call after Vargas hit a ball that looked to have been a winner off the right side wall. But Mexico ended up with a point, as if Mexico had been given an avoidable on the play. Salas did hold up on trying to get the ball, but it virtually cracked out off the right wall, so we're not sure it was even a hinder.

The controversy - Argentina appealed at least one of the calls on the play and seemed to make two appeals - on that play seemed to unsettle the Argentines, as the Mexicans scored the eight straight points to lead 14-10.

Argentina held them at match point, and then scored a couple more of their own. It seemed like they were going to force a tie-breaker, but then Longoria hit a winning serve return to put Mexico back in the service box.

On the next rally, Salas lob served to Guillemette, who was playing the left side (Salas was on the right), for the first time in the match. On the rally Salas hit a side front shot for a winner to give Mexico the title in two straight games.

In the first game, the Argentine had been hitting drive z serves to the Mexicans, and it wasn't effective. But in game two they changed to hit lob serves. Guillemette hit backhand half lobs tight to the left side wall to Longoria and Vargas hit lob z serves to Salas. The change almost got them to a tie-breaker with the reigning World Champions, but they fell a little short.

In the Men's Doubles final, Mexico was in control the entire match. Costa Rica gave it a good effort, but Camacho and Fumero are not in the same class as veterans Beltran and Moreno.

In game one, it was close early, but after Mexico got up 7-2, Costa Rica was never closer than three points. By our unofficial count, Mexico combined for 16 winners to Costa Rica's 5, although the errors (skips) were similar, as Mexico had 11 and Costa Rica 9. Moreno had the best ratio of winners to errors, as he hit 8 winners and had 4 errors. Fumero was the worst, hitting only 1 winner while making 6 errors.

In game two, Mexico went up 5-0, but Costa Rica came back to make it 5-4. But they only managed one point after that, as Mexico cruised on to victory.

Both Beltran and Moreno were great in game two, as each made only a single error while making eight and six winners, respectively, for a total of 14 winners to 2 errors. Costa Rica made approximately the same number of winners as errors at 7 to 6, respectively, with Camacho making five winners and four errors and Fumero making two of each.

Overall, Mexico was the team that came out on top, as they won the Women's Team title and came 2nd in the Men's Team standings. The USA was 2nd overall helped by their 1st place finish in the Men's Team standings.

If you missed the finals, or earlier action, the matches will be archived at the International Racquetball Federation part of the IRT Network.

XXVIII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - March 28-April 4, 2015

Women's Doubles - Final

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 6) Maria Jose Vargas & Véronique Guillemette (Argentina), 15-4, 15-13

Men's Doubles - Final

1) Alvaro Beltran & Javier Moreno (Mexico) d. 3) Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica), 15-8, 15-5

Women's Team Standings

1. Mexico
2. Ecuador
3. Colombia
4. Argentina

Men's Team Standings

1. USA
2. Mexico
3. Bolivia
4. Costa Rica

Overall Team Standings

1. Mexico
2. USA
3. Bolivia
4. Colombia

Follow the bouncing ball....

17th IRF World Championships - Team Standings & Results Sumamry

Team USA was the clear winner in the overall team standings at the 17th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, last week, as they were in three of the four finals, winning one and all but one of their eight player team finished in the medals. But of the top four finishers in the Men's and Women's Team standings, only the USA was in both.

The USA topped the Men's Team standings, led by Rocky Carson, who was the gold medalist in Men's Singles, and complimented by Jose Rojas in Men's Singles and Ben Croft and Tom Fuhrmann in Men's Doubles, who were all bronze medalists. Bolivia was 2nd in the Men's Team, as Coronado Moscoso was the silver medalist in Men's Singles, with Carlos Keller bronze in singles, and Moscoso and Mario Mercado were bronze medalists in doubles.

Colombians Sebastian Franco and Alejandro Herrera were 3rd in the Men's Team standings, helped by their gold medal performance in doubles, and Canada was 4th led by Mike Green and Vincent Gagnon, the silver medalists in doubles.

Mexico topped the Women's Team standings, as Paola Longoria won singles and doubles with Samantha Salas, who was also a bronze medalist in singles. USA was the 2nd place Women's Team with silver for Rhonda Rajsich in singles, and silver for Americans Aimee Ruiz and Janel Tisinger in doubles.

