recognizing excellence – isra annual awards and hall of … · 2020. 8. 27. · usa racquetball...

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ILLINOIS STATE RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION

First Half 2020 | VOL 38 NO 1

• Social Media ISRA-Style

• Illinois Junior Racquetball

• State Championships, Shamrock Shootout, and More!

• 2020 Tournament Calendar (Tentative)

Recognizing Excellence – ISRA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony

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ILLINOIS STATE RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATIONPRESIDENTCheryl Kirk - Naperville

VICE PRESIDENTGeoff Peters - Chicago

SECRETARYBarbara Vagedes - Carol Stream

TREASURERDolores Lamberson - Indian Head Park

PAST PRESIDENTLaurel Davis - Oak Brook

ZONE VICE PRESIDENTSBill Roberts - Northbrook (North) John Thorson - Fox River Grove (West) Arun Baskaran - Bloomington (Central)John O’Donnell, Jr. - Champaign (South)

GOVERNING BOARDGlen Bero - AddisonTodd Burris - Oswego Mike Davern - Naperville Jonelle Dubois - Naperville Pam Grace - Wheaton Alcides Gutierrez - Oak LawnRick Seaberg - StreamwoodCarolyn Vazquez - Chicago

AUXILIARY BOARDMarian Bala - WheatonJeff Grace - Wheaton Dan Jaskier - LombardEric Jensen - BolingbrookKit Lawson - Naperville Dave Milazzo - GurneeLiz Molitor - Glen Ellyn Lem Rowans - Chicago

ISRA COURTSIDE STAFFCheryl Kirk - EditorAlisa Burris - Social Media

ISRA Courtside is the official publication of the Illinois State Racquetball Association (ISRA).

All rights reserved. Copyright 2020. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the ISRA is strictly prohibited. Letters to the Editor, photographs, and articles or editorial contributions should be sent to [email protected].

Design & Layout by: TypaGraphics

CONTENTSTable of ISRA COURTSIDE

First Half 2020 | VOL 38 No. 1

Racquetball Reflections ............................................................................ 4

ISRA Family News ........................................................................................ 5

Social Media, ISRA-Style ............................................................................ 6

ISRA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony ........................... 7

ISRA Annual Meeting: Election of Board Members and Officers ................................................................................................... 8

Movin’ On Up – 2019-2020 Season ....................................................... 8

KILLSHOT Kids’ Corner ............................................................................... 9

ISRA State Doubles Championships ...................................................12

ISRA State Singles Championships .....................................................15

35th Annual KWM Gutterman Shamrock Shootout .....................18

WSMRA Annual Women’s Senior/Masters Begins New Decade of Events! .............................................................23

USA Racquetball 2020 National Doubles Championships .........24

ISRA 2020 Tournament Calendar .........................................................27

Lend Your Support ....................................................................................28

2020 ISRA Courtside Advertising Rates .............................................28

COVEROn the Photo Credit – Mike Davern

Recognizing Excellence – ISRA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony (See article page 7)

Recipients, Nominees, and Hall of Fame: L to R: ISRA President Cheryl Kirk, Barb Vagedes, Kristin Coulter, Emily Fauser, Laurel Davis, Jake Ryan, JC Herrera, Tejas Veer, Thomas George, Andy Pitock


mailto:[email protected]


RACQUETBALL REFLECTIONSby ISRA President Cheryl Kirk

An ISRA Courtside during the pandemic? What’s there to talk about? Well, you’ll notice this isn’t exactly a shadow of newsletters past…there’s plenty to absorb regarding the past, the present, and our future. I use the following “WE” in the context of ALL OF US:

WE want to preserve the memories of earlier this year at State Singles, State Doubles, and the Shamrock Shootout.

WE want to keep racquetball in our minds and hearts in the many ways presented in this letter and in this issue.

WE want to remind everyone that while our racquetball family is effectively social distancing (really, no choice), we are all still here, we are hopefully staying safe, and we are all fervently looking forward to the next time we can be together once again.

Go play other sports, but don’t forget to come back! Really, don’t WE have the BEST sport EVER??

Temporarily replacing Racquetball magazine, the monthly USA Racquetball newsletter, Serving Up the News, features a different state association each month. In August, the ISRA was featured with an excellent recap by our treasurer, Dolores Lamberson. Our social media coordinator, Alisa Burris, contributed as well. What a proud moment, and it’s due to so many volunteers continuing to do great things here in Illinois that we had the opportunity to be featured. Be sure to check out the latest newsletter that should have reached an email inbox near you. (Note: If you find you are not receiving communication from USA Racquetball, visit your membership profile at www.usaracquetball.com to ensure your email settings are exactly as you desire.)

Speaking of memberships…there’s something every one of us can do if you are in a position to do so during these challenging times. Simply, please, please renew your USA Racquetball membership if yours is expired, or extend it if it’s not.

Q. What?? Renew my membership when I may not be playing a tournament for awhile? A. Well, if everyone will think in terms of “what’s in it for US” vs. “what’s in it for me,” and if each member were to contribute $5/month ($60 annually for auto renewal that includes both indoor and outdoor memberships), it would mean a world of difference for USA Racquetball.

Q. Why should I care whether USA Racquetball makes it past the pandemic?A. Frankly, it depends on how much we value what most take for granted or don’t realize. What part of our sport’s infrastructure are we okay with losing? Read on…

USAR is the National Governing Body for Racquet-ball under the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Our National staff (Executive Director and two staff members) leads and provides:

• Event sanctioning (insurance/R2 for both indoor and outdoor)

• National Championships and the US OPEN

• Social media, website, magazine, newsletter

• Rules maintenance, referee program, instructor program, event director support

• Rankings and record book

• Hall of Fame and Annual Awards

• Pan American Sport under the USOPC

• US Team and US Junior Teams competing for our country

• Committees working on a number of important initia-tives (see document on the USAR website for committee descriptions and members)

• Multiple vehicles to allow manufacturers of racquetball equipment, racquetballs, etc. to showcase what they offer to the racquetball community

• Membership rebate support that comes back to the state associations (like us here in Illinois!)

So that’s what you can do to help. You can ALSO stay safe and healthy until we meet again. Speaking of that…

As you are able to get back on the court, USA Racquetball has published some considerations for safer play, aptly named USA Racquetball Considerations for Safer Racquetball Play. To review these before competing or practicing, visit: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/about/resources-and-forms.

WE dream of the time when we can get together and once again play the sport we love! Hope to see you VERY SOON!

-- Cheryl and your ISRA Board of Directors


https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/about/resources-and-forms

https://www.teamusa.org/usa-racquetball/about/resources-and-forms


Bowling Excellence!Never let it be said racquetball players don’t excel in other sports as well––we have a bowling superstar in our midst! On February 13, 2020, Lem Rowans bowled a perfect 300 game! This took place at Stardust Lanes in Addison during a league night. It takes laser-like focus and nerves of steel in those final frames to get the job done. Congratula-tions, Lem, on accomplish-ing something so very few ever get to experience!

They’re Engaged!On Saturday, June 13th, Scott Warren proposed to Vickie Onesti (transplanted to California but forever in our hearts) at the outdoor courts in Florin, California. She seemed sort of excited, based on the accompanying photo.

