We’ve wished you Happy Birthday before - twice, in fact. The first time, back in 2009, we said “in years to come, when people talk about the best players of all time, they will have to consider you in the discussion.” The second time in 2011, we said “we’re hoping that we’ll be celebrating [your] career … for some years to come.” Little did we know that there would only be a few months left before you retired.
Because it’s almost a decade since you played, we feel like you’ve been almost forgotten. However, what we’re thinking on your birthday is “why aren’t you in the Hall of Fame?”
You won 29 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) events (5th most) and was in 63 IRT finals total (6th most). Your the last teenager to win on tour, doing so in 2002, when he was 19. You were ranked in the top 5 for 10 consecutive seasons (2002-2011), including a year at #1 in 2007 and five years at #2.
You were also an outstanding player for the USA, representing it 10 times, winning 7 gold medals in Men’s Singles. You were the Men’s Singles World Champion at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships three times: 2002, 2004, 2006, as well as Pan American Games Champion in 2003 and World Games Champion in 2009.
You earned your spot on Team USA via the USA Racquetball (USAR) National Championships. You played in 11 National Singles Championships and won four times, and were a runner up five times and never failed to reach the semi-finals. You won six National Doubles Championships (with Rocky Carson as your partner), and were runner up once (with Eric Muller).
You retired in May 2011, and if there was a five year period prior to Hall of Fame induction, then you would have been in four years ago. But the USAR Hall of Fame nomination procedures state “Nominees must be forty years old as of May 1st of the year following their nomination” (nominations are to made the year prior to induction). You were just 28 when you retired in 2011, so you don’t meet the Hall’s age requirement.
However, the nomination procedures also state “Any age requirement, or waiting period, may be removed by approval of the Hall of Fame Committee and the USAR Board of Directors.” Without such approval, you won’t be eligible for induction until 2023. Way too late in The Racquetball Blog’s opinion.
There is some precedence for inducting people before the age of 40, as Cliff Swain was inducted in 2003, when he was 37, and Marty Hogan went in at 39. Conversely, Michelle Gould, who retired in 1999, didn’t get in until 2012, and - like you - she should have gone in sooner.
Last month Pro Racquetball Stats wrote a piece advocating for Jason Mannino to be in the USAR Hall of Fame. Mannino is clearly a Hall of Fame caliber player and did much off court to help the game through running numerous racquetball clinics and overseeing the International Racquetball Tour for several years. We'd be happy to see Mannino inducted into the USAR Hall of Fame.
But there’s someone who should be in the USAR Hall of Fame already, and that’s Jack Huczek.
Follow the bouncing ball…..
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Monday, January 13, 2020
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Happy 45th Birthday Mike Green!
You have been the dominant men's racquetball player in Canada for most of this century. You beat Sherman Greenfeld’s record of 10 Men’s Singles Canadian Championships last year with your 11th title. You won singles at Nationals in 2002-04, 2006, 2008, 2010-2013, 2016 and 2017.
But unlike Greenfeld, you played doubles also, and won Men’s Doubles at the Canadian Championships 10 times: first with Mike Ceresia in 2000, then in 2004 with Tom O’Brien, and with Brian Istace from 2005-2007, with Kris Odegard in 2010 and 2011, with Coby Iwaasa in 2013 and 2015, and finally with Trevor Webb in 2017.
Twenty one Canadian titles is more than any other man, and only your pal Jen Saunders has more with 22.
During your most active period on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) you were the 8th ranked player at the end of the 2003-04 IRT season. Your IRT record includes multiple wins over Cliff Swain, Sudsy Monchik, Alvaro Beltran, Rocky Carson, John Ellis and Mike Guidry. Impressive.
Furthermore, you’ve been “capped” for Team Canada more often than any other man: 34 appearances over 21 years beginning with the 1996 Pan American Championships and ending with the 2017 Pan American Championships. You won Men’s Singles at the Pan American Championships twice: in 1999 and 2012, and were a part of three Canadian men’s teams that won gold at the World Championships - in 1996, 2000 & 2002 - as well as the Overall Team gold medal at the 2000 World Championships.
In the individual competitions at Worlds, you were a silver medalist in Men’s Doubles three times: in 2002 with Ceresia, 2010 with Tim Landeryou and 2014 with Vincent Gagnon. You were also a silver medalist in Men's Singles at the 2003 Pan American Games.
You didn’t play at the World Championships earlier this month, which broke a streak of 11 consecutive appearances at Worlds. It was the first you’d missed since 1996.
That happened because this past season, you only participated in one National Team Selection Event, and weren’t at Nationals for the first time in over two decades. That leads us to wonder if retirement is in the offing, although one rumour is that you’ll be back competing next season.
No one would question a decision to either continue or retire. Your record of excellence speaks for itself: few have achieved more.
We wished you happy birthday 10 years ago, but it bears repeating: Happy birthday Mike Green!
Follow the bouncing ball….
But unlike Greenfeld, you played doubles also, and won Men’s Doubles at the Canadian Championships 10 times: first with Mike Ceresia in 2000, then in 2004 with Tom O’Brien, and with Brian Istace from 2005-2007, with Kris Odegard in 2010 and 2011, with Coby Iwaasa in 2013 and 2015, and finally with Trevor Webb in 2017.
Twenty one Canadian titles is more than any other man, and only your pal Jen Saunders has more with 22.
During your most active period on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) you were the 8th ranked player at the end of the 2003-04 IRT season. Your IRT record includes multiple wins over Cliff Swain, Sudsy Monchik, Alvaro Beltran, Rocky Carson, John Ellis and Mike Guidry. Impressive.
Furthermore, you’ve been “capped” for Team Canada more often than any other man: 34 appearances over 21 years beginning with the 1996 Pan American Championships and ending with the 2017 Pan American Championships. You won Men’s Singles at the Pan American Championships twice: in 1999 and 2012, and were a part of three Canadian men’s teams that won gold at the World Championships - in 1996, 2000 & 2002 - as well as the Overall Team gold medal at the 2000 World Championships.
In the individual competitions at Worlds, you were a silver medalist in Men’s Doubles three times: in 2002 with Ceresia, 2010 with Tim Landeryou and 2014 with Vincent Gagnon. You were also a silver medalist in Men's Singles at the 2003 Pan American Games.
You didn’t play at the World Championships earlier this month, which broke a streak of 11 consecutive appearances at Worlds. It was the first you’d missed since 1996.
That happened because this past season, you only participated in one National Team Selection Event, and weren’t at Nationals for the first time in over two decades. That leads us to wonder if retirement is in the offing, although one rumour is that you’ll be back competing next season.
No one would question a decision to either continue or retire. Your record of excellence speaks for itself: few have achieved more.
We wished you happy birthday 10 years ago, but it bears repeating: Happy birthday Mike Green!
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, July 20, 2012
Happy 23rd Birthday Paola Longoria!
In your brief time on the planet, you've become one of the world's best women's racquetball players. You regained the #1 ranking on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour last season by going undefeated. Only two other women have been undefeated in a season: Lynn Adams (1985-86) and Michelle Gould (1995-96, 1997-98).*
You've won two US Opens, four Pan American Championships, and gold medals in singles, doubles (with Samantha Salas) and the women's team event at the 2012 Pan American Games. You also won doubles (with Salas) at the 2010 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships. Your 22 pro wins put you 5th all time behind Adams (45), Gould (41), Cheryl Gudinas (39) and Rhonda Rajsich (25).
Only one title has eluded you: a singles world championship. But you'll have the chance to put that on your resumé next month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic at the 2012 IRF World Championships.
It would make a nice belated birthday gift.
(* Note: TRB's all time women's pro statistics are incomplete)
Follow the bouncing ball....
You've won two US Opens, four Pan American Championships, and gold medals in singles, doubles (with Samantha Salas) and the women's team event at the 2012 Pan American Games. You also won doubles (with Salas) at the 2010 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships. Your 22 pro wins put you 5th all time behind Adams (45), Gould (41), Cheryl Gudinas (39) and Rhonda Rajsich (25).
