Weekend round up: Wins for Parrilla & Carter

Jessica Parrilla won Women’s Open at the 32nd Annual Glass Court Swim & Fitness Turkey Shoot in Lombard, Illinois, on Sunday, as she defeated Naomi Ros in the final, 15-10, 15-10.

Both Parrilla and Ros needed tie-breakers to win their respective semi-final matches. Parrilla came back from a game down to defeat Valeria Centellas, 13-15, 15-10, 11-9, while Ros, the 5th seed, also dropped the first game of her semi before coming back to upset top seeded Carla Muñoz, 12-15, 15-8, 11-7.

Ros, the current USA Racquetball U18 Champion, got to the semis by upsetting 4th seed Sheryl Lotts, 15-10, 15-1, in the quarterfinals, while Parrilla beat Stephanie Synhorst, 15-12, 15-7.

Thomas Carter won Men’s Open in Lombard, as he defeated Jeremy Dixon, 15-4, 15-12. In the semi-finals, Carter, the top seed, beat 5th seed Benjamin Horner, 15-9, 15-9, and Dixon, the 3rd seed, upset 2nd seed Lee Meinerz, 15-12, 15-5.

Upcoming tournaments are Racquetball Canada’s National Team Selection Event this week in Brandon, Manitoba, then next week the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) will again be in action at the 32nd Annual Christmas Classic in Millersville, Maryland, December 6-8, and also the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) 2024 World Junior Championships will run from December 6-14 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

32nd Annual Glass Court & Fitness LPRT Turkey Shoot Racquetball Tournament
Lombard, Illinois - November 22-24, 2024

Women’s Open Final

2) Jessica Parrilla d. 5) Naomi Ros, 15-10, 15-10

Semi-finals

5) Naomi Ros d. 1) Carla Muñoz, 12-15, 15-8, 11-7
2) Jessica Parrilla d. 3) Valeria Centellas, 13-15, 15-10, 11-9

Quarterfinals

1) Carla Muñoz d. 8) Chanis Leon, 15-2, 15-2
5) Naomi Ros d. 4) Sheryl Lotts, 15-10, 15-1

3) Valeria Centellas d. 6) Annie Sanchez, 15-12, 8-15, 11-7
2) Jessica Parrilla d. 7) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-12, 15-7

Men’s Open Final

1) Thomas Carter d. 3) Jeremy Dixon, 15-4, 15-12

Semi-finals

1) Thomas Carter d. 5) Benjamin Horner, 15-9, 15-9
3) Jeremy Dixon d. 2) Lee Meinerz, 15-12, 15-5

Quarterfinals

1) Thomas Carter d. 9) Tyler Breaden, 15-5, 15-0
5) Benjamin Horner d. 4) James Black, 15-5, 15-13

3) Jeremy Dixon d. 6) Blase Zera 15-7, 15-7
2) Lee Meinerz d. 7) Eric Mathews, 15-7, 15-8

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Update: Wins for Mendez, Waselenchuk and Natera & Trujillo

Natalia Mendez and Kane Waselenchuk won Women’s and Men’s Open at the 2024 Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, on the weekend.

Mendez beat Carla Muñoz in the final, 15-5, 15-3, after needing a tie-breaker to get by Naomi Ros in the semi-finals, 14-15, 15-11, 11-3. Carla Muñoz beat Ana Laura Flores, 15-1, 15-2, in the other semi.

Waselenchuk beat Alan Natera in the Men’s Open final, 15-5, 15-9. In the semi-finals, he defeated Elias Nieto, 15-5, 15-4, and Natera needed a tie-breaker to beat Erick Trujillo, 12-15, 15-9, 11-3.

However, Natera and Trujillo teamed up to win the Men’s Open Doubles division. They defeated DJ Mendoza and Cole Sendrey in the final, 15-9, 15-6. In the semi-finals, Natera and Trujillo beat Matthew Barron and Waselenchuk, 15-9, 15-9, and Mendoza and Sendrey defeated Daniel De La Rosa and David Mendoza, 15-9, 15-7.

May events

In May, there will be men’s and women’s pro tournaments. The International Racquetball Tour will be in California for the SoCal Open May 23-26 in Canoga Park. The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour will be in action at the Sweet Caroline Open in Greenville, South Carolina, May 17-19.

Also, the Canadian National and Junior National Championships will happen in Calgary, Alberta, May 20-25.

2024 Battle at the Alamo
San Antonio, Texas - April 25-28, 2024

Women’s Open Final

1) Natalia Mendez d. 2) Carla Muñoz, 15-5, 15-3

Semi-finals

1) Natalia Mendez d. 5) Naomi Ros, 14-15, 15-11, 11-3
2) Carla Muñoz d. 3) Ana Laura Flores, 15-1, 15-2

Quarterfinals

1) Natalia Mendez d. 8) Estefania Perez Picon, 15-0, 15-2
5) Naomi Ros d. 4) Annie Roberts, 15-10, 15-5

3) Ana Laura Flores d. 6) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-5, 6-15, 11-4
2) Carla Muñoz d. 7) Chanis Leon, 15-2, 15-8

Men’s Open Final

1) Kane Waselenchuk d. 2) Alan Natera, 15-5, 15-9

Semi-finals

1) Kane Waselenchuk d. 5) Elias Nieto, 15-5, 15-4
2) Alan Natera d. 3) Erick Trujillo, 12-15, 15-9, 11-3

Quarterfinals

1) Kane Waselenchuk d. 8) DJ Mendoza, 15-0, 15-3
5) Elias Nieto d. 13) Jimmy Fernandez, 15-7, 15-5

3) Erick Trujillo d. 6) Cole Sendrey, 15-12, 15-0
2) Alan Natera d. 7) Brennen Jennings, 15-3, 15-5

Men’s Doubles Final

1) Alan Natera & Erick Trujillo d. 3) DJ Mendoza & Cole Sendry, 15-9, 15-6

Semi-finals

1) Alan Natera & Erick Trujillo d. 4) Matthew Barron & Kane Waselenchuk, 15-9, 15-9
3) DJ Mendoza & Cole Sendry d. 2) Daniel De La Rosa and David Mendoza, 15-9, 15-7

Quarterfinals

1) Alan Natera & Erick Trujillo d. 9) Elias Nieto & Christian Longoria, 14-15, 15-5, 11-4
4) Matthew Barron & Kane Waselenchuk d. 5) Sam Hojat & Brennen Jennings, 15-9, 15-9

3) DJ Mendoza & Cole Sendry d. 6) Allan Kristensen & Joey Limonciello, 15-1, 15-8
2) Daniel De La Rosa and David Mendoza d. 10) Alejandro Bear & Ruben Martinez, 15-5, 15-11

Follow the bouncing ball….

Gastelum wins Men's Open at 39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout

Diego Gastelum won Men’s Open at the 39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout in Lombard, Illinois, on Sunday. He defeated Jhonatan Flores, 15-10, 10-15, 11-7, in a final featuring two young Bolivians. In the semi-finals, Gastelum defeated veteran Mauricio Zelada, 15-13, 15-12, and Flores beat Carlos Ramirez, 15-5, 15-6.

Flores impressed in the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) draw in Illinois, as he came within four points of defeating Kane Waselenchuk in the quarterfinals. Thus, it was no surprise to see him in the Men’s Open final.

However, Gastelum’s win suggests we should also be paying attention to him as well.

Upcoming events

The 2024 Pan American Championships will begin this Saturday, March 23, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and will run until the following Saturday, March 30. We’ll have a preview for you later this week. But you can be certain that there will be some great racquetball matches coming up in Guatemala.

The Pan Am Championships mean an “international break” in the pro tour schedules. The IRT’s next confirmed main event is the Costa Rica Open, June 12-15, although there was a hint that they will play in California in late May, and there is a “TBD” event listed on the IRT site for May 23-26.

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour’s (LPRT’s) next event is the Battle at the Alamo, April 25-28, in San Antonio, Texas. That could be very well attended, as San Antonio will host the 2024 International Racquetball Federation World Championships in August, so some players may want to get a chance to play on the courts that will host Worlds.

39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout
Lombard, Illinois - March 14-17, 2024

Men’s Open Singles - Final

4) Diego Gastelum d. 10) Jhonatan Flores, 15-10, 10-15, 11-7

Semi-finals

4) Diego Gastelum d. 1) Mauricio Zelada, 15-13, 15-12
10) Jhonatan Flores d. 14) Carlos Ramirez, 15-5, 15-6

Quarterfinals

1) Mauricio Zelada d. 8) Victor Migliore, 10-15 15-6, 11-2
4) Diego Gastelum d. 12) Luis Aguilar, 15-13, 15-4

14) Carlos Ramirez d. 11) Jeremy Dixon, 15-5, 8-15, 11-3
10) Jhonatan Flores d. 2) Jordy Alonso, 15-14, 15-10

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend round up: Wins for Parrilla & Natera

Jessica Parrilla won Women’s Open at the 2024 Boston Open on the weekend in Marlborough, Massachusetts. She defeated Carla Muñoz, 11-6, 11-7, in the final. In the semi-finals, Parrilla beat Juliette Parent, 11-2, 11-1, and Muñoz defeated Stephanie Synhorst, 11-1, 11-4.