From Vickie: “We met at the World Outdoor Racquetball tour-nament in Vegas in 2015, long distance for three years, and then I moved out to California July 2018. It’s been an amazing ride so far! We have not set a wedding date yet because of Covid but thinking sometime mid next year as soon as the pandemic gets under control!” We wish all happiness to Vickie and her Superman!

ISRA Women’s and Men’s LeaguesThe ISRA Women’s League that commenced October 7th was able to finish just under the wire on March 9th. Sixteen players and four subs competed at Glass Court every week in an “every woman for herself” point-earning format in both singles and doubles.

Prizes for the season were awarded at the season-ending celebration that early March evening:

ISRA Family NewsSingles -- 1st: Janet Leet, 2nd: Diane BunkerDoubles -- 1st: Janet Leet, 2nd: Karin McCauleyDoubles Only -- 1st: Donna Heinzl, 2nd: Mary Crawford

Thanks to Diane Bunker for her organization and communication to keep the league running efficiently throughout the season. The coming season is uncertain, but the women are ready to rumble when circumstances permit!

The ISRA Men’s A/B Travel League, under the capable leadership of Dan Jaskier, competed their entire season except for the playoffs that couldn’t occur in the end due to the pandemic.

Four teams competed this year:

LA FITNESS ELGIN, Mike Zupke, CaptainGLASS COURT, Todd Burris, CaptainLA FITNESS GLASS COURT, Brian Lien, CaptainCENTER COURT, Mike Reinhofer, Captain

Congratulations to the Elgin team for emerging victorious in the 2019-2020 season!

Windy City 3WallBrawlThis lone event of the summer took place August 8th at Rainbow Beach in Chicago, and Tournament Director Joey Logan had a turnout of 62 players from 11 states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, Florida, Arizona, Cali-fornia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland). The weather was great, and players received t-shirts and face coverings along with their own personal hand sanitizer. Danny Ortega of Taco Burrito King was on hand with his portable grill serving up beef, pork, and chicken tacos for everyone! This event gives back to the community as well – Joey and his vol-unteers traditionally put together back-to-school backpacks for kids on the south side.

-- Geoff Peters

Check out the results: https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/divisions/listAllDivs.asp?TID=36061&sortBy=defaultOrder

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Rocky Carson, Eugene Coyle, Andrew Price, and Fernando Javier Rivera at Rainbow Beach

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https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/divisions/listAllDivs.asp?TID=36061&sortBy=defaultOrder

https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/divisions/listAllDivs.asp?TID=36061&sortBy=defaultOrder


Social Media, ISRA-Style

August 16, 2020For a few months now, one of the only ways people have easily been able to keep in touch is through social media. Alisa Burris has joined us this year to help reinvigorate and establish our presence on social media. In an organized approach, we are stepping up our posts on the Illinois State Racquetball Association Facebook page. We have been featuring Illinois players discussing their love of the sport and its role in their lives; added flashback pictures; joined in ‘pass the racquetball’ challenge; posted memes; and shared some USAR and area clubs’ postings and news. We are gaining followers each week in our mission to help keep racquetball in the minds and hearts of those who love the game.

Alisa prepared this timeline to describe the ISRA’s social media journey (never a destination!):

• In February 2013, the ISRA Facebook page was created and in March 2020 had 350 likes.

• In late December 2019, Alisa Burris volunteered to help with social media. She is experienced in managing Facebook business pages and writing professional social media posts.

• From January through March 2020, ISRA President Cheryl Kirk and Social Media Coordinator Alisa Burris communicated regularly to lay out preliminary thoughts for the page and approach.

• In March 2020, Cheryl and Alisa led a brainstorming meeting with ISRA Board members to discuss social media, soliciting ideas designed to incorporate regular features as well as to serve the association’s Facebook community with information and reminders.

• Since March 2020 when the new initiative launched, the ISRA Facebook page has offered a wide range of posts that include Illinois player features; fun, historic moments in local racquetball; important information from USAR, IRT, LPRT, and IRF; significant lifecycle events about people in the ISRA racquetball family; and details on membership deals and discounts related to the sport.

• As of this writing, the page has a total of 657 likes with 673 followers.

• In June 2020, ISRA launched an Instagram page––ISRA Illinois Racquetball––and to date has 51 followers.

Check out (and please ‘like’) Illinois State Racquetball Association on Facebook, and be sure to follow israillinois on Instagram! If you have ideas for ways to enhance the ISRA’s social media presence, please email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

-- Cheryl, Alisa, and your ISRA Board of Directors

Alisa Burris



ISRA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremonyby Alisa Burris

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, excellence, dedication, and service were honored at the Illinois State Racquetball Association Annual Awards Ceremony. Devoted players and longtime contributors to the sport came together for an evening that celebrated the Illinois racquetball community. ISRA President Cheryl Kirk served as the host of this event, introducing Board members and award winners to an appreciative and enthusiastic audience in the Glass Court basketball gym transformed for the evening’s celebration.

Graciously thanking his family and racquetball friends, Jake Ryan received the Male Player of the Year Award. Emily Fauser accepted recognition as the Female Player of the Year with a poignant speech dedicated to her late mother. She also spoke inspiringly about the powerful capacity of physical movement and intense competition that make this game so important to her. In the category of Most Improved Player of the Year, Tejas Veer earned this award, having impressed his peers and the association alike with his drive to develop outstanding skills over a short period of time. JC Herrera followed as the very talented recipient of the TJ Ferro Scholarship Award. To acknowledge his many years as an accomplished instructor and supportive adult and junior coach, Andy Pitock was recognized with the Distin-guished Service Award.

The ISRA also recognizes these individuals who so richly deserved the honor of being nominated for these awards: Thomas Carter (Male Player), Kristin Coulter (Female Player), Thomas George (Most Improved), and Barb Vagedes (Distin-guished Service).

This night of well-deserved distinctions continued with the induction of Laurel Davis, ISRA Past President, as the newest member of the ISRA Hall of Fame. After an introduc-tion by fellow ISRA Board Vice President Geoff Peters, Laurel shared anecdotes about her most memorable experiences in racquetball. Over more than forty years, she has demon-

strated unwavering commitment to the sport and continues to be actively involved.

On hand to congratulate Laurel were fellow ISRA Hall of Fame members Marshall Waldo, Geoff Peters, Gay Kenna Mason, Dave Milazzo, and John O’Donnell, Jr. (John, also an ISRA Board member, made the night extra-special by introducing Kay, his bride of two months, to his racquetball family. See photo page 28.)

Our gratitude goes to ISRA Board member Mike Davern for his excellent photography, to Glen Bero for livestreaming the event on Facebook, and as always, to Glass Court’s Dan Jaskier and Joe DeArmas for providing the perfect setting for this time-honored ISRA tradition.

Full House at the ISRA Annual Awards Ceremony

Hall of Famers Attended to Welcome Laurel! L to R: Marshall Waldo, Laurel Davis, Geoff Peters, Gay Kenna Mason, Dave Milazzo, John O’Donnell, Jr.

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The ISRA Board held its Annual Meeting on June 10, 2020. As with all ISRA Board meetings, this meeting was open to the member-ship. The Annual Meeting is par-ticularly important since all members attending have a vote in the election of the ISRA Board of Directors.

Board members Doug Halverson and Joe Silius made the decision to leave the Board after many, many years of service. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for the time and expertise they donated for the benefit of the ISRA and its players.