Only one title has eluded you: a singles world championship. But you'll have the chance to put that on your resumé next month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic at the 2012 IRF World Championships.
It would make a nice belated birthday gift.
(* Note: TRB's all time women's pro statistics are incomplete)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Monday, July 16, 2012
Happy 47th Birthday Marci Drexler!
You were the second ranked women's racquetball player for two consecutive seasons - 1992-93 & 1993-94 - behind Michelle Gould. Those were two of the 11 seasons you finished in the top 10 on the women's tour, which ties you for 5th most career top 10s with Lynn Adams and Kerri Wachtel.
You won multiple times on tour with your first win a five game victory over Caryn McKinney back in 1987. The Racquetball Blog's (incomplete) tournament records have you with 5 wins in 13 final appearances. Five wins is the 12th most by a woman, and given you were a contemporary of Adams and Gould, two of the greatest women racquetball players of all time, that many wins is quite remarkable.
That total doesn't include your 1984 US Nationals victory, which you won as an 18 year old, defeating Cindy Baxter in the final. The win got you a mention in the June 18, 1984 Sports Illustrated, as one of their Faces in the Crowd, where you were identified as a "snack bar attendant."
This season you made a return to competition and proved you can still play well, as you defeated Laura Fenton in the California Championships and played a tight match against Jackie Paraiso, losing 15-12, 15-13.
You played doubles with Fenton in this year's US Doubles Championships and finished 4th, defeating Danielle and Michelle Key before losing to Krystal Csuk and Cheryl Gudinas in the semi-finals and then to Aimee Ruiz and Paraiso in the 3rd place match.
You had a fine racquetball career and it's nice to see you playing competitively again.
Follow the bouncing ball….
You won multiple times on tour with your first win a five game victory over Caryn McKinney back in 1987. The Racquetball Blog's (incomplete) tournament records have you with 5 wins in 13 final appearances. Five wins is the 12th most by a woman, and given you were a contemporary of Adams and Gould, two of the greatest women racquetball players of all time, that many wins is quite remarkable.
That total doesn't include your 1984 US Nationals victory, which you won as an 18 year old, defeating Cindy Baxter in the final. The win got you a mention in the June 18, 1984 Sports Illustrated, as one of their Faces in the Crowd, where you were identified as a "snack bar attendant."
This season you made a return to competition and proved you can still play well, as you defeated Laura Fenton in the California Championships and played a tight match against Jackie Paraiso, losing 15-12, 15-13.
You played doubles with Fenton in this year's US Doubles Championships and finished 4th, defeating Danielle and Michelle Key before losing to Krystal Csuk and Cheryl Gudinas in the semi-finals and then to Aimee Ruiz and Paraiso in the 3rd place match.
You had a fine racquetball career and it's nice to see you playing competitively again.
Follow the bouncing ball….
Saturday, July 7, 2012
And Now We Are 4
The Racquetball Blog began four years ago today with the purpose of providing "independent writing and reporting on racquetball."
During that period Rocky Carson and Rhonda Rajsich have won two World Championships (will they make it three each next month?), Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas have won three straight women's doubles titles - Worlds, Pan Am Games and Pan Am Championships, and Kane Waselenchuk has won just about every tournament he's entered.
We've been to the last four US Opens and watched countless hours of racquetball over the web via ESPN 360, UStream and, of course, the IRT Network. Web-casting has been a tremendous help to us.
Over the last four years, some people have arrived on the scene: Jose Rojas, Charlie Pratt, Krystal Csuk, Gigi Rock, and some have left: Jack Huczek, Mitch Williams, Dave Negrete, Brenda Kyzer, Jo Shattuck, Shannon Feaster, and still others left and came back: Alvaro Beltran and Kristen Bellows.
It's called The Racquetball Blog, but it could have been called The Racquetball Journal or Racquetball Reporter, which perhaps would have given a better indicator of what we're trying to do here. Because we're not about stirring the pot with indefensible claims or unfairly biased opinion or SHOUTING hyperbole. A lot of sports coverage uses that approach. We don't.
The tone here is respectful and fact based, although not always conventional. Our model is The Economist, which is part of the reason for using the "we" construction, not "I". Also, the facts or arguments should stand for themselves, and using "I" might get in the way.
Despite the straight up approach, we've apparently still annoyed people on occasion. Clearly, you can't always please everybody. So it goes.
But we hope that if you care about racquetball, as we do, that reading The Racquetball Blog will be pleasing more often than not. Feedback is welcome. You can make comments on each post or email us - theracquetballblog@gmail.com - and you can follow us on Twitter @racquetballblog.
We look forward to more "independent writing and reporting on racquetball," and hope you do too.
Follow the bouncing ball….
During that period Rocky Carson and Rhonda Rajsich have won two World Championships (will they make it three each next month?), Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas have won three straight women's doubles titles - Worlds, Pan Am Games and Pan Am Championships, and Kane Waselenchuk has won just about every tournament he's entered.
We've been to the last four US Opens and watched countless hours of racquetball over the web via ESPN 360, UStream and, of course, the IRT Network. Web-casting has been a tremendous help to us.
Over the last four years, some people have arrived on the scene: Jose Rojas, Charlie Pratt, Krystal Csuk, Gigi Rock, and some have left: Jack Huczek, Mitch Williams, Dave Negrete, Brenda Kyzer, Jo Shattuck, Shannon Feaster, and still others left and came back: Alvaro Beltran and Kristen Bellows.
It's called The Racquetball Blog, but it could have been called The Racquetball Journal or Racquetball Reporter, which perhaps would have given a better indicator of what we're trying to do here. Because we're not about stirring the pot with indefensible claims or unfairly biased opinion or SHOUTING hyperbole. A lot of sports coverage uses that approach. We don't.
The tone here is respectful and fact based, although not always conventional. Our model is The Economist, which is part of the reason for using the "we" construction, not "I". Also, the facts or arguments should stand for themselves, and using "I" might get in the way.
Despite the straight up approach, we've apparently still annoyed people on occasion. Clearly, you can't always please everybody. So it goes.
But we hope that if you care about racquetball, as we do, that reading The Racquetball Blog will be pleasing more often than not. Feedback is welcome. You can make comments on each post or email us - theracquetballblog@gmail.com - and you can follow us on Twitter @racquetballblog.
We look forward to more "independent writing and reporting on racquetball," and hope you do too.
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, January 28, 2011
Happy 36th Birthday Jason Mannino!
Many athletes retire without a clear idea of what they are going to do other than "spend more time with my family." Not you. You took on the leadership role of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) full time last summer after assuming the position from Dave Negrete in November 2009.
You won 22 IRT tournaments over your career, putting you 6th all time, and including two US Open titles in 1999 and 2006 - only Sudsy Monchik and Kane Waselenchuk have won more US Opens. Moreover, you were the #1 player at the end of the 2002-03 IRT season and a top 10 player from 1995-96 until your retirement at the end of the 2009-2010 season. Those fifteen top 10 finishes - fourteen of which were in the top 5 - are more than anyone else in the last 20 IRT seasons.
Your game style was unique, as you relied on a variety of half lob serves rather drive serves that are the usual weapon of professional racquetball players. Moreover, you were unrelenting in your effort to keep the ball in play during rallies. Anyone watching you play could be assured of seeing at least one dive during a game and often more than one on a single rally.
Your promise was evident early, as you won singles in Boy's 18 and under at Junior Worlds in 1994 to go with the Boy's 18 and under doubles title you won at Junior Worlds in 1992 with Monchik. That singles title is even more remarkable considering it came only two months after beginning to play again following severe injuries you suffered in a car accident.
Yes, you had a great impact on the IRT over your 192 appearances on tour (3rd most all time behind Cliff Swain and Ruben Gonzalez), but as the IRT commissioner you could have even greater impact.
You've had an action packed 36 years, and we wish you many more.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Happy 28th Birthday Jack Huczek!