Over at the 2024 McNamara Minnesota Racquetball Hall of Fame in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alan Natera won Men’s Open by defeating Jhonatan Flores, 15-14, 5-15, 11-9, in the final. In the semi-finals, Natera defeated Edwin Galicia, 15-7, 15-1, and Flores beat Jordan Barth, 15-7, 15-4.

Upcoming events

Looking ahead, the big event this month will be the 2024 Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala beginning March 23 and concluding March 30. But prior to that the International Racquetball Tour will be in action at the 39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout in Lombard, Illinois, March 14-17.

2024 Boston Open
Marlborough, Massachusetts - March 1-3, 2024

Women’s Open Singles Final

2) Jessica Parrilla d. 1) Carla Muñoz, 11-6, 11-7

Semi-finals

1) Carla Muñoz d. 4) Stephanie Synhorst, 11-1, 11-4
2) Jessica Parrilla d. 6) Juliette Parent, 11-2, 11-1

Quarterfinals

1) Carla Muñoz - BYE
4) Stephanie Synhorst d. 5) Khyathi Velpuri, 11-0, 11-8

6) Juliette Parent d. 3) Naomi Ros, 11-10, 6-11, 11-8
2) Jessica Parrilla - BYE

2024 McNamara Minnesota Racquetball Hall of Fame Tournament
Minneapolis, Minnesota - February 29-March 3, 2024

Men’s Open Singles - Final

1) Alan Natera d. 7) Jhonatan Flores, 15-14, 5-15, 11-9

Semi-finals

1) Alan Natera d. 5) Edwin Galicia, 15-7, 15-1
7) Jhonatan Flores d. 3) Jordan Barth, 15-7, 15-4

Quarterfinals

1) Alan Natera d. 9) Carlos Ramirez, 15-3, 15-8
5) Edwin Galicia d. 20) Jaime Mansilla, 15-11, 15-4

3) Jordan Barth d. 6) Miguel Angel Arteaga Guzman, 15-13, 15-7
7) Jhonatan Flores d. 2) Mauricio Zelada, 15-13, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend round up: Cardona wins & upcoming events

Alejandro Cardona won Men’s Open at the 44th Annual Lewis Drug Pro-Am. He defeated Jaime Martell, 15-2, 15-7, in what was an all Mexican final. In the semi-finals, Cardona beat Canadian Coby Iwaasa, 15-6, 15-4, while Martell got a win over Mauricio Zelada by forfeit.

Upcoming events

Next month sees the 2024 USA Racquetball National Indoor Championships at the Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, February 7-11. There’s also Racquetball Canada’s 2nd National Team Selection Event of the season in Sherwood Park, Alberta, February 9-10.

The next International Racquetball Tour event will be the McNamara Hall of Fame event in Minneapolis, February 29-March 3. The next Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour event is the Boston Open, March 1-3, in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Looking ahead, we understand that the XXXV Pan American Championships will be in Guatemala City, as they were last year, from March 23-30, 2024. Also, the 2024 International Racquetball Federation World Championships will be in San Antonio, Texas, August 23-31.

That’ll be the first time Worlds have been in the USA since 1996, when they were in Phoenix. That year the USA made a clean sweep of the gold medals. Todd O’Neil won Men’s Singles and Michelle Gould won Women’s Singles. The doubles titles went to Adam Karp and Bill Sell on the men’s side and sisters Joy MacKenzie and Jackie Paraiso on the women’s side.

It’s difficult to imagine the USA - or any country really (maybe Mexico?) - sweeping gold this year.

2024 44th Lewis Drug Pro/Am
Sioux Falls, South Dakota - January 25-28, 2024

Men’s Open Singles - Final

5) Alejandro Cardona d. 2) Jaime Martell, 15-2, 15-7

Semi-finals

5) Alejandro Cardona d. 8) Coby Iwaasa, 15-6, 15-4
2) Jaime Martell d. 3) Mauricio Zelada, forfeit

Quarterfinals

8) Coby Iwaasa d. 16) Christian Pocsai, 15-4, 10-2, injury forfeit
5) Alejandro Cardona d. 4) Diego Gastelum, 10-15, 15-10, 11-7

3) Mauricio Zelada d. 6) Cole Sendrey, 15-13, 15-13
2) Jaime Martell d. 7) Set Cubillos, 15-8, 15-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend round up: Wins for Muñoz and Ros

Carla Muñoz won the Women’s Open title at the Arizona Open in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday. Muñoz defeated Lucia Gonzalez, 15-4, 15-11, in the final. In the semi-finals, Muñoz beat Stephanie Synhorst, 15-8, 15-4, and Gonzalez defeated Leonela Osorio, 15-2, 15-14.

Naomi Ros won the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) U21 division in Tempe. She defeated Osorio in the final, as Osorio had to retire with an injury in the second game. Ros won game one 15-10 and was up 6-0 in game two when Osorio had to forfeit with what seemed like an injury to her right leg.

In the semis, Ros beat Ana Victoria Fragoso, 15-1, 15-1, and Osorio held on to defeat Mariafernanda Trujillo, 15-8, 9-15, 11-4.

Later this month

The next International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event is the Lewis Drug Pro-Am, January 25-28, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. There are already 39 players entered in singles, so it should be a great event.

Arizona Open - Presented by The Madison Trust
Tempe, Arizona - January 12-14, 2024

Women’s Open Final

1) Carla Muñoz d. 3) Lucia Gonzalez, 15-4, 15-11

Semi-finals

1) Carla Muñoz d. 5) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-8, 15-4
3) Lucia Gonzalez d. 10) Leonela Osorio, 15-2, 15-14

LPRT U21 - Final

1) Naomi Ros d. 2) Leonela Osorio, 15-10, injury forfeit

Semi-finals

1) Naomi Ros d. 5) Ana Victoria Fragoso, 15-1, 15-1
2) Leonela Osorio d. 3) Mariafernanda Trujillo, 15-8, 9-15, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Two wins for Ortiz & one for Cullen - Weekend Round Up

Maricruz Ortiz was a double winner on the weekend at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) 2023 Frontline Boston Open in Marlbrough, Massachusetts, where she won Women’s Open and the LPRT U21 division.

In the Open final, Ortiz beat veteran Nancy Enriquez, 1-11, 11-7, 11-7. In the semi-finals, Ortiz defeated Stephanie Synhorst, 11-5, 11-4, and Enriquez beat Marjolaine Parent, 11-0, 11-2.

In the U21 division, Ortiz defeated lefthander Martina Katz, 15-1, 15-10, in the final. In the semi-finals, Ortiz upset top seed Valeria Centellas, 15-10, 7-15, 11-5, while Katz defeated Annie Roberts in two close games, 15-12, 15-14.

At the 2023 KWM Gutterman Minnesota Hall of Fame Event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kurtis Cullen won Men’s Open. In the final, he came back from a game down to defeat Andrés Gómez, 13-15, 15-0, 11-4. In the semis, Cullen beat Diego Gatica, 15-7, 15-12, and Gómez held on to defeat Rodrigo Salgado Jr., 15-6, 13-15, 11-2.

USA Racquetball High School Championships

The 2023 USA Racquetball High School Championships concluded in Portland, Oregon on Sunday. There was a field of 231 players, across a multitude of divisions with the largest being Boy’s #6 Singles with 97 players. Max Adelman of St. Louis University High School had to win six matches to claim the Boy’s #6 title (he was the top seed, so had a bye in the Round of 128). Adelman played 15th seed and classmate Ben Williams in the final, winning 15-4, 15-7.

Benjamin Horner of Ankeny Centennial in Ankeny, Iowa won Boy’s #1 by defeating DJ Mendoza (Douglas Macarthur High School, San Antonio), 15-11, 15-9, in what was a final between the top two seeds.

Mendoza’s class-mate Naomi Ros won her the Girl’s #1 division. She beat Gabbie Roseman of Kirkwood High School, Missouri, 15-2, 15-0, in the final. Indeed, Ros only gave up 17 points across four matches: 2.13 points per game. But in each of her last three matches Ros’s opponents only scored twice. She gave up almost twice as many points in the Round of 16 (11 in a 15-7, 15-4 win over 16th seed Victoria Rodriguez of Katela High School, California) than in the quarterfinals, semi-finals and final combined! (6 total).

Thus, you should not be surprised to learn that Ros and Mendoza won Mixed Doubles #1, defeating Roseman and Zach West in the final, 15-5, 15-9.

Upcoming events

There are several big racquetball events coming up in March. The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) will be in action at the 38th Annual Papa Nicholas Coffee Shamrock Shootout in Lombard, Illinois, March 16-19, and the 2023 USA Racquetball Intercollegiate Championships will be going on at Ohio State University March 15-19.