Board positions are staggered two-year terms. There were ten open

ISRA Annual Meeting: Election of Board Members and Officers

seats on the Board for this year’s election. As part of the process, the Nominating Committee determined which sitting Board members wished to run for re-election. The Board slate consisted of Cheryl Kirk, Geoff Peters, Bill Roberts, Arun Baskaran, John O’Donnell Jr., Todd Burris, Jonelle Dubois, Alcides Gutierrez, and Carolyn Vazquez. The Nominating Committee brought Glen Bero as an ad-ditional nominee to the Board slate.

There were no additional director nominations received from the member-ship, and the Board slate was accepted automatically. All terms commenced on 7/1/20.

Geoff Peters and Dolores Lamberson were re-elected to the positions of

Holy cow! Seven of eighteen ISRA Board Members in the same place at the same time at State Doubles in January.L to R: Cheryl Kirk, Dolores Lamberson, Joe Silius, Laurel Davis, Bill Roberts, Alcides Gutierrez, John Thorson

Movin’ On Up – 2019-2020 SeasonRacquetball success equates to greater challenges. These individuals/teams won at least one full-draw division during the 2019-2020 season and recently received “The Letter” (suitable for framing) notifying them of their new eligibility. Congratulations, and we hope to host tournaments and see everyone as soon as possible!

-- Dolores Lamberson, ISRA Eligibility Chair

Here are the winners, their new divisions, and the events where their results “moved them on up”!

Men’s OpenCarlos Ibarra, State SinglesTejas Veer, Shamrock Shootout

Men’s APaul Nijensohn, Shamrock Shootout

Men’s BAnuj Parikh, Shamrock Shootout

Men’s Open DoublesHenry Conforti / James Zidek, ISRA State Doubles

Executive Vice President and Treasurer, respectively. John Thorson assumed the West Zone VP position vacated by Doug Halverson.

Any ISRA member who wishes to help improve the quality of racquetball in Illinois and familiarize themselves with Board processes is welcome to join the ISRA Auxiliary Board.

Come out and support Illinois Racquet-ball!

Signed,

The ISRA Nominating CommitteeMike Davern (Chair), Pam Grace, and John Thorson

Henry Conforti and Jim Zidek – Welcome to Men’s Open Doubles!



KILLSHOT Kids’ CornerJunior Team Illinois

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word oxymoron (n) as “a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.” My best current example of this word is reflected in our “new normal” lives where we have been attempting to “stay connected” while remaining “socially distant.”

Now add your favorite sport––rac-quetball, or any other daily activity for that matter––to the equation, and it would almost seem impossible to achieve. It’s like we live in a snow globe and COVID-19 is turning us upside down and shaking the flakes around. So much has happened, and in this brief edition of the Killshot Kids’ Corner, I will give you some updates on how we ended our 2019 Junior Team Illinois (JTI) season and

Getting the Team “Distantly” Back TogetherBy Coach Carolyn Vazquez

how we are coming back stronger and more focused for our upcoming 2020-21 season.

As the pandemic would shortly make its way into our awareness, JTI was fully engaged in the tournament season with a few JTI players competing at ISRA State Singles and the Shamrock Shootout.

At State Singles, a great time was had by all. Of special note, JC Herrera was the recipient of the 2020 TJ Ferro Junior Scholarship Award! (See page 11.)

At the Shamrock Shootout, Axel Lopez and JC Herrera had the opportunity to compete with pros in the Sponsor Doubles on Thursday, and most of our JTI players (and a few more) attended the Junior Clinic with the Pros on Sunday morning (see page 10). JTI moms put

continued on page 10JC Herrera partnered with Daniel De La Rosa in

the Shamrock Shootout sponsor doubles!

Junior Team Illinois Family: Players, Coaches, and Parents – March 1, 2020

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junior players step up for the challenge, and they worked hard to meet the deadlines, get back in shape, and play some

socially distant games. Our Illinois applicants included Juan “JC” Herrera, Jr., Axel Lopez, Montserrat Torres and Saigeetha Varadharajan -- all awesome JTI players. (Note: Lucas Shoemaker, “adopted” from Iowa, applied for selection to the Junior Team as well!) We are waiting to hear the final selection of the US National Junior Team members so, if you see a JTI player, please CONGRATULATE them (and their parents!) on their hard work, effort, and commitment in representing Illinois and their families on a huge national stage for racquetball. We are so PROUD of their efforts and they are all winners from where we stand!

Shoutout to John Thorson and Mike Davern: Both guys assisted with the US Junior Team video submission. Thanks so much!

together a delicious bake sale, Saigeetha Varadharajan and her dad Varad donated a new iPad as a very successful fund-raising raffle prize, and Axel turned 13 years old at the tournament!

Our Junior Team was becoming stronger by the day, and even before our planned season-ending pizza party (that has yet to happen!), we kept our focus on the USA Racquet-ball Junior National Championships. It was a big deal until, due to the pandemic, life in America called a BIG timeout. We waited and after a 2+ month hiatus, we received word that USAR would implement a new selection process for the National Junior Team. We got excited again and our mission: get the band back together. This new selection process included lots of at-home drills, Zoom coaching, and video submis-sions – indeed, the perfect socially distant test of an athlete’s ability to overcome challenges. We had four

Killshot Kids’ Corner continued from page 9

continued on page 11

Shamrock Shootout Clinic with the Pro’s!

Axel’s a teenager – coolest birthday cake ever!

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Killshot Kids’ Corner continued from page 10

Moving forward -- we will be recruiting more JTI members. After all, they are the future of this sport! We also continue to adjust to the circumstances life has dealt these days. We have a great team of athletes, parents, and coaches who have stepped up to help us succeed. Special thanks go to coaches and volunteers Marian Bala, Andy Pitock, Jairo Torres, Glen Bero, and Liz Molitor who have been so committed to junior racquetball.

This global pandemic has strengthened our resolve as a team to develop more ambassadors in Illinois for the 2020 season. While we haven’t officially started the JTI season yet, please note that we are adhering to all local and state health guide-lines for COVID/social distancing and safety as we monitor our JTI members.

Presently there are no available gym classes or afterschool programs, and health and fitness are so important. As the new season kicks off, we intend to approach schools and homeschooling families to join the team in view of adjusted academic approaches. If you have a young friend or family member interested in joining the team, please feel free to contact us, and if you have any questions or want to know what we are doing at Glass Court these days, reach out for more information. The new season will be great, and we will be watching as our stars shine nationally to represent Illinois.

Stay safe and socially distant because we are all in this together! See you on the courts!

Carolyn Vazquez and Cheryl Kirk congratulate JC Herrera, recipient of the TJ Ferro Junior Scholarship Award

Junior Team Illinois players applied for the US National Junior Team! L to R: Axel Lopez, JC Herrera, Saigeetha Varadharajan, Montserrat Torres

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LOCAL | STATE | NATIONAL | INTERNATIONAL | EVENTS

January 24-26, 2020Glass Court Swim & Fitness, LombardTournament Director: Laurel Davis

This was the first time an ISRA champi-onship allowed players to create their own weekend tournament schedule. This was accomplished by pre-defining when different divisions would be played during the weekend. Divisions started and finished on the same day. The tournament offered combined skill/age divisions on Friday night. Age divisions and skill divisions competed on Saturday, and mixed divisions capped off the event on Sunday.