Tempus fugit. Time flies. Yes, this is a cliché, but it's also a truth. No more better proof for it than the fact that today Jack Huczek is 28 years old. Twenty eight! Racquetball's wonder kid is no longer a kid.
Two years ago The Racquetball Blog also acknowledged this day stating Huczek's "built one of the strongest career records in racquetball. In years to come, when people talk about the best players of all time, they will have to consider [Huczek] in the discussion."
That's still true. However, in the last year things haven't gone as well for Huczek. A commonly known guideline of learning is that it takes 10 years to become an expert at something. A less commonly known thought is that athletic careers will often last 20 years: 10 years to get to the top followed by 10 years at the top, and then athletes often feel that's enough. Time to do something else.
Huczek won the Boys 8 and under World Junior title in 1992 and won 10 consecutive World Junior titles, two in each age division until 2002. A remarkable record that's unlikely to be broken or even equaled, but it means he's been at the top of racquetball for about 20 years. How much longer can we expect him to continue?
Huczek's career could continue for some time, but we wonder about how much he'll want to continue, especially so as he's been #1 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), been World Champion (three times), been Pan Am Games champion, but now has been losing to players he didn't lose to before, like Ben Croft, Alvaro Beltran and Chris Crowther, as well as losing to players he was previously level with in Rocky Carson and Kane Waselenchuk.
Thus, while we celebrate Jack Huczek's birthday and career today, we're hoping that we'll be celebrating his career in present tense - rather than past tense - for some years to come.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Two years ago The Racquetball Blog also acknowledged this day stating Huczek's "built one of the strongest career records in racquetball. In years to come, when people talk about the best players of all time, they will have to consider [Huczek] in the discussion."
That's still true. However, in the last year things haven't gone as well for Huczek. A commonly known guideline of learning is that it takes 10 years to become an expert at something. A less commonly known thought is that athletic careers will often last 20 years: 10 years to get to the top followed by 10 years at the top, and then athletes often feel that's enough. Time to do something else.
Huczek won the Boys 8 and under World Junior title in 1992 and won 10 consecutive World Junior titles, two in each age division until 2002. A remarkable record that's unlikely to be broken or even equaled, but it means he's been at the top of racquetball for about 20 years. How much longer can we expect him to continue?
Huczek's career could continue for some time, but we wonder about how much he'll want to continue, especially so as he's been #1 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), been World Champion (three times), been Pan Am Games champion, but now has been losing to players he didn't lose to before, like Ben Croft, Alvaro Beltran and Chris Crowther, as well as losing to players he was previously level with in Rocky Carson and Kane Waselenchuk.
Thus, while we celebrate Jack Huczek's birthday and career today, we're hoping that we'll be celebrating his career in present tense - rather than past tense - for some years to come.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Happy Silver Anniversary Cliff Swain!
It was 25 years ago today that you won your first professional racquetball event: the $10,000 Tulsa Pro-Am Racquetball Championship, which was the fifth event on that season's Racquetball Manufacturers Association tour.
You were "a quiet college student" from Braintree, Mass., a "lanky lefthander" ranked 24th, who had never made it past the round of 16 previously. But the Tulsa courts were especially conducive to drive servers, because the front wall, as well as the back wall, was glass, so it was difficult to return the rocket serves you were hitting.
You beat Steve Lerner in the 32s, 11-10, 9-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-1, and Bret Harnett in the Round of 16, 11-3, 1-11, 11-4, 11-10. Then in the quarter-finals, you faced veteran Jerry Hilecher, who had defeated Mike Ray in the 16s. You won that in four games, 11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4.
You split the first four games of the semi-final with Gerry Price, and in the tie-breaker Price, another hard serving player, got a 10-4 lead. You would have been excused for feeling that lead was insurmountable and giving in at that point. But you didn't. Three aces helped you come back and win the tie-breaker 11-10 and take the match, 11-7, 5-11, 1-11, 11-8, 11-10, to advance to your first pro final.
You started the final against Scott Oliver in the same way as you had game 5 of the semi: down big early. Oliver led 8-1, but again you fought back and won 11-10. Four for four in games decided by one point.
But as in the semis, you dropped games two and three, 11-9, 11-6, before righting the ship and winning game four, 11-5, to set up another tie-breaker. But in this tie-breaker, you took the big lead, dominating play for a 9-1 advantage. Lights out. The party's over, yes? No.
Oliver switched things up, and hit high lob z serves to you. It must have bamboozled you as the score went from Oliver serving 1-9 to 10-9, match point. Perhaps no other sport can have such severe shifts of momentum.
You fought off match point twice, and then back in the service box again brought out the rocket serve and hit two "perfect drives into the crotch of the right side wall" that "brought the already frenzied crowd to their feet." The Tulsa, Oklahoma crowd gave you and Oliver a long standing ovation prior to the awards ceremony.
Your amazing drive serve and mental toughness that won you all five of the 11-10 games you played in Tulsa were characteristics that would mark your long and illustrious career.
Tulsa might not be one of the storied places in racquetball, like Memphis, Houston, and San Diego. But it does hold a special place in racquetball history, and surely a special place in your heart.
Happy Anniversary Mr. Swain.
Tulsa Pro-Am Racquetball Championship
February 6-10, 1985
Finals
Cliff Swain d. Scott Oliver, 11-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-10
Semi-finals
Oliver d. Gregg Peck, 11-4, 1-11, 11-3, 11-6
Swain d. Gerry Price, 11-7, 5-11, 1-11, 11-8, 11-10
Quarter-finals
G. Peck d. Doug Cohen, 11-3, 11-3, 9-11, 5-11, 11-3
Oliver d. Ruben Gonzalez, 11-9, 1-11, 11-9, 11-2
Swain d. Jerry Hilecher, 11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4
Price d. Dave Peck, 11-3, 11-5, 11-9
Source: International Racquetball, v. 3, #3, 1985
Follow the bouncing ball....
You were "a quiet college student" from Braintree, Mass., a "lanky lefthander" ranked 24th, who had never made it past the round of 16 previously. But the Tulsa courts were especially conducive to drive servers, because the front wall, as well as the back wall, was glass, so it was difficult to return the rocket serves you were hitting.
You beat Steve Lerner in the 32s, 11-10, 9-11, 11-4, 4-11, 11-1, and Bret Harnett in the Round of 16, 11-3, 1-11, 11-4, 11-10. Then in the quarter-finals, you faced veteran Jerry Hilecher, who had defeated Mike Ray in the 16s. You won that in four games, 11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4.
You split the first four games of the semi-final with Gerry Price, and in the tie-breaker Price, another hard serving player, got a 10-4 lead. You would have been excused for feeling that lead was insurmountable and giving in at that point. But you didn't. Three aces helped you come back and win the tie-breaker 11-10 and take the match, 11-7, 5-11, 1-11, 11-8, 11-10, to advance to your first pro final.
You started the final against Scott Oliver in the same way as you had game 5 of the semi: down big early. Oliver led 8-1, but again you fought back and won 11-10. Four for four in games decided by one point.
But as in the semis, you dropped games two and three, 11-9, 11-6, before righting the ship and winning game four, 11-5, to set up another tie-breaker. But in this tie-breaker, you took the big lead, dominating play for a 9-1 advantage. Lights out. The party's over, yes? No.
Oliver switched things up, and hit high lob z serves to you. It must have bamboozled you as the score went from Oliver serving 1-9 to 10-9, match point. Perhaps no other sport can have such severe shifts of momentum.
You fought off match point twice, and then back in the service box again brought out the rocket serve and hit two "perfect drives into the crotch of the right side wall" that "brought the already frenzied crowd to their feet." The Tulsa, Oklahoma crowd gave you and Oliver a long standing ovation prior to the awards ceremony.
Your amazing drive serve and mental toughness that won you all five of the 11-10 games you played in Tulsa were characteristics that would mark your long and illustrious career.