At the end of the month, the 2023 Pan American Championships will begin March 31 in Guatemala and run through to April 8. The defending champions are Bolivians Conrrado Moscoso and Angelica Barrios in Men’s and Women’s Singles, respectively, as well as Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray of Canada in Men’s Doubles and Natalia Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina in Women’s Singles, and, finally, Rodrigo Montoya and Samantha Salas of Mexico in Mixed Doubles.

So there’s lots of racquetball to look forward to this month.

2023 Frontline Boston Open
Marlborough, Massachusetts, March 3-5, 2023

Women’s Open Final

2) Maricruz Ortiz d. 1) Nancy Enriquez, 1-11, 11-7, 11-7

Semi-finals

1) Nancy Enriquez d. 5) Marjolaine Parent, 11-0, 11-2
2) Maricruz Ortiz d. 3) Stephanie Synhorst, 11-5, 11-4

LPRT U21 Final

4) Maricruz Ortiz d. 3) Martina Katz, 15-1, 15-10

Semi-finals

4) Maricruz Ortiz d. 1) Valeria Centellas, 15-10, 7-15, 11-5
3) Martina Katz d. 2) Annie Roberts, 15-12, 15-14

2023 KWM Gutterman Minnesota Hall of Fame Event
March 2-5, 2023 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Men’s Open Final

4) Kurtis Cullen d. 2) Andrés Gómez, 13-15, 15-0, 11-4

Semi-finals

4) Kurtis Cullen d. 1) Diego Gatica, 15-7, 15-12
2) Andrés Gómez d. 3) Rodrigo Salgado Jr., 15-6, 13-15, 11-2

Follow the bouncing ball….

Natera & Trujillo win at 43rd Annual Lewis Drug Pro-Am

Alan Natera won Men’s Open Sunday at the 43rd Annual Lewis Drug Pro-Am in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he defeated Gerson Miranda Martinez, 11-15, 15-4, 11-6, in the final. In the semi-finals, Natera, who was the top seed, defeated 5th seed Lee Connell, 15-11, 11-15, 11-3, while 3rd seed Miranda Martinez upset 2nd seed Jordan Barth, 15-11, 15-8.

There was also an International Racquetball Tour (IRT) U21 division in Sioux Falls, as the Lewis Drug Pro-Am was an IRT event. There were four players in the U21 division, so it was a round robin competition.

Erick Trujillo won the U21 division going undefeated against the other three players without losing a game. Curiously, Trujillo’s closest match was against Benjamin Horner, an American teen-ager who finished 4th without winning a game. But Horner’s two games versus Trujillo were close with Trujillo winning 15-11, 15-13.

Why are there U21 divisions?

The IRT introduced U21 divisions last year, as a result of the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) including U21 in their World Junior Championships. The IRF was concerned about players getting to the end of their junior eligibility (previously the oldest division at World Juniors was U18) and quitting racquetball, when they could still develop into good players.

That’s a real concern, and not isolated to racquetball. Players in other sports will quit once they get beyond their teenage years or junior years, because their lives change significantly from being kids at home to becoming adults away from home. Things that were once priorities - like the sports they played - can fall by the wayside as other things - school, work, etc. - take priority.

But the dream of any athlete should be to play for their country. The IRF has extended the possibility of fulfilling that dream for another three years at the World Junior level by introducing the U21 division. This is a good move, because racquetball has grown internationally through international competitions. The IRF got racquetball included in the Pan American Games - the highest level of international competition outside of the Olympics - and that trickles down to smaller international competitions, like the Central American and Caribbean Games.

Countries want to compete in those games, so they develop sport programs to do so. That’s why we’ve seen the development of so many elite racquetball players outside of the United States, where racquetball originated.

Do the pro tours need U21 divisions?

While a U21 division at the IRF World Junior Championships makes a lot of sense, U21 divisions on the pro tours make little sense. The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) seems to get this, as they have not had U21 divisions in their events this season with the exception of the US Open. Having a U21 LPRT division at the US Open may have been decided by USA Racquetball, as they would have wanted to have equal opportunity for both men and women, so if there was to be an IRT U21 division, then there should be a LPRT U21 division.

The U21 IRT draws are often small, usually fewer than ten players. Going to World Juniors, a weeklong event where you are representing your country and you can be assured that there will be a good field of players, is one thing, but going somewhere for a weekend tournament, which will likely have a small field of players, is another thing.

We believe that the IRT introduced U21 - with some prize money - as a means to help younger players pay for expenses to compete on tour. But we’d prefer the prize money from a U21 division to go into the Open division, and have the open division pay out for semi-finals as well as the finalists.

For example, the New York Open last year had $500 for first and $250 for second in U21, while Open was $600 for first and $400 for second ($1750 over both divisions). We think it would be better to have it all in Open with $750 for first, $500 second, and $250 for each semi-finalist.

Having younger players in Open means that they are could play “wily veterans.” Wily vets have been around awhile, seen a few things, have a few tricks up their sleeves, and are happy to school a young’un on the court. That schooling would be more useful to a young developing player than playing another kid of a similar age.

The young players may beat the wily veterans, and that’s great. In the long run, the young players should beat the wily veterans, because time is on the side of the young players, and they should use that time to develop skills to beat the wily vets. One way to develop those skills is by playing experienced players, i.e. the wily veterans.

Upcoming events

While the pro tours are off until late February, the focus next weekend will be on national events. USA Racquetball is having its 2023 National Doubles and National Singles Championships in Tempe, Arizona, February 1-5.

Also, Racquetball Canada will hold its second National Team Selection Event of the season February 3rd and 4th in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and Mexico’s Campeonato Nacional Selectivo 2023 will be in Juarez, Mexico, February 1-5.

43rd Annual Lewis Drug Pro-Am
January 19-22, 2023 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Men’s Open Singles

Final

1) Alan Natera d. 3) Gerson Miranda Martinez, 11-15, 15-4, 11-6

Semi-finals

1) Alan Natera d. 5) Lee Connell, 15-11, 11-15, 11-3
3) Gerson Miranda Martinez d. 2) Jordan Barth, 15-11, 15-8

Quarterfinals

1) Alan Natera d. 8) Carlos Ramirez, 15-3, 15-3
5) Lee Connell d. 4) Anthony Martin, 15-9, 15-5

3) Gerson Miranda Martinez d. 6) Ty Hedalen, 15-4, 15-2
2) Jordan Barth d. 7) Matthew Majxner, 15-2, 15-9

IRT U21 Singles

Rank - Player - Record

1) Erick Trujillo - 3-0 (6 games won, 0 lost)
2) Diego Garcia - 2-1 (4, 2)
3) Carlos Ramirez - 1-2 (2, 4)
4) Benjamin Horner - 0-3 (0, 6)

Follow the bouncing ball….

Natera and Scott win twice at 2023 Longhorn Open

Alan Natera won Men’s Open at the 2023 Longhorn Open in Austin, Texas on the weekend. He beat Texas teenager Cole Sendrey, the 6th seed, 15-4, 15-9, in the final. In the semi-finals, Natera, who was the top seed, needed a tie-breaker to defeat Diego Gastelum, 15-5, 5-15, 11-0, and Sendrey upset 2nd seed Dylan Pruitt, 15-4, 13-15, 11-9

Natera also won Men’s Open Doubles with Carla Muñoz. They eked out the win in the final over Will Reynolds and Israel Torres, 15-11, 13-15, 11-10. In the semi-finals, Muñoz and Natera beat Michelle De La Rosa and Erika Manilla, 15-6, 10-15, 11-3, while Reynolds and Torres, who were the 5th seeds, upset top seeds Jaime Martell and Scott Schafer, 15-14, 15-9.

Hollie Scott won Women’s Open in Austin. She defeated Naomi Ros, 15-6, 15-1, in the final. In the semi-finals, Scott beat Stephanie Synhorst, 15-10, 15-4, and Ros defeated Estefania Perez Picon, 15-0, 15-3.

Ros and Perez Picon teamed up to win Women’s Open Doubles, which was a five team round robin competition. They were undefeated across four matches, and defeated the 2nd place team of Shane Diaz and Graci Wargo, 15-9, 15-4.

The Mixed Doubles title went to Scott and Gastelum, who came back from a game down in the final to defeat Pruitt and Ros, 8-15, 15-5, 11-3. Scott and Gastelum also dropped the first game of their semi-final against Shane Diaz and Micah Farmer, but won in three games, 8-15, 51-2, 11-2. Pruitt and Ros won the other semi in straight games over Reynolds and Kimberley Randolph, 15-4, 15-4.

There were a crazy number of players in the 2023 Longhorn Open: 380 overall. The largest division was Men’s A with 50 players. Fifty is more than some tournaments have these days. It took six (6!) matches for Jesus Jacquez to win Men’s A. He defeated Christian Treviño in the final, 15-4, 15-6, and, impressively, they were the 45th (Jacquez) and 46th seeds (Treviño). In fact, only one of the top 8 seeds made the quarterfinals.