This meant that if players couldn’t play on Saturday, there were divisions available on Friday or Sunday. If they couldn’t play on Friday, then Saturday or Sunday were available. If they didn’t want to play more than one day, that was easily accom-plished – all they had to do was choose the divisions they entered accordingly. Players have told us that this is what they

ISRA State Doubles Championships

want – to know during what block of time they will play and to be able to play a “one-day tourna-ment” rather than being scheduled to play one match on each day of a tournament.

So how did it go? Players numbering 102 (84 men and 18 women) entered the tournament, up from 89 players in 2019. Fifty-eight players entered one division, with 43 entering two divisions and one person (a glutton for punishment) playing three divisions. We received many positive comments about the format.

Alok Mehta had a busy day on Saturday, competing in both the Men’s Open Division and the Men’s Age Division and playing into the Division playoff finals. He and partner Andrew Price came in second to Clint Hickman and Eric Mathews in Men’s Open. He and Keith Minor were the gold medalists in the Men’s Age category, besting silver medalists Martin Gonzalez and Alcides Gutierrez to take the crown.

Women’s Open gold medals were earned by Jennifer Suwanski and Karin McCauley with Kristin


Men’s 35+ Intermediate Barrera/George mixed it up with Junior 16’s O’Dea/Lopez

L to R: Spencer O’Dea, Daniel Barrera, Axel Lopez, Thomas George

Women’s A combined with Girls 14’sClockwise from 12 o’clock – Montserrat Torres, Julianne Valentino, Cheryl Kirk, Saigeetha Varadharajan

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ISRA State Doubles Championships continued from page 2


Coulter and Liz Molitor taking silver. In Mixed Open, it was Daniela Molina and Danny Ortega capturing the championship over Lannette Klosa and Eric Mathews. Congratulations to these winners and the winners of the other divisions as well – State Champions all!

Visit here to view the full results: https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=31371.

As always, these tournaments can’t happen without the great group of volunteers who tirelessly donate their time to make our events a success. Thanks to the following volunteers: 1) ISRA Board Members Todd Burris, Mike Davern, Pam Grace, Doug Halverson, Cheryl Kirk, Dolores Lamberson, Geoff Peters, Bill Roberts, Rick Seaberg, Joe Silius, John Thorson, Barb Vagedes, and Carolyn Vazquez and 2) Lori Good, Liz Molitor, Spencer O’Dea, Andy Pitock, and Claudia Torres. Warm thanks go to Glass Court’s Joe DeArmas and Dan Jaskier and their staff for their hospital-ity and support of Illinois racquetball.

-- Laurel Davis

Men’s Open State Champions Eric Mathews and Clint Hickman

Men’s Open Silver Medalists Alok Mehta and Andrew Price

Tournament Desk Brain Trust: Jeff Grace and Dolores Lamberson


https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=31371

https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=31371



RESULTS | ISRA State Doubles ChampionshipsDivision (# entered): First; Second; Semifinals

Men’s Open (10 PP) Playoff (6): Eric Mathews/Clint Hickman; Alok Mehta/Andrew Price; Eric Marion/Keith Minor, Fernando Javier Rivera/Jorge Ortiz

Men’s A (13 PP) Playoff (8): Jim Zidek/Henry Conforti; Nikhil Iyer/Todd Burris; Roberto Rivas/Rogelio Ruiz, Arthur Pavinato/Blase Zera

Men’s B (8 PP) Playoff (4): Anuj Parikh/Tejas Veer; Anurag Singh/Mike Pfleeger; Art Cooley/Edward Funches, Mason Kimberley/Justin Mrowicki

Men’s C (3 RR): Kaushik Vaghasiya/Shashank Shrivastava; Spencer O’Dea/Axel Lopez; Joseph Daumen/Justin Cruce (3rd)

Men’s 25+ (2): Mike Pfleeger/Anurag Singh; Patrick Timson/Pete DeBruin

Men’s 35+/40+/45+/60+ (6 PP) Playoff (4): Keith Minor/Alok Mehta; Martin Gonzalez/Alcides Gutierrez; Chris Choi/Nadeem Sharifuddin, Basilio Salazar/Lee Frick

Men’s 120+ Super Centurion (6 PP) Playoff (4): Joe Silius/John Thorson; Dave Milazzo/Keith Harper; Carlos Ibarra/Bill Roberts, Jim Schlicher/Raj Sondhi

Men’s 35+A/50+A/55+A (7 PP) Playoff (4): Henry Conforti/James Zidek; Arthur Pavinato/Blase Zera; Bill Wolf/Bob Thomson, Carlos Canessa/Todd Burris

Men’s 25+/35+/45+ INT/JR 16- (5 RR): Thomas George/Daniel Barrera; Patrick Timson/Pete DeBruin; Bill Pelen/Paul Nijensohn (3rd)

Junior 16- (1): Spencer O’Dea/Axel Lopez

Women’s Open (4 RR): Jennifer Suwanski/Karin McCauley; Kristin Coulter/Liz Molitor; Letty Maldonado/Carolyn Vazquez (3rd)

Women’s A/Girls 14- (3 RR): Julianne Valentino/Cheryl Kirk; Deanna Munro/Barbara Vagedes; Montserrat Torres/Saigeetha Varadharajan (3rd)

Girls 14- (1): Montserrat Torres/Saigeetha Varadharajan

Mixed Open (5 RR): Daniela Molina/Danny Ortega; Lannette Klosa/Eric Mathews; Letty Maldonado/Alcides Gutierrez (3rd)

Mixed A (3): Gisela Gomez/Richard Seaberg; Carolyn Vazquez/Glen Bero; Geoff Peters/Barbara Vagedes (3rd)

Mixed Mega Centurion +125: Cheryl Kirk/Andy Pitock

ISRA State Doubles Championships continued from page 13

Takedown! Mixed A Champs Rick Seaberg and Gisela Gomez (what exactly did Geoff do to deserve this? RSVP…)

Men’s B Finalists Anuj Parikh/Tejas Veer and Mike Pfleeger/Anurag Singh




February 21-23, 2020Glass Court Swim & Fitness, LombardTournament Director: Cheryl Kirk

In a variation of the flexible approach afforded to players at State Doubles (see article on p. 13 of this issue), we went right ahead and followed suit for State Singles, with Skill divisions competing on Friday/Saturday; Age on Saturday only; and combined Age/Skill and Juniors on Sunday.

Eighty-one players (67 men/14 women) came from 55 towns and cities across Illinois, with 45 entering one division and 36 in two divisions. A total of nineteen divisions were competed, all of which––except for Men’s Open with AA dropdown––were formatted into round robins or pool play, guaranteeing at least two matches per division entered.

The tournament souvenirs for players this time around did not involve apparel, unless you consider socks to be in that category. The tournament director chose the route of providing a pair of Bombas to each player (that’s the company that donates a pair of socks to the homeless for each pair sold). Additionally, thanks to the design expertise of Lynn Yeazell of Response Graphics, a personalized bag tag in the style of a State of Illinois license plate seemed pleasing to the players.

ISRA State Singles Championships

Eric Mathews captured the Men’s Open Gold medal in a nail-biting tiebreaker vs. Clint Hickman: 15-14, 13-15, 11-10. Kristin Coulter def. Emily Fauser, 15-3, 15-14, to emerge as the 2020 ISRA State Singles Women’s Open Champion.