Tulsa might not be one of the storied places in racquetball, like Memphis, Houston, and San Diego. But it does hold a special place in racquetball history, and surely a special place in your heart.
Happy Anniversary Mr. Swain.
Tulsa Pro-Am Racquetball Championship
February 6-10, 1985
Finals
Cliff Swain d. Scott Oliver, 11-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-10
Semi-finals
Oliver d. Gregg Peck, 11-4, 1-11, 11-3, 11-6
Swain d. Gerry Price, 11-7, 5-11, 1-11, 11-8, 11-10
Quarter-finals
G. Peck d. Doug Cohen, 11-3, 11-3, 9-11, 5-11, 11-3
Oliver d. Ruben Gonzalez, 11-9, 1-11, 11-9, 11-2
Swain d. Jerry Hilecher, 11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4
Price d. Dave Peck, 11-3, 11-5, 11-9
Source: International Racquetball, v. 3, #3, 1985
Follow the bouncing ball....
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Happy 33rd Birthday Jennifer Saunders!
You are one of the winningest Canadian racquetball players. Your three Canadian championships in singles are surpassed by only Heather Stupp (with 7), Christie Van Hees (6), and Heather McKay (5). Add your six doubles titles and only Stupp (13 combined) and Josée Grand'Maître (14), who was your partner for those six doubles titles, have more combined championships than your 9.
But success outside Canada has been more elusive. You're ranked 9th on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, but have yet to get past the quarters in a Tier 1 event. You have been the queen of the open division, winning that several times including twice this season, as well as the 2007 US Open.
Internationally, you've represented Canada 13 times taking two silver medals - at Worlds in 2002, when you lost to Cheryl Gudinas in the final, and in doubles at the 2004 Pan American Championships, with Grand'Maître, when you lost to Susy Acosta and Rosy Torres. You've also taken home four bronze medals: three in singles from the 2006 and 2008 World Championships and the 2008 Pan American Championships, and one in doubles from the 2004 World Championship again with Grand'Maître as your partner.
Born in Thompson, a small city in northern Manitoba with a large nickel mine, you got the racquetball bug early, leading to many 8 hour drives south to Winnipeg for tournaments.
All that time you put in pursuing the racquetball dream has more than paid off, and is likely to continue to do so for many years to come.
Follow the bouncing ball....
But success outside Canada has been more elusive. You're ranked 9th on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, but have yet to get past the quarters in a Tier 1 event. You have been the queen of the open division, winning that several times including twice this season, as well as the 2007 US Open.
Internationally, you've represented Canada 13 times taking two silver medals - at Worlds in 2002, when you lost to Cheryl Gudinas in the final, and in doubles at the 2004 Pan American Championships, with Grand'Maître, when you lost to Susy Acosta and Rosy Torres. You've also taken home four bronze medals: three in singles from the 2006 and 2008 World Championships and the 2008 Pan American Championships, and one in doubles from the 2004 World Championship again with Grand'Maître as your partner.
Born in Thompson, a small city in northern Manitoba with a large nickel mine, you got the racquetball bug early, leading to many 8 hour drives south to Winnipeg for tournaments.
All that time you put in pursuing the racquetball dream has more than paid off, and is likely to continue to do so for many years to come.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Happy 10th Anniversary '99 Pan Am Gold Medalists!
Ten years ago today the finals of the 1999 Pan Am Games were held in Winnipeg, Canada. The USA swept the gold medals. Adam Karp won the men's gold, Cheryl Gudinas the women's, with the doubles titles going to Doug Ganim and Drew Kachtik in men's and Jackie Paraiso and Joy Mackenzie in women's.
The men's final was an all-USA battle, as Karp defeated countryman Michael Bronfeld for his third big win in a little over a year, as Karp had won the previous two US National Singles titles in 1999 and 1998.
But the other finals were US-Canada match-ups. Gudinas was up against Christie Van Hees. Their match went to a tie-breaker, and late in game three Van Hees was serving up 9-8. She served, but Gudinas didn't move, as she had her racquet up.
Van Hees claimed she had checked the receiver, and when she did so Gudinas didn't have her racquet up. The referee disagreed, ruling that Van Hees had not adequately checked the receiver, and as this was the second time in the match that Van Hees had served with Gudinas signalling she wasn't ready, Van Hees lost the serve.
It was a controversial ruling, causing much protesting in the moment. But with the serve Gudinas took full advantage, winning the next three rallies to take the game, match and gold medal. Canada has yet to win a Pan Am gold medal.
Few matches lead to rule changes, but that one did, as now in games with one serve a server who serves when the receiver is signaling not ready "will be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve." (see USA Racquetball Rule 3.9.j).
In doubles, Ganim and Kachtik defeated Roger Harripersad and Kelly Kerr. It was their second gold together, as they'd won doubles earlier that year at the Tournament of the Americas (now Pan Am Championships). However, prior to that neither had played for Team USA since the early '90s, Kachtik in 1991 and Ganim in 1992. Perhaps more remarkably, it was 15 years since Ganim had made his first appearance on Team USA, having been part of the 1984 World Championship team.
MacKenzie and Paraiso - twin sisters - played their final match together for Team USA 10 years ago, and went out with gold medals, defeating Canadians Lori-Jane Powell and Debbie Ward for the gold medal. The sisters were undefeated in their seven appearances with Team USA.
Legacy?
The racquetball legacy in Winnipeg from the '99 Games has been disappointing, as there wasn't the hoped for bump up in racquetball interest locally. That may be partly due to the fourth place finish by local racquetball hero and 10 time Canadian champion, Sherman Greenfeld, who finished fourth after losing to Bronfeld in the semis and then to Rob DeJesus of Puerto Rico in the bronze medal match.
Greenfeld seemed to have spent all his energy in defeating the then up-and-coming teenager Kane Waselenchuk in a quarter final match that went tie-breaker in what was a very hot facility. The two Canadians met in the quarters because DeJesus had defeated Waselenchuk in one of the preliminary round matches used to make the draw for the medal round.
But in general the lack of increased interest calls into question the effectiveness of hosting a large event to generate interest in a sport. Is spending a lot of money on a big event really going to increase interest in the sports involved after the event is over?
Make no mistake. Sports festivals can be really fun, and are great events in their own right. But whether the interest in the sports will carry on past the end of the events is a open question. Some kind of local, one to one, introduction is likely to be more effective at creating sustained interest than a massive event.
Alternatively, the '99 Pan Ams legacy might have been different if new racquetball facilities had been created or if existing facilities had been upgraded for the Games. But that was not the case. The portable court then used for the US Open in Memphis was brought to Winnipeg, which provided good viewing for the event, but no infrastructure legacy.
A big event can create a legacy for a sport, but it won't do so by itself. Follow-up activities need to be done, and you need places for those activities. Without them it's almost pointless to have the event in the first place, if your goal is boosting interest and participation at the local level.
Follow the bouncing ball...
The men's final was an all-USA battle, as Karp defeated countryman Michael Bronfeld for his third big win in a little over a year, as Karp had won the previous two US National Singles titles in 1999 and 1998.
But the other finals were US-Canada match-ups. Gudinas was up against Christie Van Hees. Their match went to a tie-breaker, and late in game three Van Hees was serving up 9-8. She served, but Gudinas didn't move, as she had her racquet up.
Van Hees claimed she had checked the receiver, and when she did so Gudinas didn't have her racquet up. The referee disagreed, ruling that Van Hees had not adequately checked the receiver, and as this was the second time in the match that Van Hees had served with Gudinas signalling she wasn't ready, Van Hees lost the serve.
It was a controversial ruling, causing much protesting in the moment. But with the serve Gudinas took full advantage, winning the next three rallies to take the game, match and gold medal. Canada has yet to win a Pan Am gold medal.
Few matches lead to rule changes, but that one did, as now in games with one serve a server who serves when the receiver is signaling not ready "will be allowed one more opportunity to hit a legal serve." (see USA Racquetball Rule 3.9.j).