2023 IRT Longhorn Open
January 5-8, 2023 - Austin, Texas

Men’s Open Singles

Final

1) Alan Natera d. 6) Cole Sendrey, 15-4, 15-9

Semi-finals

1) Alan Natera d. 4) Diego Gastelum, 15-5, 5-15, 11-0
6) Cole Sendrey d. 2) Dylan Pruitt, 15-4, 13-15, 11-9

Men’s Doubles

Final

2) Carla Muñoz & Alan Natera d. 5) Will Reynolds & Israel Torres, 15-11, 13-15, 11-10

Semi-finals

2) Carla Muñoz & Alan Natera d. 6) Michelle De La Rosa & Erika Manilla, 15-6, 10-15, 11-3
5) Will Reynolds & Israel Torres d. 1) Jaime Martell & Scott Schafer, 15-14, 15-9

Women’s Open Singles

Final

1) Hollie Scott d. 3) Naomi Ros, 15-6, 15-1

Semi-finals

1) Hollie Scott d. 5) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-10, 15-4
3) Naomi Ros d. 7) Estefania Perez Picon, 15-0, 15-3

Mixed Open Doubles

Final

1) Diego Gastelum & Hollie Scott d. 2) Dylan Pruitt & Naomi Ros, 8-15, 15-5, 11-3

Semi-finals

1) Diego Gastelum & Hollie Scott d. 4) Shane Diaz & Micah Farmer, 8-15, 51-2, 11-2
2) Dylan Pruitt & Naomi Ros d. 3) Will Reynolds & Kimberley Randolph, 15-4, 15-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up - Wins for Parrilla, Lawrence, Carter and Mercado & Mehta

Andree Parrilla won the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Monterrey International Open on the weekend. He defeated Jordy Alonso, 15-6, 15-5, in the final. In the semi-finals, Parrilla, the IRT’s #2 player, beat Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-9, 15-3, while Alonso needed a tie-breaker to defeat Erick Trujillo, 15-5, 13-15, 11-8.

In Lombard, Illinois, Kelani Lawrence beat Valeria Centellas, 15-5, 15-8, to win Women’s Open on the weekend at the Platt Hill Nursery 30th Anniversary Turkey Shoot. In the semi-finals, Lawrence defeated Cristina Amaya, 15-4, 15-5, while Centellas beat Annie Roberts, 15-3, 15-6.

In Men’s Open, Thomas Carter beat Mario Mercado, 15-5, 15-2, which was an upset by the seeding: Carter was the 2nd seed and Mercado 1st, and perhaps a surprise too, as Mercado is ranked 10th on the IRT, while Carter is 16th. Carter reached the final by defeating Rodrigo Rodriguez, 15-13, 15-7, in one semi-final, while Mercado beat Jeremy Dixon, 15-2, 15-2, in the other.

Mercado did win Men’s Open Doubles with Alok Mehta. They needed three games to defeat Eugene Coyle and Eric Mathews, 15-8, 12-15, 11-9, in the final, and they also went the distance to get past Dixon and Rodriguez in the semi-finals, 10-15, 15-6, 11-8. Coyle and Mathews didn’t need three games to win their semi, but did win by the narrowest of margins against Carter and George Pappas, 15-14, 15-14.

Closing out 2022

Looking ahead three big events will happen in December to close out 2022. On the first weekend of the month the IRT will play their Tournament of Champions in Portland, Oregon, December 1-4, which will close out their 2022 season. The IRT switched to seasons that follow the calendar year in 2021 from seasons that would bridge two calendar years (e.g., 1999-2000).

The 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships also start on the first weekend of December in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and they will run to the second Saturday of the month, so December 3 to 10. This will be the first World Juniors with the U21 division.

That second weekend will also see the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) in action at the Christmas Classic, December 9-11, in Severna Park, Maryland. It’s perhaps the longest running women’s pro event, and very much a racquetball Christmas tradition.

2022 IRT Monterrey International Open, November 16-19, 2022
Monterrey, Mexico

IRT Final

1) Andree Parrilla d. 3) Jordy Alonso, 15-6, 15-5

Semi-finals

1) Andree Parrilla d. 4) Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-9, 15-3
3) Jordy Alonso d. 2) Erick Trujillo, 15-5, 13-15, 11-8.

Quarterfinals

1) Andree Parrilla d. 8) Christian Longoria, 15-10, 15-7
4) Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 5) Diego Gastelum, 15-14, 10-15, 11-10

3) Jordy Alonso d. 6) Oscar Nieto, 15-5, 15-11
2) Erick Trujillo d. 10) Sebastian Hernández, 15-14, 14-15, 11-4

2022 Platt Hill Nursery 30th Anniversary Turkey Shoot, November 18-20, 2022
Lombard, Illinois

Women’s Open Final

2) Kelani Lawrence d. 1) Valeria Centellas, 15-5, 15-8

Semi-finals

1) Valeria Centellas d. 5) Annie Roberts, 15-3, 15-6
2) Kelani Lawrence d. 3) Cristina Amaya, 15-4, 15-5

Men’s Open - Final

2) Thomas Carter d. 1) Mario Mercado, 15-5, 15-2

Semi-finals

1) Mario Mercado d. 5) Jeremy Dixon, 15-2, 15-2
2) Thomas Carter d. 3) Rodrigo Rodriguez, 15-13, 15-7

Men’s Open Doubles - Final

1) Mario Mercado & Alok Mehta d. 2) Eugene Coyle & Eric Mathews, 15-8, 12-15, 11-9

Semi-finals

1) Mario Mercado & Alok Mehta d. 4) Jeremy Dixon & Rodrigo Rodriguez, 10-15, 15-6, 11-8
2) Eugene Coyle & Eric Mathews d. 6) Thomas Carter & George Pappas, 15-14, 15-14

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up - Wins for Cuevas Fernandez, Scott & Gastelum

There was an Erick versus Erick battle in the U21 division of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Dovetail Open in Sarasota, Florida on the weekend, as Erick Cuevas Fernandez battled Erick Trujillo in the final. Cuevas Fernandez came out on top, but had to come from a game down to defeat Trujillo, 9-15, 15-3, 11-9.

In the semi-finals, Cuevas Fernandez beat Cole Sendrey, 15-98 [sic], 15-14, and Trujillo defeated Carlos Ramirez, 15-1, 15-10.

The Women’s Open division in Sarasota had some notable players. Hollie Scott won the division by defeating Veronica Sotomayor, 15-6, 5-15, 11-9, in the final. Scott beat Maricruz Ortiz, 15-9, 15-3, in one semi-final, while Sotomayor defeated Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-11, 15-3, in the other.

Lastly, the Men’s Open division had a surprise winner in Diego Gastelum, who was seeded 16th. He benefited from two forfeits along the way, including one by 2nd seed Alan Natera in the final, as well as one by top seed Andrés Acuña in the Round of 16.

However, Gastelum did beat Guatemala international Edwin Galicia, 15-12, 15-10, in the semi-finals, which was an impressive result, as Galicia was one of the players who impressed us at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in the summer.

Upcoming events

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) will be in action later this month at the LPRT Turkey Shoot Pro-Am in Lombard, Illinois, November 18-20. The next IRT main event will be the Tournament of Champions in Portland, Oregon, December 1-4, although the Monterrey International Open - a lower tier IRT event - happens in Monterrey, Mexico, November 16-19.

Also, we are less than a month away from the 2022 IRF World Junior Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala, which begins December 2 and runs to December 10.

2022 IRT Dovetail Open, November 3-6, 2022
Sarasota, Florida

IRT U21 Final

2) Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 1) Erick Trujillo, 9-15, 15-3, 11-9

Semi-finals

1) Erick Trujillo d. 5) Carlos Ramirez, 15-1, 15-10
2) Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 3) Cole Sendrey, 15-98 [sic], 15-14

Quarterfinals

1) Erick Trujillo d. 9) Bairon Rosil, 15-5, 15-4
5) Carlos Ramirez d. 4) Diego Gatelum, 15-11, 15-13

3) Cole Sendrey d. 6) Assuan Castaneda, 15-7, 15-9
2) Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 7) Juan Herrera II, 15-5, 15-7

Women’s Open - Final

1) Hollie Scott d. 2) Veronica Sotomayor, 15-6, 5-15, 11-9

Semi-finals

1) Hollie Scott d. 4) Maricruz Ortiz, 15-9, 15-3
2) Veronica Sotomayor d. 3) Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-11, 15-3

Quarterfinals

1) Hollie Scott - BYE
4) Maricruz Ortiz d. Laura Brandt, 15-1, 15-2

3) Maria Renee Rodriguez d. Sahne Diaz, 14-15, 15-5, 11-6
2) Veronica Sotomayor d. 7) Estefania Perez Picon, 15-1, 15-0

Men’s Open - Final

16) Diego Gastelum d. 2) Alan Natera, forfeit

Semi-finals

16) Diego Gastelum d. 5) Edwin Galicia, 15-12, 15-10
2) Alan Natera d. 6) Christian Longoria, 15-8, 8-15, 11-8

Quarterfinals

16) Diego Gastelum d. 9) Esteban Reque, 15-2, 15-6
5) Edwin Galicia d. 4) Alejandro Herrera, 15-10, 15-3

6) Christian Longoria d. 3) Rodrigo Rodriguez, 15-14, 15-7
2) Alan Natera d. 7) Juan Salvatierra, 11-15, 15-6, 11-0

Follow the bouncing ball….