On Saturday evening, 2/22/20, match play halted temporar-ily so that everyone could attend the ISRA Annual Awards Ceremony and Hall of Fame Induction (see article on p. 7 of this issue).

Sponsors are so very much appreciated! Warm thanks go to Awards & Fine Gifts, Glass Court (Dan Jaskier and Joe De Armas), Response Graphics (Lynn and Kevin Yeazell), Liz and Dave Molitor, Little Debbie (Janet and Joe Eminger), and Head/Penn Racquet Sports.

Many thanks to these volunteers who contributed their time and efforts toward the success of ISRA State Singles: Marian Bala, Alisa Burris, Todd Burris, Mike Davern, Laurel Davis, Michael Fornero, Pam Forsberg, Lori Good, Pam Grace, Jeff Grace, Al Gutierrez, Doug Halverson, Dan Jaskier, Kit Lawson, Liz Molitor, Sue Mueller, John O’Donnell, Jr., Geoff Peters, Bill Roberts, Sara Roberts, Pam Schubach, Rick Seaberg, Joe Silius, John Thorson, Claudia Torres, Montserrat Torres, Barb Vagedes, Carolyn Vazquez...and the Staff Members of Glass Court!

For a complete look at the draws, go to www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31370.

-- Cheryl Kirk

Men’s 50+A and 45+A Gold – Brad Simon and Jairo Torres continued on page 16


www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31370

www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31370



2020 ISRA State Singles Championships continued from page 11

Double Gold: Men’s AA and Men’s 50+ State Champion John Thorson

Women’s Open Gold Medalist Kristin Coulter

Men’s 60+ Gold and Silver – Miguel Riollano and Ray Redelman

Double Gold! Men’s Open and Men’s 25+ State Champion Eric Mathews




2020 ISRA State Singles Championships continued from page 11

RESULTS | 2020 ISRA State Singles ChampionshipsDivision (# entered): First; Second; Semifinals

Men’s Open (10): Eric Mathews; Clint Hickman; Alok Mehta, Fernando Javier Rivera

Men’s AA (4): John Thorson; Jake Ryan; Danny Ortega, Nick Czapla

Men’s A (15) Pool play playoff (3): Carlos Ibarra; Tejas Veer; Rogelio Ruiz (3rd)

Men’s B (7) Pool play playoff (7): Thomas George; Glen Bero

Men’s C (8) Pool play playoff (2): Brad Statdfield; Ryan Urbaniak

Men’s D (4) Round robin: Maulik Shah; Juan Herrera II; Varadharajan Cancheepuram (3rd)

Men’s 25+/40+/50+ (6) Pool play playoff (2): Fernando Javier Rivera; Eric Mathews

Men’s 25+ (3): Eric Mathews; Alcides Gutierrez; Nick Czapla (3rd)

Men’s 40+ (2): Fernando Javier Rivera; Nadeem Sharifuddin

Men’s 50+ (1): John Thorson

Men’s 60+ (4) Round robin: Miguel Riollano; Ray Redelman; Michael Mancuso (3rd)

Men’s 65+/70+ (6) Pool play playoff (2): Joe DeArmas; Platt Hill

Men’s 65+ (3) Round robin: Joe DeArmas; Bruce Nelson; Bill Roberts (3rd)

Men’s 70+ (3) Round robin: Platt Hill; Joe Silius; Al Tamberelli (3rd)

Men’s 30+A/40+A (3) Round robin: Tejas Veer; Rogelio Ruiz; Mason Kimberley (3rd)

Men’s 45+A/50+A (8) Pool play playoff (3): Jairo Torres; Brad Simon; Todd Burris (3rd)

Men’s 55+A/60+A/65+A (5) Pool play playoff (2): Roberto Rivas; Geoff Peters

Men’s 25+/30+/35+/45+ Intermediate (8) Pool play playoff (2): Thomas George; Anuj Parikh

Men’s 30+ Intermediate (1): Anuj Parikh

Men’s 45+ Intermediate (2): Todd Haverkos; Varadharajan Cancheepuram

Men’s 50+/55+/65+ Intermediate (6) Pool play playoff (2): Helder Dos Santos; Eugen Gheorghiu

Men’s 50+ Intermediate (1): Chris Wolverton

Men’s 65+ Intermediate (1): Randal Ashton

Women’s Open (6) Pool play playoff (2): Kristin Coulter; Emily Fauser

Women’s A (3) Round robin: Jennifer Kwong; Julianne Valentino; Carolyn Vazquez (3rd)

Women’s C/D (4) Round robin: Sharyn Pietras; Pamela Forsberg; Saigeetha Varadharajan; Montserrat Torres

Women’s C (2): Sharyn Pietras; Pamela Forsberg

Women’s D (2): Saigeetha Varadharajan; Montserrat Torres

Junior Boys 18- (1): Spencer O’Dea

Junior Boys 14- (1): Juan Herrera II

Junior Boys 12- (1): Axel Lopez

Junior Girls 14- (1): Saigeetha Varadharajan

Junior Girls 12- (1): Montserrat Torres

Mixed Open Doubles (unofficial) (3): Kristin Coulter/Miguel Riollano; Martin Gonzalez/Lynn Yeazell; Glen Bero/Cheryl Kirk (3rd)

Women’s C/D Division! L to R: Pam Forsberg, Saigeetha Varadharajan, Montserrat Torres, Sharyn Pietras



LOCAL |STATE| NATIONAL | INTERNATIONAL | EVENTS


Glass Court Swim & Fitness, LombardMarch 12-15, 2020

Thanks to everyone who participated and volunteered at the 35th Annual KWM Gutterman Shamrock Shootout Pro-Am Presented by MyPillow, March 12-15. It was an action-packed weekend, and although a handful of concerned competitors elected to drop from the tournament, when Sunday afternoon came around, we felt it was a successful event for everyone who attended and who watched on the IRT Network.

TurnoutOverall, we ended the weekend with 185 competitors from 6 countries (Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and the USA) as well as 18 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin).

Pro ActionThe racquetball world watched via the IRT’s LiveStreaming as 39 IRT Pros competed in Qualifier and Main singles rounds in an attempt to make it to the finals. Additionally, ten (10) teams competed in the IRT Pro Doubles competition. Saturday night, Daniel De La Rosa and Alvaro Beltran (Mexico) took the Pro Doubles title over Javier Mar (Mexico) and Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico), 15-10, 15-13. This follows the 2019 Pro Doubles final where De La Rosa and Beltran fell to Kane Waselenchuk and Ben Croft. Unfortunately, Ben (a local Lake Bluff product) was unable to be in Lombard with Kane to defend their title. Sunday afternoon, in a well-attended Pro Singles final,

35th Annual KWM Gutterman Shamrock ShootoutIRT Tier 1 Pro Stop | Presented by MyPillow

Kane Waselenchuk (Canada/USA) defeated Alejandro Landa (Mexico/USA), 15-3, 15-5.

Amateur PlayAlthough the IRT Professionals are the “main attraction” at any pro stop, thirty (30) amateur divisions were offered in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles.

In the Women’s Open, it was Erika Manilla (Colorado) vs. Melania Sauma (Costa Rica) with Manilla winning 15-9, 15-8. Erika was a late addition to the draw after her classes were cancelled -- she flew in on Friday afternoon to be part of the event! On the Men’s Open side, Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) defeated Sebastian Fernandez (Mexico/USA), 15-11, 15-13. Erin Slutzky (Missouri) and Alok Mehta emerged the winners in a four-state Mixed Open round robin.