In doubles, Ganim and Kachtik defeated Roger Harripersad and Kelly Kerr. It was their second gold together, as they'd won doubles earlier that year at the Tournament of the Americas (now Pan Am Championships). However, prior to that neither had played for Team USA since the early '90s, Kachtik in 1991 and Ganim in 1992. Perhaps more remarkably, it was 15 years since Ganim had made his first appearance on Team USA, having been part of the 1984 World Championship team.
MacKenzie and Paraiso - twin sisters - played their final match together for Team USA 10 years ago, and went out with gold medals, defeating Canadians Lori-Jane Powell and Debbie Ward for the gold medal. The sisters were undefeated in their seven appearances with Team USA.
Legacy?
The racquetball legacy in Winnipeg from the '99 Games has been disappointing, as there wasn't the hoped for bump up in racquetball interest locally. That may be partly due to the fourth place finish by local racquetball hero and 10 time Canadian champion, Sherman Greenfeld, who finished fourth after losing to Bronfeld in the semis and then to Rob DeJesus of Puerto Rico in the bronze medal match.
Greenfeld seemed to have spent all his energy in defeating the then up-and-coming teenager Kane Waselenchuk in a quarter final match that went tie-breaker in what was a very hot facility. The two Canadians met in the quarters because DeJesus had defeated Waselenchuk in one of the preliminary round matches used to make the draw for the medal round.
But in general the lack of increased interest calls into question the effectiveness of hosting a large event to generate interest in a sport. Is spending a lot of money on a big event really going to increase interest in the sports involved after the event is over?
Make no mistake. Sports festivals can be really fun, and are great events in their own right. But whether the interest in the sports will carry on past the end of the events is a open question. Some kind of local, one to one, introduction is likely to be more effective at creating sustained interest than a massive event.
Alternatively, the '99 Pan Ams legacy might have been different if new racquetball facilities had been created or if existing facilities had been upgraded for the Games. But that was not the case. The portable court then used for the US Open in Memphis was brought to Winnipeg, which provided good viewing for the event, but no infrastructure legacy.
A big event can create a legacy for a sport, but it won't do so by itself. Follow-up activities need to be done, and you need places for those activities. Without them it's almost pointless to have the event in the first place, if your goal is boosting interest and participation at the local level.
Follow the bouncing ball...
Monday, July 20, 2009
Happy 55th Birthday Jerry Hilecher!
You were one of the original elite racquetball players. You first played on the pro tour in the 1973-74 season, and played in each of the next 14 seasons for a total of 131 tournament appearances, which places you 10th all time. The only player from the 70s who played in more tournaments is Marty Hogan (152).
You reached the finals 20 times and won five of them. You may have won more if not for Hogan's dominance during the period of your career. Nevertheless, those 5 tournament victories put you in 17th place overall.
Your career was during racquetball's glory days, although it wasn't always so good for you, as you were initially excluded from the National Racquetball Tour (sponsored by Catalina Sportswear and often referred to as the Catalina tour), and considered taking legal action about that. But victories on court - including at the 1981 CBC Classic in Winnipeg, Canada - led them to include you.
All in all you had a fine career. Happy birthday!
(note: statistics from the IRT Historical Data Archive)
Follow the bouncing ball....
You reached the finals 20 times and won five of them. You may have won more if not for Hogan's dominance during the period of your career. Nevertheless, those 5 tournament victories put you in 17th place overall.
Your career was during racquetball's glory days, although it wasn't always so good for you, as you were initially excluded from the National Racquetball Tour (sponsored by Catalina Sportswear and often referred to as the Catalina tour), and considered taking legal action about that. But victories on court - including at the 1981 CBC Classic in Winnipeg, Canada - led them to include you.
All in all you had a fine career. Happy birthday!
(note: statistics from the IRT Historical Data Archive)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Happy One Year Anniversary TRB!
The Racquetball Blog officially began to "follow the bouncing ball" on July 7th of last year, and although the start was slow, we did manage to put out 155 articles by the end of 2008. That was a pace of 1.15 posts per day!
This year, we've put out 154 posts (including this one) over 188 days, which is still about 1 per day (0.82 actually). Our goal is to bring you something new about racquetball each day.
There are several topics that we've covered, primarily reports about the elite players, but also discussions of racquetball on continents other than North America, as well as the history of the game and instructions from some of racquetball's top coaches.
On the horizon, as we start our second year are the World Games later this month in Taiwan and the European Championships in Paris. We'll also have further installments in our instruction series with Jim Winterton, former US National Team coach, Loren Prentice, one of Canada's National Team coaches, and others.
We encourage you to spread the word about The Racquetball Blog. Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell anyone interested in racquetball! Become a fan of The Racquetball Blog on Facebook!
We also encourage you to let us know what you think of any of our articles, or story ideas by either leaving a comment directly on TRB site (click on "N comments", where "N" is the number of comments left to date, that appears at the bottom of each article) or sending an email to The Racquetball Blog (all one word) AT gmail DOT com.
We appreciate your interest, readership and welcome all feedback as we continue to ...
Follow the bouncing ball....
This year, we've put out 154 posts (including this one) over 188 days, which is still about 1 per day (0.82 actually). Our goal is to bring you something new about racquetball each day.
There are several topics that we've covered, primarily reports about the elite players, but also discussions of racquetball on continents other than North America, as well as the history of the game and instructions from some of racquetball's top coaches.
On the horizon, as we start our second year are the World Games later this month in Taiwan and the European Championships in Paris. We'll also have further installments in our instruction series with Jim Winterton, former US National Team coach, Loren Prentice, one of Canada's National Team coaches, and others.
We encourage you to spread the word about The Racquetball Blog. Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell anyone interested in racquetball! Become a fan of The Racquetball Blog on Facebook!
We also encourage you to let us know what you think of any of our articles, or story ideas by either leaving a comment directly on TRB site (click on "N comments", where "N" is the number of comments left to date, that appears at the bottom of each article) or sending an email to The Racquetball Blog (all one word) AT gmail DOT com.
We appreciate your interest, readership and welcome all feedback as we continue to ...
Follow the bouncing ball....
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Happy Canada Day!
Canada, you've produced some of the best racquetball players in history: Kane Waselenchuk, Christie Van Hees, Heather Stupp, Sherman Greenfeld and by adoption Heather McKay. Yes, you've definitely been the second best racquetball nation on the planet.
Indeed, you won the team competition at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in 2000, and Greenfeld and Van Hees won both individual World Championship singles titles in 1998, making Canada the only country other than the USA to do so.
But lately you've been challenged. You finished 3rd overall in the team competition at the World Championships last year in Ireland, which was your lowest finish ever. You've still got good players, but they're finding themselves challenged in every match now as other countries improve.
Waselenchuk is still the #1 men's player, but it's unlikely he will play for you in any future international competitions given the suspension for a doping violation he had to endure after playing in your National Championships in 2006.
Also, Van Hees is still a good player, but she didn't play for Canada in last year's Worlds because she failed to satisfy the criteria to qualify for the team. Van Hees only played in two tournaments this past season, which was the fewest since coming out of her hiatus in 2003. Whether she'll be interested in playing in next year's Worlds is an open question.
Add to this the facts that the #1 women's player is a Mexican and the quality of the US players hasn't dropped off, and you can see how it's become harder for one of your players to reach the podium.
But there aren't just concerns at the Natioanl Team level. You've been losing courts all over the country and few news ones have been built to replace those lost.
There are some positive signs. Your Junior National Championships remain big events, and many people are committed to attending Nationals year in and year out. Also, your high level coaching program has expanded, which should help further develop elite players.
So to all the people of the Great White North, Happy Canada Day! Here's to your great racquetball history, and hoping that continues for many years to come.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Indeed, you won the team competition at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in 2000, and Greenfeld and Van Hees won both individual World Championship singles titles in 1998, making Canada the only country other than the USA to do so.