Barrios wins in Kansas & summer preview

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

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

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

Upcoming events

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

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

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

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

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

It should make for an exciting summer of racquetball.

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

Women’s Open - Final

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

Semi-finals

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

Quarterfinals

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

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

Round of 16

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

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

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

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

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up - Let's get the facts right

As we reported yesterday, the final of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) New York Open in Wantagh, New York, between Daniel De La Rosa and Kane Waselenchuk was abandoned due to unsafe court conditions. Coby Iwaasa and Jose Daniel Ugalde were scheduled to play in the Men’s Open final at about the same time as the IRT final, and from the tournament draw site on R2 Sports it appears that match was played with Iwaasa winning 15-14, 14-15, 11-10. Seems like it was quite the match, eh?

One problem. It didn’t happen.

On Sunday, when the IRT final was abandoned we noted - and tweeted - that the Iwaasa-Uglade final was also on R2 as a double forfeit, which is what the IRT final is listed as. But later the Men’s Open final result was changed to the 11-10 result.

We imagined that there was an error in the initial reporting, as sometimes happens, and we tweeted a correction. But then this happened.

It was a double forfeit also, we didn’t play the match due courts conditions, they didn’t want to show a double forfeit on the draw.

— José Daniel (@DanielUgalde90) May 15, 2022

It was nice that Ugalde clarified the situation. However, this should have been unnecessary, because the double forfeit result should be on the draw. It isn’t (still as of Monday morning; May 16, 2022).

We all understand that stuff happens that is outside of our control, even when we thought everything had been accounted for. We’re living in a pandemic, so more than ever we know that stuff happens that we can’t control.

We are also living in a time when people are questioning what is true, or the truth, and the Truth - capital T - can be a slippery thing. Yet there are facts. And those facts should be accurately recorded.

Part of the purpose of The Racquetball Blog is to record racquetball facts, because people have not been very good at recording them in the past. If you don’t record your facts, your history, then it suggests that you don’t care about your history, and if you don’t care, why should anyone else?

We believe it should go without saying we want to do this as accurately as possible. Thus, it’s really troubling that a match result would be recorded incorrectly, because it’s getting the facts wrong intentionally. If the facts are wrong, then how can you know the truth of the situation?

It can be difficult enough to get the facts straight when everyone is trying their best to make accurate records. People knowingly obscuring the facts is appalling.

We should do better.

2022 Sweet Caroline Open

Valeria Centellas won Women’s Open at the Sweet Caroline Open in Greenville, South Carolina on the weekend. She defeated Cristina Amaya, 13-15 15-11, 11-8, in the final. In the semi-finals, Centellas came back to defeat Carla Muñoz, 13-15, 15-11, 11-4, while Amaya beat Micaela Meneses, 15-7, 15-2.

Upcoming events

The racquetball season is winding down, so it’s championship time. The USA Racquetball National Doubles and Singles Championships begin May 25 in College Station, Texas, on the campus of Texas A & M University, and the Racquetball Canada National Championships will be May 24-28 in Brossard, Québec.

The 2021-22 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season winds up with what has become a marquee event for them: the TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam, June 9-12 in Overland Park, Kansas. TeamRoot has put considerable prize money into the event over the last few years, so expect a big field of players to be there.

2022 New York Open, May 12-15, 2022
Wantagh, New York

Men’s Open Final

6) Coby Iwaasa v. 8) Jose Daniel Ugalde, abandoned due to unsafe court conditions

Semi-finals

8) Jose Daniel Ugalde d. 12) Christian Wer, 15-4, 15-4
6) Coby Iwaasa d. 2) Juan Francisco Cueva, 15-11, 15-1

Quarterfinals

8) Jose Daniel Ugalde d. 1) Set Cubillos, 15-11, 5-15, 11-7
12) Christian Wer d. 4) Andrés Gómez, 15-9, 15-11

6) Coby Iwaasa d. 3) Edwin Galicia, 15-12, 15-8
2) Juan Francisco Cueva d. 23) Miguel Angel Arteaga Guzman, 15-7, 15-7

2022 Sweet Caroline Open
May 12-14, 2022 - Greenville, South Carolina

Women’s Open - Final

3) Valeria Centellas d. 5) Cristina Amaya, 13-15 15-11, 11-8

Semi-finals

5) Cristina Amaya d. 1) Micaela Meneses, 15-7, 15-2
3) Valeria Centellas d. 2) Carla Muñoz, 13-15, 15-11, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Mercado defeats Acuña for Men's Open title at 2022 Shamrock Shootout

Mario Mercado won Men’s Open at the 37th Annual PapaNicholas Coffee Shamrock Shootout on the weekend in Lombard, Illinois. He was the top seed, and defeated 2nd seed Andres Acuña, 15-4, 3-15, 11-10, in the final. Note, this was another match that had two lopsided first games, and then a close tie-breaker. In the semi-finals, Mercado beat 4th seed Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-4, 15-2, and Acuña defeated 3rd seed Erick Trujillo, 15-11, 15-5.

Coming up

This week’s events are the USA Racquetball (USAR) 2022 National Intercollegiate Championships in Tucson, Arizona, March 23-26. There are just 89 players this year, which is substantially fewer than in years past.

Also, the Racquetball Canada Eastern Championships are on this weekend, March 25-27, in Valleyfield, Québec, with several of the top Canadian players in action, including Samuel Murray, Coby Iwaasa and Trevor Webb, who have been named as the men’s players for Team Canada for the 33rd Pan American Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, April 9-16.

The IRT’s next event will be the 2022 IRT SoCal Open in Fullerton, California, April 28 to April 30. The next Tier 1 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) event is the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, April 29-May 1, but they’ll play outdoors in the 2022 Beach Bash in Hollywood, Florida March 24-27.

37th Annual PapaNicholas Coffee Shamrock Shootout
March 17-20, 2022 - Lombard, Illinois

Men’s Open - Final

1) Mario Mercado d. 2) Andres Acuña, 15-4, 3-15, 11-10

Men’s Open - Semi-finals

1) Mario Mercado d. 4) Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-4, 15-2
2) Andres Acuña d. 3) Erick Trujillo, 15-11, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up - Wins for Acuña, Parrilla & Meneses as well as USAR High School Championships

There were several racquetball events that wrapped on the weekend, and we want to do a run down of them. Fridley, Minnesota hosted the Minnesota Racquetball Hall of Fame Tournament - a Tier 3 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event - which featured three top 15 IRT players: Samuel Murray, Jake Bredenbeck and Andres Acuña, and Acuña, the 15th ranked IRT player, who the event beating the two IRT top 10 players in the process.

Acuña defeated top seed Samuel Murray (IRT #5), 15-10, 15-7, in the final, after beating 2nd seed Jake Bredenbeck (IRT #9), 15-10, 15-8, in the semi-finals. Murray defeated Jordy Alonso, 15-10, 15-5, in the other semi.

The Bredenbeck brothers won doubles, as Jake and Sam defeated Murray and Michael Leduc, 15-2, 15-4, in the final. They had a closer win in the semi-finals over Acuña and Alonso, 15-11, 15-14, while Murray and Leduc beat John Goth and Blake Hansen, 15-5, 15-14.

Another IRT event took place in Pueblo, Colorado, where Andree Parrilla won the Pueblo Athletic Club Shootout - a Tier 4 event. Parrilla beat David Horn, 15-2, 15-5. In the semi-finals, Parrilla defeated Nicholas Riffel, 15-7, 15-7, and Horn had to come back from a game down to get past Adam Manilla, 6-15, 15-13, 11-9.

Finally, at the Boston Open in Marlborough, Massachusetts, 4th seed Micaela Meneses won the Women’s Open title by defeating 2nd seed Carla Muñoz, 8-11, 11-10, 11-5, in the final. She knocked off top seed Kelani Lawrence, 11-4, 11-8, in one semi-final, while Muñoz held on to defeat 3rd seed Jenny Daza, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3, in the other semi.

USA Racquetball National High School Championships

The largest event that happened last week was the USA Racquetball (USAR) High School Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, where 346 kids were hitting the ball around. It’s a fabulous total, although the vast majority of the players - 289 - were from Missouri. Add on 30 kids from Oregon, and you have 92% of the players from two states. Indeed, there were players from just 8 states overall.

Nonetheless, having kids playing racquetball is great. And having hundreds of kids doing so is astounding.

Josh Shea was the only player from New York state, but he won the Boy’s #1 Singles title living up to his top seeding, although he did need a tie-breaker to defeat 2nd seed Andrew Gleason of Iowa, 15-4, 13-15, 11-3. The Girl’s #1 Singles final was also between the top seeds, as 2nd seed Naomi Ros of Texas upset top seed Heather Mahoney from California, 15-9, 15-6.