Visit https://www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31369 for a full look at the draws.

Sponsor Doubles – Thursday Night FunBefore a full weekend of pro and amateur competition kicked off, the Pro-Am Doubles provided a once-in-a-lifetime op-portunity for eight lucky amateurs to play with pro partners. When the smoke cleared, it was Raj Sondhi and Andree Parrilla defeating Danny Ortega and Rocky Carson in the final. On the dropdown side, Axel Lopez and Lalo Portillo bested Jose L. Arteaga and Alex Landa. The Thursday night Pro-Am continues to be a fun event for everyone, and the sponsors enjoy the op-portunity to rub elbows with the IRT Pros (and vice versa!).

Shamrock Shootout – IRT Sponsor Doubles!

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Fife




35th Annual KWM Gutterman Shamrock Shootout continued from page 18


Sponsors, We Couldn’t Do It Without YOU!Sponsors are the lifeblood of any Pro Stop. Thanks to an impressive list of sponsors, we in Illinois have enjoyed the con-sistent pleasure of welcoming the pros to Glass Court. Keith Minor (KWM Gutterman) continues to step up and support Illinois, the ISRA, USA Racquetball, the IRT, and the LPRT. Keith has been a lead sponsor for many events and was the title sponsor for this 35th edition of the Shamrock Shootout. We simply could not make this event happen without Keith’s continuing support!

We were fortunate this year to have MyPillow, a national sponsor of the IRT, become a presenting sponsor of the Shamrock Shootout by providing a Travel MyPillow to each competitor, a King-Size pillow to each division winner, and a Queen-Size pillow to each division runner up! Our Platinum Sponsors this year included some of the most dedicated folks

who support racquetball in Illinois: PapaNicholas Coffee (Jim Schlicher), Platt Hill Nursery (Platt Hill), Rick Seaberg, Frank and Diane Bunker, and Anthony’s Pizza (Tony and Anthony Cosmano). These players––and all of them are players as well as sponsors––are major contributors to this and other events in Illinois throughout the season. And, we had a group of Gold Sponsors featured on the sidewalls of our Glass Stadium Court that included: Chicago Spectro (Geoff Goldblatt), Susan L. Klimaitis Foundation (Leo and Sue Klimaitis), Taco Burrito King (Danny Ortega), Wayne Lorenz – Baird Warner Real Estate, Edwardo’s Pizza (Dave Milazzo), Newman Schimel Financial Advisors (Jack Newman), EquipoVision (Jose Arteaga), Alok Mehta, JAM Trucking (Bob Randazzo), and John O’Donnell Jr. Of course, we have the important Silver Sponsors who are critical to make this event happen. This year, they included: Cheryl Kirk and Kit Lawson, John Thorson, Willy Fellows, and Mike Davern. And, last, but hardly least, our Bronze Contribu-tors stepped up again this year with merchandise to support our successful Silent Auction for Junior Racquetball, including: Head/Penn Racquet Sports, Little Debbie (Janet Eminger), Molitor Lawn Service (Dave and Liz Molitor), Racquetball Warehouse (Ben Croft), Gearbox, and EForce.

Joe DeArmas dressed up for the occasion!

Cheryl Kirk and Rick Seaberg: It’s the Shamrock Shootout, after all!

IRT Sponsor Doubles draws (grab a magnifying glass, it’s worth it!)





The Volunteer ArmyIn addition to recognizing Glass Court’s excellent staff for their hard work, Dan Jaskier and Joe DeArmas and the ISRA extend much gratitude to the team of volunteers who pitched in to provide a top-notch Shamrock Shootout experience: Marian Bala, Doug Brown, Laura Brown, Alisa Burris, Todd Burris, Mike Davern, Laurel Davis, Jonelle Dubois, Michael Fornero, Marie Gomar, Lori Good, Pam Grace, Karen Grisz, Mike Grisz, Alcides Gutierrez, Doug Halverson, Michelle Halverson, Evelyn Herrera, Cheryl Kirk, Dolores Lamberson, Kit Lawson, Luz Lopez, Dave Milazzo, Liz Molitor, Sue Mueller, Spencer O’Dea, Deb Peters, Bill Roberts, Joe Silius, Dave Singer, Jim Thomas, John Thorson, Claudia Torres, Barb Vagedes, Tracie Valentine, Carolyn Vazquez, Beth Winters, and Rich Winters. It really does take an army!


Laurel Davis – semper paratus, Shamrock style! (look it up)

Murray vs. Landa – this is what focus looks like

Alejandro Landa and Kane Waselenchuk battled it out for the top spot

Phot

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Fife


Surprise Proposal!On Friday night, our buddy from Indiana, Patrick Buckley, popped the question to Indiana State President Laura Pesek on live streaming in a carefully orchestrated proposal that involved Rocky Carson, the IRT’s Dean Baer, and a concocted interview topic that hid what was really going on. Hid, that is, until Patrick went down on one knee, said some really nice things, and…well, the rest is history. Congratulations, Laura and Patrick! (See photo p. 28.)

Video and Photos Available!Videos of matches from the Shamrock are worth watching! Here is the link to the Men’s IRT Pro Final with Kane Waselenchuk vs. Alex Landa, and after you watch that, you will want to catch some of the great doubles action, including action that Doug Halverson said was some of the best he had ever seen! Here’s the Singles Final: https://youtu.be/1MGiOSiqHt8

Also available is a gallery of great photos put together by Ken Fife who was camped by the stadium court much of the weekend. You can see some great pictures of the Pros – and check out our Pro-Am competitors as well in their glamour shots. Here is the link to the photo gallery: https://www.fifephoto.com/Racquetball/IRT/2020-03-12-35th-Annual-KWM-Gutterman-Inc-Shamrock-Shootout

Partnering with the IRT to bring the Pros to Glass Court is always a thrill, and we look forward to the time we can all gather once again!

-- Geoff Peters, on behalf of all of our staff and volunteers


https://www.fifephoto.com/Racquetball/IRT/2020-03-12-35th-Annual-KWM-Gutterman-Inc-Shamrock-Shootout






Look who stopped in to say hello – Racquetball Legend and USAR Hall of Famer (Class of 2002) Andy Roberts!


Men’s B Doubles winners Anthony Giacalone and Glen Bero

IRT Stream Team! Dean Baer, Favio Soto, Pablo Fajre

New eye guards, Nadeem?