But lately you've been challenged. You finished 3rd overall in the team competition at the World Championships last year in Ireland, which was your lowest finish ever. You've still got good players, but they're finding themselves challenged in every match now as other countries improve.
Waselenchuk is still the #1 men's player, but it's unlikely he will play for you in any future international competitions given the suspension for a doping violation he had to endure after playing in your National Championships in 2006.
Also, Van Hees is still a good player, but she didn't play for Canada in last year's Worlds because she failed to satisfy the criteria to qualify for the team. Van Hees only played in two tournaments this past season, which was the fewest since coming out of her hiatus in 2003. Whether she'll be interested in playing in next year's Worlds is an open question.
Add to this the facts that the #1 women's player is a Mexican and the quality of the US players hasn't dropped off, and you can see how it's become harder for one of your players to reach the podium.
But there aren't just concerns at the Natioanl Team level. You've been losing courts all over the country and few news ones have been built to replace those lost.
There are some positive signs. Your Junior National Championships remain big events, and many people are committed to attending Nationals year in and year out. Also, your high level coaching program has expanded, which should help further develop elite players.
So to all the people of the Great White North, Happy Canada Day! Here's to your great racquetball history, and hoping that continues for many years to come.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Happy 47th Birthday Sherman Greenfeld!
Your characteristic backhand slice serve done while standing just outside of the right side drive serve zone helped make you the best Canadian player of your time. The proof is in the 10 Canadian Championships you won, first in 1986 and last in 1998. You also were a finalist in 1999, but lost to a teenager named Kane Waselenchuk.
Often you'd be aiming that serve behind you into the right wall and floor crack by the 5 foot line, and more often than not you'd hit it, so the ball would just dribble across the floor. It gave your opponents fits.
But you'd also anticipate what shot your opponent was going to do before they even hit it. So when your opponent was deep in a back corner setting up to hit a pinch shot that looked like a sure winner, it wouldn't be a winner, because you'd have positioned yourself up by the front wall to re-kill it, even if the shot was almost flat.
Your game style of an unorthodox serve, great anticipation on court and excellent shot making, helped you defeat some of the best players of your era at one time or another, including John Ellis, Andy Roberts, Dan Obremski, Tim Doyle, Egan Inoue, Mike Ray and Cliff Swain.
Internationally, you played for Canada 17 times, second only to Mike Green for Team Canada appearances by a male player. Five times you were a champion, winning the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships twice, in 1994 and 1998, and the Tournament of the Americas (now Pan American Championships) three times, in 1990, 1994, and 1998.
Next month racquetball is going to be in the World Games for the first time since 1993. You played in 1993 World Games in The Hague, Netherlands, and came home with the bronze medal, behind Michael Bronfeld and John Ellis.
Despite the domestic and international success, you made few appearances on the pro tour. The Boss Consulting IRT Archive lists you in 34 pro matches (15 wins, 19 losses) from 1980 to 1998, which is a rate of only about 2 matches a year. In comparision, Mike Ceresia, a Canadian with a similar length career, played three times as many matches (102). We wonder what your pro record would have been if you'd played more.
But more than the excellence you displayed on court you were also a gentleman off court and well liked by all. It's for that reason that Racquetball Canada chose to designate the award they present to a junior male player, who demonstrates excellence on and off the court at the Canadian Junior Nationals, the Sherman Greenfeld Award.
Finally, we'd love to see you go down to the US Open in Memphis and play in the Classic Pro Racquetball Tour (CPRT) event there, because we're sure you could beat those guys. But you don't seem interested in the idea, feeling we suppose that your career is over and all good things must come to an end.
But your career wasn't just good. It was great.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Often you'd be aiming that serve behind you into the right wall and floor crack by the 5 foot line, and more often than not you'd hit it, so the ball would just dribble across the floor. It gave your opponents fits.
But you'd also anticipate what shot your opponent was going to do before they even hit it. So when your opponent was deep in a back corner setting up to hit a pinch shot that looked like a sure winner, it wouldn't be a winner, because you'd have positioned yourself up by the front wall to re-kill it, even if the shot was almost flat.
Your game style of an unorthodox serve, great anticipation on court and excellent shot making, helped you defeat some of the best players of your era at one time or another, including John Ellis, Andy Roberts, Dan Obremski, Tim Doyle, Egan Inoue, Mike Ray and Cliff Swain.
Internationally, you played for Canada 17 times, second only to Mike Green for Team Canada appearances by a male player. Five times you were a champion, winning the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships twice, in 1994 and 1998, and the Tournament of the Americas (now Pan American Championships) three times, in 1990, 1994, and 1998.
Next month racquetball is going to be in the World Games for the first time since 1993. You played in 1993 World Games in The Hague, Netherlands, and came home with the bronze medal, behind Michael Bronfeld and John Ellis.
Despite the domestic and international success, you made few appearances on the pro tour. The Boss Consulting IRT Archive lists you in 34 pro matches (15 wins, 19 losses) from 1980 to 1998, which is a rate of only about 2 matches a year. In comparision, Mike Ceresia, a Canadian with a similar length career, played three times as many matches (102). We wonder what your pro record would have been if you'd played more.
But more than the excellence you displayed on court you were also a gentleman off court and well liked by all. It's for that reason that Racquetball Canada chose to designate the award they present to a junior male player, who demonstrates excellence on and off the court at the Canadian Junior Nationals, the Sherman Greenfeld Award.
Finally, we'd love to see you go down to the US Open in Memphis and play in the Classic Pro Racquetball Tour (CPRT) event there, because we're sure you could beat those guys. But you don't seem interested in the idea, feeling we suppose that your career is over and all good things must come to an end.
But your career wasn't just good. It was great.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Happy 28th Birthday Shane Vanderson!
You finished the 2008-09 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season ranked 6th, which was down one spot from last season due to Kane Waselenchuk's return to the tour. You've been a top 10 player since the 2003-04 season, but haven't cracked the top four.
You've been in finals of IRT Tier 1 events twice, and in the semi-finals 12 times. Those final appearances were only a few weeks apart back in the spring of 2005. You played Cliff Swain in the 2005 San Diego Open, losing 3-1, and then played Jack Huczek in the final of the Red Swain Memorial event a few weeks later, also losing 3-1.
You've been a Team USA player four times, winning gold in doubles with Mike Dennison at the 2004 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Korea. You earned silver at the 2006 Worlds in singles, and both silver (in doubles with Dennison) and bronze (singles) at the 2004 Pan American Championships.
You showed great promise as a junior player, winning IRF World Junior titles 5 times in singles and 6 times in doubles. Then you were a collegiate champion while attending Baldwin Wallace College, where you were part of two men's collegiate championship teams in 2001 and 2002 helped by your singles championship in 2001 and doubles championship in 2002 with Andy Hawthorne. You also won doubles with Hawthorne in 2003.
Thus, early in your pro career it looked like that you were going to actualize some of the potential you showed as a junior, but of late there's been some inconsistency. You made two semi finals this year, including the US Open, when you defeated Jason Mannino in the quarter finals hitting shoulder high backhand and forehand shots that slid along the side wall and flat rolled when they got to the front wall.
Shots like that almost defy belief.
Yet to crack the top four you'll have to make those kind of shots more often. We believe you can do it, but wonder if the lack of progress lately indicates a lack of commitment to crack the top 4. With Waselenchuk, Huczek, and Rocky Carson all stating they are going to be working hard this summer to play even better next season, you'll need to be doing the same.
We hope you will, so you can provide another threat to win on any given weekend.
(note: IRT stats from Boss Consulting)
Follow the bouncing ball....
You've been in finals of IRT Tier 1 events twice, and in the semi-finals 12 times. Those final appearances were only a few weeks apart back in the spring of 2005. You played Cliff Swain in the 2005 San Diego Open, losing 3-1, and then played Jack Huczek in the final of the Red Swain Memorial event a few weeks later, also losing 3-1.
You've been a Team USA player four times, winning gold in doubles with Mike Dennison at the 2004 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Korea. You earned silver at the 2006 Worlds in singles, and both silver (in doubles with Dennison) and bronze (singles) at the 2004 Pan American Championships.