However, Mahoney did win the Girl’s #1 Doubles title with partner Ava Naworski. They were the 3rd seeds, and defeated 4th seeds Avery Oppermann and Gabbie Roseman of Missouri, 15-3, 15-11, in the final. The Boy’s #1 Doubles title went to top seeds Gabe Collins and Jacob Schmidt of Missouri who beat fellow Missourians and 3rd seeds Will Shorey and Jared Thornberry in two close games, 15-13, 15-14.

On the horizon

Coming up on the racquetball calendar will be the IRT’s 37th Annual Papa Nicholas Coffee Shamrock Shootout in Lombard, Illinois, March 17-20; that’s a Tier 1 event. The next Tier 1 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) event is the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, April 29-May 1, but they’ll play outdoors in the 2022 Beach Bash in Hollywood, Florida March 24-27.

Internationally, the 33rd Pan American Championships will be in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, April 9-16, and racquetball is part of the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, July 7-22. Also, USA Racquetball (USAR) will have their 2022 National Doubles and Singles Championships in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A & M University May 25-29, and Racquetball Canada has announced its National Championships will happen in Brossard, Québec, May 24-28.

Thus, there are a lot of great events coming up over the next few months, and that will set the stage for the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in August.

Minnesota Racquetball Hall of Fame Tournament - IRT Tier 3
March 3-6, 2022 - Fridley, Minnesota

IRT Singles - Final

3) Andres Acuña d. 1) Samuel Murray, 15-10, 15-7

IRT Singles - Semi-finals

1) Samuel Murray d. 5) Jordy Alonso, 15-10, 15-5
3) Andres Acuña d. 2) Jake Bredenbeck, 15-10, 15-8

IRT Singles - Quarterfinals

1) Samuel Murray d. 8) John Goth, 15-9, 15-4
5) Jordy Alonso d. 4) Sam Bredenbeck, 15-10, 15-1

3) Andres Acuña d. 6) Blake Hansen, 15-5, 15-6
2) Jake Bredenbeck d. 7) Lee Meinerz, 15-2, 15-3

IRT Doubles - Final

2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck d. 1) Samuel Murray & Michael Leduc, 15-2, 15-4

IRT Singles - Semi-finals

1) Samuel Murray & Michael Leduc d. 4) John Goth & Blake Hansen, 15-5, 15-14
2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck d. 3) Andres Acuña & Jordy Alonso, 15-11, 15-14

Pueblo Athletic Club Shootout - IRT Tier 4
March 4-6, 2022 - Pueblo, Colorado

IRT Singles - Final

1) Andree Parrilla d. 3) David Horn, 15-2, 15-5

IRT Singles - Semi-finals

1) Andree Parrilla d. 2) Adam Manilla, 6-15, 15-13, 11-9
3) David Horn 4) Nicholas Riffel, 15-7, 15-7

Boston Open
March 4-6, 2022 - Marlborough, Massachusetts

Women’s Open Singles - Final

4) Micaela Meneses d. 2) Carla Muñoz, 8-11, 11-10, 11-5

Women’s Open Singles - Semi-final

4) Micaela Meneses d. 1) Kelani Lawrence, 11-4, 11-8
2) Carla Muñoz d. 3) Jenny Daza, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3

Women’s Open Singles - Quarterfinals

1) Kelani Lawrence d. 9) Tasha Kay, 11-0, 11-1
4) Micaela Meneses d. 5) Sheryl Lotts, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3

3) Jenny Daza d. 6) Camila Rivero, 11-9, 11-10
2) Carla Muñoz d. 7) Annie Roberts, 11-1, 5-11, 11-6

2022 USA Racquetball National High School Championships
March 2-6, 2022 - St. Louis, Missouri

Boy’s Singles #1 - Final

1) Josh Shea (Hendrick Hudson) d. 2) Andrew Gleason (Johnston School District), 15-4, 13-15, 11-3

Boy’s Singles #1 - Semi-finals

1) Josh Shea (Hendrick Hudson) d. 4) DJ Mendoza (Douglas Macarthur High School), 15-10, 15-6
2) Andrew Gleason (Johnston School District) d. 3) Benjamin Horner (Ankeny Centennial), 15-2, 15-12

Girl’s Singles #1 - Final

2) Naomi Ros (Douglas Macarthur High School) d. 1) Heather Mahoney (Casa Grade High School), 15-9, 15-6

Girl’s Singles #1 - Semi-finals

1) Heather Mahoney (Casa Grade High School) d. 4) Brielle Fernando (Beaverton High School), 15-7, 15-6
2) Naomi Ros (Douglas Macarthur High School) d. 3) Gabbie Roseman (Kirkwood High School), 15-6, 15-0

Boy’s Doubles #1 - Final

1) Gabe Collins & Jacob Schmidt (Christian Brothers College High School) d. 3) Will Shorey & Jared Thornberry (St. Louis University High School), 15-13, 15-14

Boy’s Doubles #1 - Semi-finals

1) Gabe Collins & Jacob Schmidt (Christian Brothers College High School) d. 4) Riley Edwards & Drake Howard (Barlow), 15-4, 15-8
3) Will Shorey & Jared Thornberry (St. Louis University High School) d. 7) Charlie Buren & Jonathon Ruck (Lafayette High School), 15-9, 15-10

Girl’s Doubles #1 - Final

3) Heather Mahoney & Ava Naworski (Casa Grade High School) d. 4) Avery Oppermann & Gabbie Roseman (Kirkwood High School), 15-3, 15-11

Girl’s Doubles #1 - Semi-finals

4) Avery Oppermann & Gabbie Roseman (Kirkwood High School) d. 1) Brielle Fernando & Payton Lemke (Beaverton High School), 15-13, 13-15, 11-4
3) Heather Mahoney & Ava Naworski (Casa Grade High School) d. 2) Hailey Fitts & Hannah Werk (Lafayette High School), 13-15, 15-1, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up: Wins for Lawrence, Rodriguez & Acuña, and sad news

Kelani Lawrence won Women’s Open on the weekend at the 29th Annual Glass Court LPRT Turkey Shoot in Lombard, Illinois, where she defeated Carla Muñoz in the final, 15-12, 13-15, 11-6, in what could be a potential match up at the upcoming International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Guatemala, as Lawrence is on Team USA and we expect Muñoz will be there representing Chile.

In the semi-finals, Lawrence beat Kristin Coulter, 15-0, 15-0, and Muñoz defeated Veronica Sotomayor, 8-15, 15-5, 11-8.

Also in Illinois, Rodrigo Rodriguez, the 2nd seed, upset 1st seed Maurice Miller, 15-9, 15-12, to win Men’s Open. In the semis, Rodriguez needed a tie-breaker to get past veteran Keith Minor, 14-15, 15-5, 11-8, while Miller defeated Eric Mathews in two straight games, 15-14, 15-0.

Down in Florida at the 2021 IRT Sarasota Open presented by Team Dovetail in Sarasota, Florida, Andres Acuña beat Sam Bredenbeck, 15-10, 15-7, to win Men’s Open. Acuña defeated Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-5, 15-4, in one semi-final, while Bredenbeck took out Felipe Camacho, 15-7, 15-11, in the other.

Deaths in the family

Racquetball, as a small sport, can seem like a family, and we were saddened to learn of the recent deaths of two of our family. Lori Jane Powell was a long time member of Team Canada, a top ten player on the women’s pro tour, two time Pan American Champion (once in singles and once in doubles), and a member of the gold medal winning team at the 2000 IRF World Championships.

Following her retirement due to injury, Powell worked with Racquetball Canada as its Technical Director. She was a friend, and always great to be around. We’re not sure the last time we saw LJ, and we are saddened, and not a little stunned, that there won’t be a next time. She was just 50 years old.

If racquetball is a family, then Charlie Garfinkel was one of our grandfathers. He was an outstanding character and great player during the 1960s and 1970s, which was an era of big characters. Garfinkel or “The Gar” hailed from Buffalo, New York, and he also contributed to racquetball off the court by authoring two of the early books on the sport and ethusiastically promoting it.

Garfinkel, who was inducted into the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 1989, died earlier this month at age 82.