RESULTS | 35th Annual KWM Gutterman Shamrock ShootoutDivision (# entered): First; Second; Semifinals

*Note: from Men’s A on, if no state is designated, assumed to be IL

Men’s IRT PRO (24) Main Draw: Kane Waselenchuk (TX/Canada); Alejandro Landa (USA/Mexico); Andre Parrilla (Mexico), Daniel De La Rosa (AZ/Mexico)

Men’s IRT Pro Doubles (10): Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico)/Alvaro Beltran (Mexico); Javier Mar (Mexico)/Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico); Eduardo Portillo Torres (Mexico)/Andree Parrilla (Mexico), Samuel Murray (Canada)/Alejandro Landa (USA/Mexico)

Men’s Open (29): Andres Acuna (Costa Rica); Sebastian Fernandez (USA/Mexico); Gerardo Franco (Mexico), Mario Mercado (Colombia)

Men’s AA (13): Eric Mathews (IL); Damian Zamorano (AZ); Andrew Gleason (IA), AJ Bennett (OH)

Men’s Elite (7): Benjamin Horner (IA); John Thorson (IL); Mike Grisz (VA), Danny Ortega (IL)

Men’s A (18): Tejas Veer; Irfan Siddiqui; Thomas George, Danny Sardina (AZ)

Men’s B (12): Paul Nijensohn; Mason Kimberley; Rich Morales, Rick Rueger

Men’s C (15): Anuj Parikh; Axel Lopez; Ryan Urbaniak, Jose Hernandez

Men’s D (4): Jose Hernandez; Juan “JC” Herrera II; Al Tamberelli (3rd)

Men’s 35+/45+ (5): Fernando Javier Rivera ; Alcides Gutierrez; Nadeem Sharifuddin (3rd)

Men’s 55+ (13): Tony Cosmano; Ray Redelman; Ferd Samson (MI), Keith Harper

Men’s 65+ (5): Joe DeArmas; Ron Sweeney (IA); Platt Hill, Bruce Green (MN)

Men’s 35INT/45INT (3): Carlos Canessa; George Ipe; Sean Cantorna (3rd)

Men’s 55+ INT (2): Rick Nielsen; Rick Rueger

Men’s Open Doubles (10): Gerardo Franco (Mexico)/Erick Cuevas Fernandez (Mexico); Keith Minor/Fernando Javier Rivera; Anthony Martin (UT)/Damian Zamorano (AZ), Thomas Carter/Alok Mehta

Men’s A Doubles (12 PP) Playoff (3): Juan Pablo Rodriguez (Colombia)/Francisco Fajardo (Colombia); Nick Czapla/Bob Thomson; Tejas Veer/Anuj Parikh (3rd)

Men’s B Doubles (7): Glen Bero/Anthony Giacalone; Daniel Barrera/Thomas George; Chris Sommer/Gary Frasco, Justin Mrowicki/Mason Kimberley

Men’s C Doubles (9): Jason Duffecy/Brad Statdfield; Stephen Lindstrom/Nick Ringger (WI); Shashank Shrivastava/Kaushik Vaghasiya, Spencer O’Dea/Axel Lopez

Men’s 35+ Doubles (3): Jeffrey Hill/Jake Ryan; Mike Davern/Chris Choi; Jose L. Arteaga/Alvaro Tony Garcia (3rd)

Men’s Doubles Centurion 100+ (4): Keith Minor/Jim Hillman; Lee Frick/Jake Ryan; Jairo Torres/Jerry Kee (3rd)

Men’s Doubles Mega Centurion 125+ (5) Playoff (2): Mike Grisz (VA)/Dave Milazzo; John Thorson/Joe Silius

Women’s Open (8): Erika Manilla (CO); Melania Sauma (Costa Rica/AZ); Erin Slutzky (MO), Marie Gomar (Guatemala)

Women’s AA (4): Elena Robles (IN); Kristin Coulter; Susan Caillier, Diane Bunker

Women’s A (4): Alejandra Lopez (IN); Tracie Valentine (MD); Vicki Hopkins (MD) (3rd)

Women’s B/C/D (4): Sharyn Pietras; Thea Mattfeldt (AZ); Montserrat Torres (3rd)

Women’s Open Doubles (4): Melania Sauma (Costa Rica/AZ)/Erika Manilla (CO); Karen Grisz (VA)/Marie Gomar (Guatemala); Rebecca Bowman (IN)/Lynn Yeazell (3rd)

Women’s A Doubles (4): Kimberly Randolph (CA)/Cheryl Kirk; Laura Pesek (IN)/Chris Cerny (IN); Alejandra Lopez (IN)/Thea Mattfeldt (AZ)(3rd)

Mixed Open Doubles (4): Erin Slutzky (MO)/Alok Mehta; Rebecca Bowman (IN)/AJ Bennett (OH); Miguel Riollano/Kristin Coulter (3rd)

Mixed Doubles 95+/100+ (4): Mike Grisz (VA)/Karen Grisz (VA); Martin Gonzalez/Lynn Yeazell; Craig Coleman (IN)/Doris Roberts (IN)(3rd)

Mixed Doubles Skill (4): Craig Coleman (IN)/Doris Roberts (IN); Chris Cerny (IN)/Jody Ashley (IN); Laura Pesek (IN)/Patrick Buckley (IN)(3rd)



Coach Carolyn Vazquez and her Bella. Could they be any sweeter?




ISRA Represented at 31st Annual Event By WSMRA President Kendra Tutsch and Cheryl Kirk

“Meet Me in St. Louis” was the theme of the Women’s Senior/Masters Racquetball Association’s 31st Annual tournament, held January 17-19, 2020, at Vetta Racquet Sports - Concord. In 1993 at its 4th Annual event, the WSMRA was officially formed as an organization to carry on the tournament and promote racquetball as the sport for a lifetime. In light of this, St. Louis was a great location to begin the fourth decade of this tournament!

Illinois lent four players to this 45-player event: Susan Caillier (Springfield YMCA), Nancy Kronenfeld (Lattof YMCA), Joyce Satorius (Channahon Arrowhead Center), and Brenda White (Landmark Racquet & Health).

On Thursday afternoon the tournament kicked off with the traditional “fun doubles” to benefit breast cancer research. This is a yearly tradition that gives players a chance to check out the courts and facilities, and this year several local high school players joined in on the action as well. The players are always generous with their contributions, and over $370 was raised for breast cancer awareness and research, thanks to the efforts of Nidia Funes who perennially runs this event so very well.

Friday morning the tournament kicked off with round robin play in singles and doubles for the 45 players from 23 states

WSMRA Annual Women’s Senior/Masters Begins New Decade of Events!

and Guatemala (yes, this was truly an interna-tional event!). Skill level doubles were offered, and many players chose to play two doubles divisions, or one singles and one doubles. This meant that a few intrepid players had 12 or more matches over 2-1/2 days!

The Saturday night banquet is a highlight of the weekend, and Tournament Director Shari Coplen outdid herself with a beach theme complete with palm trees, flamingo lights, and leis for everyone! The program began with a moment of silence to remember friends lost in the last year, including long-time WSMRA player and inspiration Lola Markus and her husband Ray, a true supporter of women’s racquetball.

After the delicious banquet meal followed by trivia and joke-telling contests, the last announcement of the night was the exciting news that the 32nd Annual Women’s Senior/Masters tournament is in the planning for Atlanta, January 15-17, 2021!

View results at: https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewRe-sults.asp?TID=31207

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February 5-9, 2020Sun Devil Fitness Complex, Tempe, AZ

National Doubles is not to be missed––from an Illinois perspective, what’s not to like about February in Arizona? But who could have guessed that a global pandemic would descend and impact, in myriad ways, every life, every family, every business, every institution? That makes the memories of this year’s National Doubles especially precious and poignant.

Eleven members of Team Illinois were on hand to compete and to enjoy the camaraderie of this event and the excite-ment of watching the USA’s best compete for spots on the U.S. Adult Team.