You showed great promise as a junior player, winning IRF World Junior titles 5 times in singles and 6 times in doubles. Then you were a collegiate champion while attending Baldwin Wallace College, where you were part of two men's collegiate championship teams in 2001 and 2002 helped by your singles championship in 2001 and doubles championship in 2002 with Andy Hawthorne. You also won doubles with Hawthorne in 2003.
Thus, early in your pro career it looked like that you were going to actualize some of the potential you showed as a junior, but of late there's been some inconsistency. You made two semi finals this year, including the US Open, when you defeated Jason Mannino in the quarter finals hitting shoulder high backhand and forehand shots that slid along the side wall and flat rolled when they got to the front wall.
Shots like that almost defy belief.
Yet to crack the top four you'll have to make those kind of shots more often. We believe you can do it, but wonder if the lack of progress lately indicates a lack of commitment to crack the top 4. With Waselenchuk, Huczek, and Rocky Carson all stating they are going to be working hard this summer to play even better next season, you'll need to be doing the same.
We hope you will, so you can provide another threat to win on any given weekend.
(note: IRT stats from Boss Consulting)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Happy 27th Birthday Kristen Bellows!
You gave yourself a wonderful early birthday present by winning your first pro tournament last month in Stockton, California at the Ektelon Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) World Championships stealing the spotlight that was supposed to be on Paola Longoria and Rhonda Rajsich, who were battling for the season end #1 ranking.
It's surprising that was your first pro tournament title, but maybe more surprising is that it was only your fifth career final. Especially as you were in two finals in 2001-02 - in what we believe was your first year on tour. You finished #6 at the end of that season, and haven't been outside the top 8 since.
Although Stockton was your first pro win, you're no stranger to the winner's circle. You won 8 World Junior titles: singles titles in 2001 & 2000 (18 & under), 1999 (16 & under) and 1996 (14 & under), and doubles titles with Krystal Csuk in 2000 and 1998 and with Jeni Fuller in 1996 and 1995.
You won the Intercollegiate title three times in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and you were part of the University of Utah team that won the 2004 Intercollegiate women's team title. In addition, you took the Intercollegiate doubles crown with Marianne Walse in 2004 and Elle Summers in 2001.
You've also been Pan American Champion in 2004, winning singles along with a silver in doubles with partner Cheryl Gudinas Holmes, who you beat in the singles final. That year was the second of four consecutive appearances you made for Team USA at the Pan American Championships. You earned a bronze in doubles in 2003 with Kersten Hallander, and a silver in singles in 2006.
Our hope is that your breakthrough pro victory will just be the start of many more great results from you, as that will make the WPRO tour all the more interesting.
All of a sudden the 2009-10 season seems just too far away.
Follow the bouncing ball...
It's surprising that was your first pro tournament title, but maybe more surprising is that it was only your fifth career final. Especially as you were in two finals in 2001-02 - in what we believe was your first year on tour. You finished #6 at the end of that season, and haven't been outside the top 8 since.
Although Stockton was your first pro win, you're no stranger to the winner's circle. You won 8 World Junior titles: singles titles in 2001 & 2000 (18 & under), 1999 (16 & under) and 1996 (14 & under), and doubles titles with Krystal Csuk in 2000 and 1998 and with Jeni Fuller in 1996 and 1995.
You won the Intercollegiate title three times in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and you were part of the University of Utah team that won the 2004 Intercollegiate women's team title. In addition, you took the Intercollegiate doubles crown with Marianne Walse in 2004 and Elle Summers in 2001.
You've also been Pan American Champion in 2004, winning singles along with a silver in doubles with partner Cheryl Gudinas Holmes, who you beat in the singles final. That year was the second of four consecutive appearances you made for Team USA at the Pan American Championships. You earned a bronze in doubles in 2003 with Kersten Hallander, and a silver in singles in 2006.
Our hope is that your breakthrough pro victory will just be the start of many more great results from you, as that will make the WPRO tour all the more interesting.
All of a sudden the 2009-10 season seems just too far away.
Follow the bouncing ball...
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Happy 36th Birthday Angela Grisar!
You're ranked 8th on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, but have been as high as #3 as recently as last October. That's the highest ranking a Chilean, or any South American player - or any non-North American player for that matter, woman or man - has ever achieved.
You won the Miami WPRO event in 2007, and have been a finalist on at least four other occasions, three of those times in Miami, so that must be your favorite place to play.
You've also done well playing for Chile in international competitions, earning silver medals in singles at the 2006 and 2004 World Championships, as well as silvers in doubles at the 2006 and 2004 Worlds. Additionally, you earned silver medals in doubles at the 1999 and 2006 Pan American Championships, as well as a bronze medal on home soil at the 2007 Pan Am Championships in Santiago.
In recent years, you and your partner Pablo Fajre have been involved in developing RacquetballOnline.tv - a racquetball webcasting service allowing people to watch matches live as well as in the archive on your web site. It's a great way to bring racquetball to more people than those who can just get to the club where the event is happening.
You've had a good career on court, and have also made valuable contributions to racquetball off it. We look forward to many more years of the same.
Follow the bouncing ball....
You won the Miami WPRO event in 2007, and have been a finalist on at least four other occasions, three of those times in Miami, so that must be your favorite place to play.
You've also done well playing for Chile in international competitions, earning silver medals in singles at the 2006 and 2004 World Championships, as well as silvers in doubles at the 2006 and 2004 Worlds. Additionally, you earned silver medals in doubles at the 1999 and 2006 Pan American Championships, as well as a bronze medal on home soil at the 2007 Pan Am Championships in Santiago.
In recent years, you and your partner Pablo Fajre have been involved in developing RacquetballOnline.tv - a racquetball webcasting service allowing people to watch matches live as well as in the archive on your web site. It's a great way to bring racquetball to more people than those who can just get to the club where the event is happening.
You've had a good career on court, and have also made valuable contributions to racquetball off it. We look forward to many more years of the same.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Happy 26th Birthday Jack Huczek!
You've built one of the strongest career records in racquetball. In years to come, when people talk about the best players of all time, they will have to consider you in the discussion.
Your start was auspicious, as you won the Boys 8 and under World Junior title in 1992. That was followed by 10 consecutive World Junior titles, two in each age division until 2002. It's a remarkable record that's unlikely to be broken or even equaled.
By then you'd turned your attention to the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and professional racquetball. You were 17 when you made your first IRT appearance in 2000 and 19 when you got your first IRT tournament title. Only five players have won a men's pro tour tournament at a younger age*: Steve Serot (at 17), Marty Hogan (17), Brett Harnett (17), Tim Sweeney (18), and Cliff Swain (18).
That win came in your first full season on the tour, and helped you finish 5th in the year end rankings. The next season, 2002-2003, you were 4th, and then 2nd for three straight seasons behind Kane Waselenchuk.
When Waselenchuk was suspended for two seasons, you naturally rose to the top and finished #1 at the end of the 2006-2007 season. Then last year you were 2nd, as Rocky Carson just beat you out for top spot, so for the first time in your career, your season ending ranking was lower than it had been the season before.
Of the 97 IRT Tier 1 or Grand Slam tournaments you've been in, you've been a finalist more often than not, as you've won 28 of those tournaments and finished runner up 25 times. In fact, you have a winning career record against all other regular tour players except for Sudsy Monchik and Waselenchuk.
Playing for your country
As good as your pro career has been, your record has been better playing internationally on Team USA. In eight appearances, you have won six gold medals in singles as well as a silver and bronze.
Your first appearance with Team USA was at the 2002 Tournament of the Americas (now Pan Am Championships), when you lost in the semi-finals to Javier Moreno. You then went on a gold medal streak, winning three straight IRF World Championships in 2002, 2004 and 2006, two Pan Am Championships in 2003 and 2005, and the 2003 Pan Am Games.
That streak ended last year when you lost an 11-10 tie-breaker in the World Championship final to Rocky Carson, who's been your doubles partner in recent years. The two of you were silver medalists in doubles at the 2006 World Championships.
Yes, it's been some career. And given that you're only 26 today, there should be many more good years ahead.
We look forward to them.
*Note: Statistics from the Boss Consulting IRT statistics website, which notes that the birth dates for Serot, Harnett and Sweeney are estimates.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Your start was auspicious, as you won the Boys 8 and under World Junior title in 1992. That was followed by 10 consecutive World Junior titles, two in each age division until 2002. It's a remarkable record that's unlikely to be broken or even equaled.
By then you'd turned your attention to the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and professional racquetball. You were 17 when you made your first IRT appearance in 2000 and 19 when you got your first IRT tournament title. Only five players have won a men's pro tour tournament at a younger age*: Steve Serot (at 17), Marty Hogan (17), Brett Harnett (17), Tim Sweeney (18), and Cliff Swain (18).
That win came in your first full season on the tour, and helped you finish 5th in the year end rankings. The next season, 2002-2003, you were 4th, and then 2nd for three straight seasons behind Kane Waselenchuk.
When Waselenchuk was suspended for two seasons, you naturally rose to the top and finished #1 at the end of the 2006-2007 season. Then last year you were 2nd, as Rocky Carson just beat you out for top spot, so for the first time in your career, your season ending ranking was lower than it had been the season before.
Of the 97 IRT Tier 1 or Grand Slam tournaments you've been in, you've been a finalist more often than not, as you've won 28 of those tournaments and finished runner up 25 times. In fact, you have a winning career record against all other regular tour players except for Sudsy Monchik and Waselenchuk.
Playing for your country
As good as your pro career has been, your record has been better playing internationally on Team USA. In eight appearances, you have won six gold medals in singles as well as a silver and bronze.
Your first appearance with Team USA was at the 2002 Tournament of the Americas (now Pan Am Championships), when you lost in the semi-finals to Javier Moreno. You then went on a gold medal streak, winning three straight IRF World Championships in 2002, 2004 and 2006, two Pan Am Championships in 2003 and 2005, and the 2003 Pan Am Games.
That streak ended last year when you lost an 11-10 tie-breaker in the World Championship final to Rocky Carson, who's been your doubles partner in recent years. The two of you were silver medalists in doubles at the 2006 World Championships.
Yes, it's been some career. And given that you're only 26 today, there should be many more good years ahead.
We look forward to them.
*Note: Statistics from the Boss Consulting IRT statistics website, which notes that the birth dates for Serot, Harnett and Sweeney are estimates.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Happy 40th Birthday Tim Doyle!
Twenty years ago you won the first of two consecutive US Nationals titles (1989 & 1990). That led to three appearances with Team USA: twice at the Tournament of the Americas (now Pan American Championships) in 1990 and 1991, when you won gold in Santiago, Chile and in the 1990 IRF World Championships in Caracas, Venezuela, where you came second to fellow American Egan Inoue.
On the pro tour, you won five titles and were runner up 13 times. You were in the season ending top 6 five straight seasons from 1990-91 to 1994-95, including twice at #2 (in 1990-91 behind Mike Ray & 1993-94 behind Cliff Swain) and twice at #3.
Then after two seasons when you played fewer than half the events, you returned to the tour full time in 1998-99 and finished with a 23-13 match record and at #6 at season's end. You followed that with three more top 10 seasons.
You last played on the pro tour in 2002-03, but now that you're 40 maybe you could pick up your racquet again and play on the Classic Professional Racquetball Tour (CPRT).
All in all, you had a fine career, and we wish you a happy 40th birthday.
Follow the bouncing ball....
*Note - pro record from Boss Consulting, which notes that records are incomplete from the early 1990s, when Doyle was in his prime so he may have won more tournaments than listed above.
On the pro tour, you won five titles and were runner up 13 times. You were in the season ending top 6 five straight seasons from 1990-91 to 1994-95, including twice at #2 (in 1990-91 behind Mike Ray & 1993-94 behind Cliff Swain) and twice at #3.
Then after two seasons when you played fewer than half the events, you returned to the tour full time in 1998-99 and finished with a 23-13 match record and at #6 at season's end. You followed that with three more top 10 seasons.
You last played on the pro tour in 2002-03, but now that you're 40 maybe you could pick up your racquet again and play on the Classic Professional Racquetball Tour (CPRT).
All in all, you had a fine career, and we wish you a happy 40th birthday.
Follow the bouncing ball....
*Note - pro record from Boss Consulting, which notes that records are incomplete from the early 1990s, when Doyle was in his prime so he may have won more tournaments than listed above.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Happy 30th Birthday Chris Crowther!
You are the 10th ranked player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). In a game that often favors players of moderate stature, you stand out as the tallest IRT player at 6' 5".
You're one of those players lurking outside the top echelon, having never made the semis at a IRT Tier 1 event. You've been in the quarters of the US Open once (2003).
But you were part of one of most curious US Open stories. In 2004, you were playing on the far back court at The Racquet Club of Memphis against Javier Moreno. The referee called a hinder. You'd opened the door to hear the referee's explanation of the call, and then closed it "with a little more force than usual." Not unlike many players have.
However, this time the door must have caught something and twisted slightly, because the next sound was that of glass fragmenting and then crumbling down in heap of little pieces. Oops.
The curious thing about the door was it was a different shape from those on the other back courts, so it wasn't going be replaced easily. However, Randy Stafford's Court Company is resident in Memphis, and they recalled that just such a door - the style of which had gone out of production 12 years earlier - had been saved by an employee to use as a table for his mother.
A phone call revealed that the table had never been made, so after 14 years of it sitting in the mother's garage, it was delivered the Racquet Club, installed and play resumed.
That all took some time. But you and Moreno were shuffled to another court in the meanwhile. After you were bandaged up from some cuts suffered as a result of the incident, you got back in and won that game, the second of the match, which evened the match at one game a piece. Unfortunately, Moreno won the next two games to take the match 3-1.
Your racquetball career has taken you many places, including Korea, Canada, Mexico and Santiago, Chile, where you were a member of Team USA at the 2007 Pan American Championships taking home a bronze medal in singles.
Yes, racquetball has been good to you over your three decades. And may your good fortune continue.
*source The Daily Racquet #4, On-site publication of Racquetball Magazine.
Follow the bouncing ball....
You're one of those players lurking outside the top echelon, having never made the semis at a IRT Tier 1 event. You've been in the quarters of the US Open once (2003).
But you were part of one of most curious US Open stories. In 2004, you were playing on the far back court at The Racquet Club of Memphis against Javier Moreno. The referee called a hinder. You'd opened the door to hear the referee's explanation of the call, and then closed it "with a little more force than usual." Not unlike many players have.
However, this time the door must have caught something and twisted slightly, because the next sound was that of glass fragmenting and then crumbling down in heap of little pieces. Oops.
The curious thing about the door was it was a different shape from those on the other back courts, so it wasn't going be replaced easily. However, Randy Stafford's Court Company is resident in Memphis, and they recalled that just such a door - the style of which had gone out of production 12 years earlier - had been saved by an employee to use as a table for his mother.
A phone call revealed that the table had never been made, so after 14 years of it sitting in the mother's garage, it was delivered the Racquet Club, installed and play resumed.
That all took some time. But you and Moreno were shuffled to another court in the meanwhile. After you were bandaged up from some cuts suffered as a result of the incident, you got back in and won that game, the second of the match, which evened the match at one game a piece. Unfortunately, Moreno won the next two games to take the match 3-1.
Your racquetball career has taken you many places, including Korea, Canada, Mexico and Santiago, Chile, where you were a member of Team USA at the 2007 Pan American Championships taking home a bronze medal in singles.
Yes, racquetball has been good to you over your three decades. And may your good fortune continue.
*source The Daily Racquet #4, On-site publication of Racquetball Magazine.
Follow the bouncing ball....
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