29th Annual Glass Court Turkey Shoot
November 19-21, 2021 - Lombard, Illinois

Women’s Open Singles - Final

5) Kelani Lawrence d. 3) Carla Muñoz, 15-12, 13-15, 11-6

Semi-finals

5) Kelani Lawrence d. 8) Kristin Coulter, 15-0, 15-0
3) Carla Muñoz d. 7) Veronica Sotomayor, 8-15, 15-5, 11-8

Men’s Open Singles - Final

2) Rodrigo Rodriguez d. 1) Maurice Miller, 15-9, 15-12

Semi-finals

1) Maurice Miller d. 5) Eric Mathews, 15-14, 15-0
2) Rodrigo Rodriguez d. 3) Keith Minor, 14-15, 15-5, 11-8

2021 Sarasota Open presented by Team Dovetail
November 18-21, 2021 - Sarasota, Florida

Men’s Open Singles - Final

1) Andres Acuña d. 3) Sam Bredenbeck, 15-10, 15-7

Semi-finals

1) Andres Acuña d. 4) Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-5, 15-4
3) Sam Bredenbeck d. 2) Felipe Camacho, 15-7, 15-11

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up: Wins for Barrios, Natera & a 21st seed

Alan Natera and Angelica Barrios won Men’s and Women’s Open, respectively, at the Arizona Open Racquetball Championships in Tempe, Arizona on the weekend. Barrios, who was the top seed in Women’s Open, defeated 3rd seed Nancy Enriquez, 15-14, 15-11, in the final. Natera was seeded 3rd in Men’s Open, and beat 8th seed Sam Bredenbeck, 15-12, 15-13, for the title.

Both women’s semi-finals went to a tie-breaker. Barrios eked out a win over 4th seed Carla Muñoz, 15-8, 13-15, 11-10, and Enriquez held on for a win over 2nd seed Valeria Centellas, 15-12, 12-15, 11-4. In the men’s semis, Bredenbeck beat 5th seed Felipe Camacho, 15-12, 15-5, and Natera got the benefit of a walkover win from Mario Mercado, who had other business to attend to (namely winning his 1st International Racquetball Tour (IRT) title).

From the That’s Weird Department

It’s rare for a low ranked player to make it deep in a draw, regardless of the division. Even rarer for two players to do it in the same draw. But for four (4!) players to do it, and the lowest ranked player in the draw to win the event?!? Well, now you’re just being silly.

But, your honour, let us present the 2021 Arizona Open Men’s A division, which was won by 21st seed (in a field of 21) Dante Ramos, who defeated 19th seed Spencer Galloway in the final, 15-2, 15-8. In the semi-finals, Ramos defeated 16th seed Oliver Terrazas, 15-10, 15-9, while Galloway had a forfeit win over 15th seed Bruce Pope.

That’s right. In a field of 21 players the semi-finalists were the 15th, 16th, 19th and 21st seeds. Crazy.

Some of those players were also in Men’s Elite, which Mr Terrazas won (as the 15th seed). Mr Ramos, who was only the 2nd highest seeded player (17th out of 18 players), lost in the quarterfinals, although that was after defeating the #1 seed in the Round of 16.

Coming up

Both the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) are back in action this weekend. The LPRT will be in Illinois for the 29th Annual Glass Court LPRT Turkey Shoot, while the IRT will be in Florida for the 2021 Sarasota IRT Open.

Then in the last week of November the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) XX World Racquetball Championships will begin in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Worlds will run from November 28 to December 6, and the IRF XXXII World Junior Championships will begin December 2 and run to December 11.

Usually, Worlds and World Juniors are run separately, but these are not usual times. Also, Worlds is usually done in even numbered years, but the pandemic caused the postponement of the event last year. There is some urgency to hold the World Championships this year, as racquetball is part of the program for the 2022 World Games (previously the 2021 World Games, but it was postponed following the postponement of the Summer Olympics) in Birmingham, Alabama.

The World Championships are the qualifying event for the World Games. The top 16 finishers at Worlds will earn spots to play in Birmingham. Note: the spots are earned by the players, not their countries. Thus, Rocky Carson not going to Worlds means he cannot qualify for the World Games, even if a US man qualifies for one of the 16 spots and then is unable to play; Carson could not take his place.

Thus, it’s going to be a busy, busy racquetball period before the end of the year. Did we mention that the LPRT will also play in December? Oh, well, they will, as the 30th Annual Christmas Classic takes place in Maryland, December 10-12.

Arizona Open Racquetball Championships
November 11-14, 2021 - Tempe, Arizona

Men’s Open Singles - Final

3) Alan Natera d. 8) Sam Bredenbeck, 15-12, 15-13

Men’s Open Singles - Semi-finals

8) Sam Bredenbeck d. 5) Felipe Camacho, 15-12, 15-5
3) Alan Natera d. 2) Mario Mercado, forfeit

Men’s Open Singles - Quarterfinals

8) Sam Bredenbeck, d. 16) Julius Ellis, 15-2, 15-2
5) Felipe Camacho d. 13) Juan Pablo Rodriguez, 15-4, 14-15, 11-6

3) Alan Natera d. 22) Felipe Arenas, 15-7, 15-7
2) Mario Mercado d. 7) Set Cubillos, 15-11, 15-3

Women’s Open Singles - Final

1) Angelica Barrios d. 3) Nancy Enriquez, 15-14, 15-11

Women’s Open Singles - Semi-finals

1) Angelica Barrios d. 4) Carla Muñoz, 15-8, 13-15, 11-10
3) Nancy Enriquez d. 2) Valeria Centellas, 15-12, 12-15, 11-4

Women’s Open Singles - Quarterfinals

1) Angelica Barrios d. 8) Annie Roberts, 15-6, 15-11
4) Carla Muñoz d. 5) Sheryl Lotts, 15-9, 15-14

3) Nancy Enriquez d. 11) Aisling Hickey, 15-7, 15-6
2) Valeria Centellas d. 7) Lexi York, 15-14, 15-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round Up - IRT statement on the Waselenchuk decision & the Open Division winners from the US Open

IRT Statement on Kane Waselenchuk’s decision

The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) made an “Official Statement” prior to its US Open final on Sunday, which was posted on Facebook on Monday regarding Kane Waselenchuk’s forfeit of his semi-final match at the US Open versus Carlos Keller on Saturday. Waselenchuk’s decision was shocking, and in his post-match interview following his quarterfinal win he made no indication that he was even considering not playing.

The IRT’s statement read as follows:

”The IRT is disappointed in the decision by Kane Waselenchuk not to play in the singles semifinal at the UnitedHealthcare US Open on Saturday. It is an unfortunate decision that detracts from the tremendous play of all of the players and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of this event. The IRT is unaware of any injury or circumstances that would have prevented Kane from playing. The IRT provides the opportunity for open communication between all of our players and management. Our goal is to make the tour as successful as possible.”

There’s not a lot of content in that other than to express disappointment in the situation.

Of course, it’s a difficult situation for the IRT, who presumably aren’t interested in airing any “dirty laundry” in public, which is an appropriate stance for the organization to take.

Waselenchuk’s statement on Saturday about why he wasn’t playing cited “disagreements with the International Racquetball Tour,” so there is an onus on him to state what they are. The IRT can then respond to his statement. The IRT didn’t prevent him from playing. He chose not to play for reasons that are currently unstated.

While we would all like to have clarification on this situation, it won’t allow us to go back in time and have Waselenchuk and Keller play that semi-final. It’s always sad when a match isn’t played, regardless of the circumstances.

This situation was created by Waselenchuk, but that doesn’t mean the IRT had no part in it. We understand there has been friction between the two parties for some time, although the exact nature of that friction isn’t clear. Whether one of the parties somehow increased that friction Friday night or whether Waselenchuk tolerated that friction at the US Open as long as he was playing doubles with Sudsy Monchik is uncertain.

When Waselenchuk and Monchik, who were a fun team to see play, lost in the semi-finals Friday, Waselenchuk may have lost his real reason for being in Minneapolis. He’ll turn 40 next month, so Waselenchuk may be more focussed on the next phase of his life rather than racquetball. He has accomplished more than anyone else in IRT history, so his ability has been proven over and over.

Waselenchuk may have been intent on retiring after this US Open anyway, given his age and that Doug Ganim - the only tournament director the US Open has ever had - is retiring, which casts a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the event. Furthermore, Waselenchuk hadn’t played singles since prior to the pandemic, which suggests he might not be interested in competing anymore.

What’s clear is that this is a sad situation, and doesn’t reflect well on either party. Could they have done something so it wouldn’t have got to this point? Probably, though it’s difficult to say without knowing the causes of the friction, which will likely never be completely known.

If Waselenchuk has played his last IRT match, it will be a sad way to go out. But he’s left a legacy of excellence that will likely never be matched.

That is something to be admired.

Open Division winners at the US Open

The top seeds in Women’s and Men’s Open won their respective divisions on Sunday at the 2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the women’s final, Angelica Barrios beat 2nd seed Carla Muñoz, 15-12, 15-6, while in the men’s final Andres Acuña came back from a game down to defeat 3rd seed Erik Trujillo, 7-15, 15-11, 11-4.

In the women’s semi-finals, Barrios beat 5th seed Kelani Lawrence, 15-14, 15-5, while Muñoz held on to defeat 19th seed Erin Groves, 15-13, 13-15, 11-5. In the men’s semis, Acuña defeated 5th seed Set Cubillos, 15-4, 15-11, and Trujillo beat 10th seed Shai Manzuri, 15-2, 15-12.

Barrios’s win was a successful defense of the Women’s Open title she won at the 2019 US Open. The open division is usually off limits for players ranked in the top 8 on the pro tours, and given Barrios’s semi-final finish in the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) divison in Minneapolis, she may not be able to make it three in a row next year, because she could be in the top 8 by season’s end.

A curious thing about the men’s division is that the 2nd seed Felipe Camacho lost his first match to Hector Barrios. Barrios then lost to Juan Francisco Cueva, who lost to Manzuri, who lost to Trujillo, who lost to Acuña. This means that Camacho gets the wooden spoon, or had the worst outcome in the division, which is an unusual thing to happen to the 2nd seeded player.

2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open Racquetball Championships
October 6-10, 2021 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Women’s Open Singles - Final

1) Angelica Barrios d. 2) Carla Muñoz, 15-12, 15-6

Semi-Finals

1) Angelica Barrios d. 5) Kelani Lawrence, 15-14, 15-5
2) Carla Muñoz d. 19) Erin Groves, 15-13, 13-15, 11-5

Quarterfinals

1) Angelica Barrios d. 8) Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-7, 15-5
5) Kelani Lawrence d. 4) Micaela Meneses, 15-10, 15-9

19) Erin Groves d. 6) Sheryl Lotts, 15-11, 12-15, 11-8
2) Carla Muñoz d. 7) Jenny Daza, 15-6, 15-9

Men’s Open Singles - Final

1) Andres Acuña d. 3) Erik Trujillo, 7-15, 15-11, 11-4

Semi-Finals

1) Andres Acuña d. 5) Set Cubillos, 15-4, 15-11
3) Erik Trujillo d. 10) Shai Manzuri, 15-2, 15-12

Quarterfinals

1) Andres Acuña d. 40) Luis Aguilar, 15-5, 15-0
5) Set Cubillos d. 13) Joe Kelley, 15-8, 15-6

3) Erik Trujillo d. 6) Edwin Galicia, 15-11, 15-13
10) Shai Manzuri d. 18) Juan Francisco Cueva, 15-12, 14-15, 15-8

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Muñoz wins Women's Open, Mejia making history & what's next

Carla Muñoz won Women’s Open on the weekend at the TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas. And she did so by defeating both top seeds. Muñoz, the 3rd seed, beat top seed Angelica Barrios, 15-12, 15-7, in the final, to take the title.

In the semi-finals, she defeated 2nd seed Valeria Centellas, 15-11, 15-13. In the other semi, Barrios needed a tie-breaker to defeated veteran Nancy Enriquez, 12-15, 15-10, 11-6.

The win netted Muñoz a decent amount of prize money, as Women’s Open had a $6000 purse. That purse would be Tier 2 or 3 level on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). Overall, the TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam had a $60,000 purse due to the TeamRoot.com sponsorship, which easily makes it the largest purse on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT).

Mejia makes history

Monterrat Mejia, who won the both singles and doubles (with Alexandra Herrera) Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) events at the TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam, took home over $11,000 of the purse ($9450 in singles & $1800 for her share of doubles). We believe that’s more than any US Open winner.

As we mentioned yesterday, Mejia is the 28th woman to win a women’s pro racquetball tour event, now known as the LPRT but under several names in the past. She’s the first new winner in almost five years, and first since Frédérique Lambert in August 2016 in Georgia. Mejia (at 21 years 199 days) is the 7th youngest player to win an pro event, but 2nd youngest since 2000 after Paola Longoria, who won when she was 18 (and 42 days).

Next events

The International Racquetball Federation (LPRT) announced tournament dates for the rest of this year on the weekend.

First up will be the 33rd Pan American Championships in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, September 3-11. That will be followed by the 30th IRF World Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala, October 29-November 6. Finally, the 32nd IRF World Junior Championships will be in San José, Costa Rica, December 3-11.

Of course, this is likely all dependent on COVID numbers being under control, but it gives players (and fans) events to look forward to.

As for the pro tours, the next event will be a combined Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event, when they play at the World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado August 11-14.

Yes, they’re calling a World Championships. No, it’s not an IRF event, so not really a World Championship, but so it goes.

Until the next events, you can watch some of what’s already happened, and there are several matches worth watching from the weekend’s LPRT TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam, not least of which was the Mejia-Longoria final, and you can watch them via the LPRT YouTube channel.

2021 TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam, June 18-20, 2021 
Overland Park, Kansas 

Women’s Open - Final

3) Carla Muñoz d. 1) Angelica Barrios, 15-12, 15-7  

Semi-finals

1) Angelica Barrios d. 5) Nancy Enriquez, 12-15, 15-10, 11-6
3) Carla Muñoz d. 2) Valeria Centellas, 15-11, 15-13  

Quarterfinals

1) Angelica Barrios d. 9) Sheryl Lotts, 13-15, 15-13, 11-0
5) Nancy Enriquez d. 13) Erin Slutzky, 15-2, 15-4

3) Carla Muñoz d. 6) Micaela Meneses, 15-12, 15-13
2) Valeria Centellas d. 10) Ana Laura Flores, 15-8, 15-9

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Meneses wins Women's Open, LPRT Hall of Fame & USA Racquetball calls off National Festival

Miceala Meneses won Women’s Open at the Sweet Caroline Open in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday. She defeated Erika Manilla in the final, 15-11, 15-7. It was a good tournament for both players. Meneses was seeded 10th, and beat 2nd seed Cristina Amaya in the quarterfinals, 15-14, 15-14, and 3rd seed Susana Acosta in the semi-finals, 14-15, 15-4, 11-7, before facing Manilla.

Manilla was seeded 4th, and beat 5th seed Jenny Daza in the quarters, 15-3, 15-8, before knocking off top seed Carla Muñoz, 15-12, 15-9, in the semis.

First LPRT Hall of Fame Inductees

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) has created a Hall of Fame, which will be hosted at the Sportsclub in Greenville, South Carolina. The Hall of Fame has been made possible through the sponsorship of Piedmont Comprehensive Pain Management Group.

The first three players inducted into the LPRT Hall of Fame on the weekend were: Lynn Adams, Michelle Gould and Heather McKay. All three were #1 on the pro tour multiple times.

The rivalry of Adams and McKay helped start the women’s pro tour. McKay was #1 three of the first four seasons from 1980 to 1984. Adams was #1 the other of those seasons, and then for five of six seasons from 1985 to 1990. After that, Gould took up the mantel, as she was #1 in seven of the next eight seasons during the 1990s.

Adams won 47 times on tour, 2nd all time, and was in the top 10 for 11 seasons. Gould won 43 times (3rd all time) in just 45 finals! She was in the top 10 for 9 seasons. McKay won 20 times, and may have won more, but she moved back to her native Australia in 1985, which ended her racquetball career.

These are the most deserving players to start a women’s pro racquetball Hall of Fame.

USAR cancels National Championships Festival

USA Racquetball was to hold the 2021 USA Racquetball National Championships Festival in St. Louis, Missouri, June 3-13, but Monday night they announced the festival has been cancelled due to the “ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in the St. Louis area” (from email release). That hours after USA Racquetball had sent a message on Twitter encouraging people to enter the event.

We look forward to having Smokestack Lightning perform at the USA Racquetball National Championships Festival presented by Penn at our Music Show on June 4th!

Register today to see Smokestack Lightning at the National Championship Festival! → https://t.co/rp4KSuwWtT pic.twitter.com/xJdMy4h37j

— USARacquetball (@usaracquetball) May 3, 2021

The email further states the cancellation is due to a failure to lift the mask restriction in St. Louis County, which is “over seven weeks behind on anticipated reopening measures.” Thus, USA Racquetball believes “players [would not get] the overall experience they deserve for their investment of time and money.”

Neither player health or safety is mentioned in the email.

When this Festival, which was to include the National Singles, National Doubles and National Junior Championships, was first announced in March, The Racquetball Blog felt that it was an ambitious plan. And perhaps a hasty one too, given it was done approximately three months prior to the event.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still going on in the world, and in some places it’s gotten worse. The USA seems to be doing a reasonable job at getting people vaccinated, but it will likely still be some time before being out in public places returns to anything like it was prior to March 2020.

USA Racquetball’s contingency plan for an event that will be used to qualify players for Team USA for the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) 2021 World Championships and 2021 World Junior Championships will now come into effect. Of course, whether those IRF events, which are scheduled for later this year, actually happen remains to be seen.

2021 LPRT Sweet Caroline Open, April 30-May 2, 2021 

Greenville, South Carolina 

Women’s Open - Final

10) Micaela Meneses d. 4) Erika Manilla, 15-11, 15-7

Semi-finals

4) Erika Manilla d. 1) Carla Muñoz, 15-12, 15-9
10) Micaela Meneses d. 3) Susana Acosta, 14-15, 15-4, 11-7

Quarterfinals - Saturday 

1) Carla Muñoz d. 9) Daniela Rico, 15-1, 15-10
4) Erika Manilla d. 5) Jenny Daza, 15-3, 15-8

3) Susana Acosta d. 11) Carlee Jansz, 15-5, 15-7
10) Micaela Meneses d. 2) Cristina Amaya, 15-14, 15-14

 Follow the bouncing ball….