Before reporting results, there were some occurrences that punctuated this event in both good and sad ways:

Military Racquetball Federation veterans hit the courts on Saturday to participate in the Racquetball Rehabilita-


tion Clinic (RRC) Team Challenge. The MRF’s RRC program promotes racquetball as a means of therapy (and fun!) for veterans who are striving to overcome a variety of challenges. In Tempe, players representing the Prescott, Las Vegas, and Phoenix VAs competed, with Prescott coming out on top (see photos p. 25). Players were treated to team shirts and goodie bags from the MRF and USA Racquetball as well as commemorative coins from the International Racquetball Federation. A lively group lunch followed.

New USA Racquetball staff member Connor Shane arrived to hang with National Doubles players and pitch in to help with the event, even though he didn’t technically start in his new position until the following week.

While at National Doubles, Jim Durham was confirmed and announced as new US Team Head Coach and had the opportunity to observe team qualifying division matches in a somewhat different way than he might have otherwise (spectator vs. coach)!

Sadly, Bernard “Mac” Linhart, 55, of Sierra Vista, Arizona, passed away while competing on Wednesday evening, February 5th. Mac, who had a distinguished 22-year military career and had continued as a Department of Army Civilian after retiring, was proud of serving his country, and he was proud of his family. His wife Susie, daughter Alex, son Luke, and dog Rylie will forever be a part of our racquetball family.

USA Racquetball 2020 National Doubles Championships

continued on page 25Medals all over the place: David Singer, Jeffrey Hill, Jake Ryan



LOCAL | STATE | NATIONAL | INTERNATIONAL | EVENTS LOCAL | STATE | NATIONAL | INTERNATIONAL | EVENTS

USA Racquetball 2020 National Doubles Championships continued from page 24

In Team Qualifying action…

DoublesAlejandro Landa/Sudsy Monchik def. Jose Diaz/Jake Breden-beck, 15-13, 4-15, 11-9Aimee Ruiz/Erika Manilla def. Hollie Scott/Lexi York, 15-6, 15-9

Singles Rocky Carson def. Alejandro Landa, 15-6, 15-14Hollie Scott def. Erika Manilla, 15-5, 9-15, 11-9

Team Illinois Took to the CourtsThomas Carter: Men’s Open – Silver with Will Reynolds (CA); Men’s Team Qualifying (Singles)

Jeffrey Hill: Men’s Centurion A – Gold with Jake Ryan; Men’s Centurion B – Gold with David Singer; M50/60+A with Gary Stone

Brent Huff: Men’s 35+ – Gold with Damian Zamorano (AZ)

Cheryl Kirk: Mixed 60+A – Silver with Robert Frazier (AL); Mixed Mega Centurion – Bronze with Geoff Peters

Keith Minor: Men’s 45+ – Gold with Jeff Stark (CA); Men’s 50+ -- Gold with Jeff Stark (CA)

Geoff Peters: Mixed Mega Centurion – Bronze with Cheryl Kirk

Wil Rounsaville: Men’s Centurion A with Kyle Kennedy (AZ)

Jake Ryan: Men’s 40+A – Gold with David Singer; Men’s Centurion A – Gold with Jeffrey Hill

David Singer: Men’s 40+A – Gold with David Singer; Men’s Centurion B – Gold with Jeffrey Hill

Gary Stone: Men’s 50/60+A with Jeffrey Hill

So…that’s a lot of metal (aka medals) that traveled back home with Team Illinois. Congratulations to all!

-- Cheryl Kirk

For a full look at National Doubles draws, visit https://www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31680


Racquetball Warriors in Tempe – Prescott (blue), Las Vegas (red), and Phoenix (green)

William Holden (aka Pastor Bill) looks on as fellow Phoenix VA players take to the court


https://www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31680

https://www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=31680



USA Racquetball 2020 National Doubles Championships continued from page 25

Mixed 60+A silver medalists Cheryl Kirk and Bob Frazier

Illinoisans and Arizonans who used to be Illinoisans – miss you guys!L to R: Eric Battaglia, David Singer, John Puccio, Gary Stone, Jeffrey Hill, Jake Ryan

The view from the stairs above courts 1 & 2

Brent Huff was on hand to provide treatment and to take a gold medal home as well!




Illinois tournaments are highlighted in blue.

2020 TournamentFor updates or edits to the Tournament Calendar, please contact Geoff Peters at [email protected]

Visit www.r2sports.com and/or www.illinoisracquetball.com for more information on each of these sanctioned events.

October 14-18, 202011th Annual 3WallBall World ChampionshipsTHE STRAT Hotel, Las Vegashttps://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=34945

October 24, 2020Glass Court Fall ShootoutGlass Court Swim & Fitness, Lombard

November 19-22, 202029th Annual Turkey Shoot Glass Court Swim & Fitness, Lombard

December 12, 2020Glass Court Holiday DoublesGlass Court Swim & Fitness, Lombard

December 16-19, 202036th IRF World Senior Racquetball Championships Midtown Sports & Wellness, Albuquerque, NMhttps://www.r2sports.com/tourney/EntryList.asp?TID=31892

December 9-11, 2020NMRA Doubles-Only ChampionshipsLocation TBDhttp://www.nationalmastersracquetball.com/competition/annual-championships/

January 14-17, 202132nd Annual WSMRA Annual TournamentRecreation ATL, Lilburn/Atlanta, GA

Due to the global pandemic, and as with everything concerning sport in the United States, the events listed here are tentative. Please check periodically on R2Sports.com or www.illinoisracquetball.com for updated information. This list should not be considered as confirmed nor should it be viewed as inclusive of all tentatively scheduled sanctioned events in Illinois or across the U.S.


www.r2sports.com


https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=34945

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=34945

https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/EntryList.asp?TID=31892

https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/EntryList.asp?TID=31892

http://www.nationalmastersracquetball.com/competition/annual-championships/

http://www.nationalmastersracquetball.com/competition/annual-championships/

http://R2Sports.com


Your membership in the ISRA has helped make our organization second to none. Though we strive to make improvements to build and grow the sport for future success, we sometimes struggle to keep our heads above water as an organization. Our focus is not for the purpose of monetary gain, but to generate enough funds to give back quality, first-rate programs, tournaments, and events we can all be proud to participate in. Our volunteers who donate their time and/or money are greatly appreci-ated as are those who advertise in ISRA Courtside. For as little as $25 for a business card size ad, we can help get your name out there to let everyone know what you do; for $150, we can run your ad on a full page. Help Us Help You by getting your ad into the next issue of ISRA Courtside!

Many thanks,

Cheryl KirkEditor

Lend YourSUPPORT 2020-2021 ISRA Courtside

Advertising RatesGUIDELINES: The ISRA Board of Directors has established a formal policy of

not allowing advertisements to include product pricing. All ads should be camera ready. They can be accepted

electronically in .tif, .jpg or .pdf formats. These rates are in effect until December 31, 2020. Deadlines are as follows:

Articles/Releases/Ads Due November 27, 2020 Issue Publication Date December 11, 2020 Ad Rates Full page $150/issue, Half page

$75/issue, Quarter page $50/issue. Other sizes quoted on a case-by-case basis.

For any questions or submission:

Send articles/releases/ads to Cheryl Kirk at [email protected]

2020 Racquetball

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2020 Racquetball

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Proposal at the Shamrock – on air and on camera! Patrick Buckley ª Laura PesekJohn O’Donnell, Jr. and his new bride Kay at her first racquetball event!

Phot

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Mik

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Phot

o by

Mik

e D

aver

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recognizing excellence – isra annual awards and hall of … · 2020. 8. 27. · usa racquetball...

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