The Ecuador team of Veronica Sotomayor and Maria Paz Muñoz were the 3rd place Women's Team, with a bronze medal performance in doubles, and the Argentina team was 4th led by Maria Jose Vargas, who was a bronze medalist in singles.

17th IRF World Championships
June 14-21, 2014
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Overall Team

1st: USA
2nd: Mexico
3rd: Bolivia
4th: Canada

Men's Team

1st: USA
2nd: Bolviia
3rd: Colombia
4th: Canada

Women's Team

1st: Mexico
2nd: USA
3rd: Ecuador
4th: Argentina

Men's Singles

GOLD: Rocky Carson (USA)
SILVER: Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia)
BRONZE: Jose Rojas (USA), Carlos Keller (Bolivia)

Men's Doubles

GOLD: Alejandro Herrera & Sebastian Franco (Colombia)
SILVER: Mike Green & Vincent Gagnon (Canada)
BRONZE: Conrado Moscos & Mario Mercado (Bolivia), Ben Croft & Thomas Fuhrmann (USA)

Women's Singles

GOLD: Paola Longoria (Mexico)
SILVER: Rhonda Rajsich (USA)
BRONZE: Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina), Samantha Salas (Mexico)

Women's Doubles

GOLD: Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico)
SILVER: Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger (USA)
BRONZE: Angela Grisar & Carla Muñoz (Chile), Maria Paz Muñoz & Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador)

Follow the bouncing ball....

Mexico wins team title at 2014 Pan Am Championships

Mexico finished on top of the overall standings at the XXVII Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, as they were first in both men's and women's competitions winning a total of six medals: gold in both men's and women's doubles and silver and bronze in both men's and women's singles.

Coming second overall was the USA, who had a gold medal performance in men's singles from Jose Rojas and a silver in men's doubles.

Argentina made their best ever showing, finishing third overall with a gold in women's singles from Maria Jose Vargas, a silver in women's doubles and a bronze in men's doubles.

Canada came fourth overall with two bronze medals, and then Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia had one bronze medal each.

The results reinforce the strength of Mexican racquetball, and came without the current women's World Champion Paola Longoria.

XXVII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santa Cruz, Bolivia - April 12-19, 2014

Women's Singles

GOLD - Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina)
SILVER - Susana Acosta (Mexico)
BRONZE - Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) and Cristina Amaya (Colombia)

Women's Doubles

GOLD - Susana Acosta & Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico)
SILVER - Maria Jose Vargas & Véronique Guillemette (Argentina)
BRONZE - Frédérique Lambert & Josée Grand'Maître (Canada) and Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador)

Men's Singles

GOLD - Jose Rojas (USA)
SILVER - Andree Parrilla (Mexico)
BRONZE - Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) and Vincent Gagnon (Canada)

Men's Doubles

GOLD - Daniel De La Rosa & Edson Martinez (Mexico)
SILVER - Jose Rojas & David Horn (USA)
BRONZE - Ricardo Monroy & Roland Keller (Bolivia) and Daniel Maggi & Shai Mazuri (Argentina)

Women's Team

GOLD - Mexico
SILVER - Argentina
BRONZE - Canada
4th - Ecuador

Men's Team

GOLD - Mexico
SILVER - USA
BRONZE - Bolivia
4th - Canada

Combined Team

GOLD - Mexico
SILVER - USA
BRONZE - Argentina
4th - Canada

Follow the bouncing ball....

Vargas & Mexico win gold at Pan Am Championships

Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina and Susana Acosta of Mexico split the women's finals at the XXVII Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with Vargas winning the singles gold and Acosta the doubles gold with Samantha Salas Solis.

Vargas defeated Acosta in two straight games to take the singles title, 15-4, 15-8. The win is a first gold medal for Argentina or any South American women at the Pan Am Championships.

But in doubles the Mexican team of Acosta and Salas Solis took out the Argentine team of Vargas and Véronique Guillemette in three games, 10-15, 15-8, 11-7.

The win is Acosta's and Salas Solis's fourth Pan Am Championship title in doubles and second that they have won together. Their other win was in 2010.

The next international event will be the International Racquetball Federation (IRT) World Championships June 14-21 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

XXVII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santa Cruz, Bolivia - April 12-19, 2014

Women's Singles - Final

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) v. Susana Acosta (Mexico), 15-4, 15-8

Women's Doubles - Final

Susana Acosta & Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) d. Maria Jose Vargas & Véronique Guillemette (Argentina), 10-15, 15-8, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball....