The Fastest Game Just Got a Little Faster

The 5280 – Mile High Pro-Am Denver, CO

By:  Sarah Warhaftig

WPRO athletes all have their training secrets before tournaments: diet, training and mental work.  However, coming to the city that sits one mile above sea level may not have been an easy factor into their plans.  The first ever Mile High Pro-Am took place over the weekend of March 8^th at the prestigious Denver Athletic Club downtown.  Tournament Director Debbie Beldring worked tirelessly to provide a top-notch event that included a full amateur draw in one of the most picturesque cities in the country. 

A handful of WPRO players arrived a bit earlier to adjust to the altitude and the speed of the already fast Ektelon Fireball, hoping to gain some advantage over their sea level playing competitors.  Cheryl Gudinas said, “I didn’t feel the altitude with my breathing, but needed to slow down the pace of the ball especially on ceiling balls.  Next year, I would come out a day earlier, it takes two or three days to really adapt, but once I did adjust I loved it.”     

Thursday night’s traditional sponsor doubles paired reining mixed doubles state open champion Kevin Holmes with #9 Jen Saunders out of Canada to take home the title.  A fantastic atmosphere to start the event DJ George Coleman kept the crowd going with music all weekend long, and sponsors enjoyed the social atmosphere of the club.    

Match play began on Friday with only one upset, as veteran Cheryl Gudinas returned to the WPRO draw and quickly dispatched of rising young star Cristina Amaya out of Colombia in three straight games. Saturday’s quarterfinals had all top seeds advancing with the exception of Krystal Csuk who is having her best season yet defeating Adrienne Fisher.  

The most exciting match was between Susy Acosta and Rhonda Rajsich.  A similar getting style and fast game had this one going to five with Rajsich squeaking out the victory.  Top seed Paola Longoria proved she was on a quest and continues to frustrate her opponents as she defeated Canadian Jen Saunders in three straight.

 

Saturday night’s semi-finals were standing room only as crafty veteran Kerri Wachtel battled athletic Rajsich in a four game match.  A unique matchup, Wachtel gave Rajsich bouts of trouble, but in the end Rajsich pure shooting was too much for Wacthel.  Longoria battled it out with Csuk – a hard hitting contest Csuk looked comfortable and was shooting well, but Longoria’s experience and consistency outlasted Csuk and Longoria advanced in three straight. 

The finals had a familiar paring as Paola and Rhonda set off to face each other again. The winner of this match was going to be whoever got out of the box the fastest and could apply the most pressure to her opponent. Both players do a fantastic job of covering the court and since balls stay up a little longer in the altitude, the fans thought that Rhonda’s athleticism and ability to keep rallies going would work to her advantage. That turned out not to be the case as Paola showed that she is equally able to cover the court. Both players came out hitting big serves and driving the ball at every opportunity. Paola stuck to her strategy from the semifinals, hitting drive serves to Rhonda’s backhand and z-serves to her forehand. Rhonda reached into her entire bag of serves, looking for something that would be effective. After a fairly even start to game 1, Paola found a little bit of a groove and took advantage of every ball that Rhonda left up, winning game 1, 11-6. Paola got out to a fast start in game 2, never really letting Rhonda get into the game, winning 11-3. Rhonda reached down deep at the start of game 3, keeping things close, but Paola showed why she is # 1, closing out the match at 11-5. 

With every first tournament on the WPRO schedule, the WPRO is extremely thankful for the wonderful sponsors and patrons who made the event happen.  The Colorado Racquetball community and players once again stepped forward to make this a successful event.  American Motors, the Title Sponsor and family owned by racquetball phenoms Victor, Nancy, Adam and Erika.  A special thank you to Layer Cake Marketing and Kimberly Graham whose husband Ralph is a top tournament player in Colorado for providing a wonderful media opportunity for players Rhonda Rajsich and Paola Longoria to make appearances on both ABC and NBC Denver morning shows.  Thank you to Subaru, GOSubaru, EAS Nutrition and GrahamGolden technologies.

PAOLA LONGORIA: EL REVÉS DE ORO. ANUARIO 2011 PERIÓDICO EL NORTE / GRUPO REFORMA

PAOLA LONGORIA: EL REVÉS DE ORO. ANUARIO 2011 PERIÓDICO EL NORTE / GRUPO REFORMA
Paola Longoria El revés de oro. Por: Jesús Carvajal

El camino del oro para Paola Longoria inició a los 7 años de edad en su natal San Luis Potosí.

Indiscutible reina de los recientes Juegos Panamericanos al obtener tres preseas doradas, la estudiante de FIME de la UANL hizo volver los ojos del mundo hacia el raquetbol que no es olímpico y que tiene en los Panamericanos su mayor plataforma.

Y colgarse las medallas de oro no es una casualidad. Su trayectoria empezó desde pequeña, cuando apoyada por sus papás practicaba deportes como la natación, el futbol, el taekwondo, tenis y otros, pero cuando descubrió el raquetbol le pareció muy divertido.

Hubo entrenadores que vieron en ella aptitudes excepcionales para los deportes de raqueta y, con ello, la ayudaron a ser la mejor en su área y a que obtuviera ocho campeonatos mundiales juveniles, de los que luego se retiró para dedicarse al tour de la Women's Professional Racquetball Organization, en donde domina en el ranking.

El raquetbol, en palabras de Paola, es un deporte difícil, ya que exige de una condición física excepcional porque se requiere fuerza de brazos y piernas, además de una mentalidad de triunfo, lo que evidentemente ella tiene de sobra.

Sus mejores armas son su revés, su capacidad de concentración y su preparación física.

Luego de su destacada participación en los Panamericanos, Longoria busca seguir siendo la número uno en la gira de la WPRO y obtener el Campeonato Mundial de singles de federación, el único título que a sus 22 años todavía no tiene y al que aspira para el 2012.

Pero su máxima aspiración sería ir a unas Olimpiadas, algo que no depende de ella porque primero deberá lograrse que el raquetbol sea considerado deporte olímpico, para lo que se necesita que las autoridades impulsen más este deporte que es muy completo y que tiene seguidores en muchos países.

The 2013 World Games are Calling the WPRO to Cali Colombia

TIWGA President Ron Froehlich announced the Executive Committee’s final decision to grant the hosting rights to Cali, COL, at one of his daily press conferences during The World Games in Kaohsiung, TPE, on 21 July 2009. “The Games will be held for the first time in South America,“ Froehlich proclaimed.

Bid leader Pascual Guerrero, who now heads the Cali Organizing Committee (COC), was able to explain the motivation behind the city’s bid for The World Games 2013 to the international press as well. “The excitement among the public here in Kaohsiung justifies our efforts all the more; this is what we can look forward to in Cali, in Colombia and around Latin America,” Guerrero said. “This event offers the people in South America the opportunity to learn more about interesting and fascinating sports, and it gives Cali a chance to push urban development.”

The conclusion of the Host City Contract was celebrated at the Cali Congress Center in August 2009. Then Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Veléz, who attended the celebrations, reaffirmed the national government’s all-out support to the Cali organizers in the lead-up and during The World Games 2013.

Cali will stage the multi-sport games together with two other cities in the Cauca Valley from 25 July to 4 August 2013. The Opening Ceremony will be held on 25 July, the day the City of Cali celebrates the 100th anniversary of its foundation. The organizers are preparing to seize the moment to promote the full breadth of sports to the world, and to bring about significant change to the nation, region and cities. The slogan for The World Games 2013 is Fair Play to the Planet! The COC is committed to pay particular attention to environmental friendliness in all its actions. Adding the new slogan to those used in the marketing of Cali makes for a promising formula. The city of Cali, aka “Heaven’s Branch Office,” and frequently labeled the “Sporting Capital of the Americas”, ensures “Fair Play to the Planet!” during The World Games 2013.

Cali brings considerable experience as an organizer of major sporting events to the challenge of staging The World Games. In 2008 Cali was host to the Colombian national multi-sport games with over 6,000 participants. The city was also an acclaimed host to the Pan-American Games and hundreds of large-scale international championships in the past. The most recent major event held there – in December 2009 – was the UCI Track Cycling World Cup. Cali and its partner cities in the Cauca Valley have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate The World Games. Even if all events will be hosted at existing venues, Cali has already embarked on a number of projects to improve them even further.

With a view to The World Games and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held in Cali and seven other Colombian cities in 2011, the 35,000- capacity multi-purpose main stadium was renovated completely over a period of only 16 months.

From the "Official Site" of the World Games:  http://www.theworldgames.org/the-sports/sports/ball-sports/racquetball  

WPRO Ladies Rajsich & Waselenchuk Win U.S. Team Qualifying Division

Congratulations to Kim Waselenchuk/Rhonda Rajsich who won the U.S. Team Qualifying Division at the 2012 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships presented by HEAD/Penn. Congratulations to Ben Croft and Rocky Carson on the men's side and to all the other winners and medalists

Join us for the National Singles, May 23-28, 2012 at the Meridian Sports Club in Fullerton CA.  The WPRO Ladies will be there in full force to claim their spot on U.S. Team.

Sponsorship Opportunities are available.  Contact; sponsorships@wprotour.com

  

CATCHING UP WITH DA'MONIQUE DAVIS! (WPRO #11) - 1/18/2012

The holidays are always a special time for me. I feel it’s a great way to spend more time with family as well as relax from any stressors. I took a break from racquetball and somewhat from work over the holidays to be with family and friends. I feel it re-fueled and re-charged me for the New Year and new goals. My diet however wasn't the greatest.. But hey, it's the holidays.. What do you expect!? :-)

 The second half of the season is looking great! There are 6 stops left for me, I’m feeling healthy and eager to get on the court to learn new things and get better. I feel with each stop, I learn something new. So I fully plan on using every stop to learn as well as develop my game to a higher level.

It's tough to work and play racquetball. As a nurse, I'm fortunate to only working 3 days a week.. However those 12-15 hour shifts are very stressful and my days are especially tough when I wake up 2 hours before to get a workout in, but I've made it work the past year as long as I get enough sleep, eat right, and balance my days and nights I can accomplish doing both.

Goals for the next half of the year are to improve my speed and footwork, improve my mental game and to play hard at every stop. I'd like to make a semi-final this year (something I’ve never done). So I know I need to kick my game and training up a notch to do so. These female athletes are the best in the world and know how to ball! All I want to do is be able to give them a great match to remember.

Sarah Warhaftig - WPRO Media Director

Featured Athlete Susy Acosta

The Cake Boss

By:  Sarah Warhaftig

Susy Acosta admits to having a sweet tooth.  When the lefty out of Mexico isn't battling it out on the courts, she is creating some beautiful and tasty cakes for weddings, Quinceaneras (the Mexican culture's version of a Sweet 16), and special occasions-including her own wedding.  Acosta has always enjoyed baking and said, "Well truthfully I enjoy eating my creations even more!" While she has always enjoyed baking, she discovered her creative abilities and decided to create a business, which she still runs today. 

Susy, who has received the nickname "superwoman" for her fearless attitude, has had a successful 2011-2012 season. With already a semi-final appearance in Olympia under her belt, Acosta continues her charge up the rankings on the WPRO.

According to Acosta, though, her greatest feelings of success and accomplishment come from playing for her home country of Mexico.  She feels blessed and proud to have sung the national anthem already a handful of times in her career.  Her proudest moment came in 2003 at the Pan American games, where she and her partner, Rosy Torres, won gold.  Her motivation to win a pro title is still pushing her to train and compete, and it makes hitting the courts everyday so much easier. 

Acosta balances court time with weights, speed training, and her new yoga workout-though she admits to being a total beginner!  Traveling and competing can be exhausting, but Acosta still manages to balance her court time with her other passions while resting in the hotel room.  Just ask her WPRO roommates. Thanks to them, they can tell you when all the reality cooking shows are on. 

When asked about the new look of the tour, Acosta says, "I am really excited and I truly believe this is a new era for our tour."  The media and connection to the world is new and exciting, and Acosta believes this is just the beginning of new and great things.      

An exciting player to watch on the courts, Susy looks forward to many more years of successful racquetball, and ultimately, a pro title would be her "icing on the cake."

Cakes designed by Susy:  

For Immediate Release ~ New Year’s Resolution

The week right after New Year’s is always filled with post-holiday blues, large credit card bills, extra pounds and back to work for many!  One group of working professionals though is eager to get back to work on the courts!   The WPRO professionals will kick off the 2012 second half of the season and team up with the IRT to compete in the Coast to Coast California Open in Canoga Park, California.

Canoga Park and the Spectrum Club will host both the best men and women in the game and crown the first champions of the 2012 year!  Event director Debbie Tisinger-Moore will bring back the tours for another year, to one of the nicest and largest racquetball facilities in the country.  It’s a spectators dream to have both tours in town, with a stacked amateur draw to compliment the pro players. 

As many of us enjoyed time with family and festivities, many pro players took the few weeks off to recover and regroup.  Don’t be surprised if it was short lived for many, as the second half of the season is always critical for rankings and the push to end the season at the top.  Improvements in games, conditioning and strategy were on the front burner for the ladies coming off the holiday break.   

It will be a continued battle at the top slot as Longoria continues to play solid ball, Rajsich will have her hands full to knock Longoria out of the lead.  Samantha Salas continues to steady at #3 and a strong second half season could propel her confidence as she seeks to take down the long reigns of both Rhonda and Paola.  Tour veteran Cheryl Gudinas will return to the draw after missing the Arlington stop due to surgery.  A first time semi-finalist in Arlington, Krystal Csuk will be a tough matchup, and consistent ball will keep Kerri Wachtel in the semis as well.  Young guns Cristina Amaya and Da’monique Davis continue to quest to knock off some higher seeds. 

If you are in the area and want to kick off the New Year with some great racquetball head down to the Spectrum Club, tournament information is linked below!  To a new year, a second half of what has been an exciting year, and may it keep rolling. 

http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=9125

Sarah Warhaftig

WPRO Media Director   sarah@wprotour.com

From the Ektelon Newsflash

EKTELON LADIES - WPRO MID SEASON RECAP

The WPRO is midway thru the season and it has sure been an exciting first half with our top two Ektelon pros winning each event. The season began with Rhonda Rajsich as the #1 player and now her Ektelon teammate, Paola Longoria, has taken over the position. Rhonda won the first WPRO event of the season in August, while Paola has won the next three events after that. This past weekend was the Christmas Classic in Arlington, VA and Paola and Rhonda did not disappoint.

Rhonda started off the match on fire with big drive serves, tremendous court coverage and shotmaking from all angles. She was hitting with power and confidence and was in full control of the court and the match taking a 2-0 lead in games. Paola to her credit kept fighting to stay in the match despite not playing her best racquetball and making some uncharacteristic errors, mostly due to Rhonda’s quality of play. 


Eventually, Paola battled back, managing to win games 3 & 4, taking control of momentum going into game 5. Paola took an early lead in game 5 and never looked back eventually winning the match 11-7 in yet another Longoria/Rajsich Classic Match. Both players fought tremendously hard throughout and treated the packed crowd to a great match. Congrats to Paola on winning her 3rd consecutive WPRO Pro Stop!

Ektelon is also very excited to announce the recent re-signing of Ektelon Professionals Jennifer Saunders, Keely Franks-Kennedy and Aubrey Kirch to multi-years contracts. Jen had a great showing this weekend by making it to the quarterfinals where she lost to Paola in a close four game battle. Jen is also in charge of our Ektelon display at all of our WPRO events, so if you can’t find Jen on the court you can find her at our Ektelon booth. Look for Keely and Aubrey to have great second halves of the WPRO Season.

 

Look for the second half of the WPRO Tour to be just as exciting as the first with only a few amount of points separating the difference between the #1 and #2 players in the world! Next up: Coast to Coast California Open, January 5-8, 2012 in Canoga Park, CA. Ektelon is proud to have the Ektelon Fireball as the Official Ball of the WPRO.

For more information on Ektelon "Click Here"

WPRO 20th Annual Christmas Classic

20th Annual Christmas Classic

December 9-11, 2011

Crystal Gateway Sport & Health Club

1235 South Clark Street

Arlington VA

NoVaRacquetball proudly welcomes the WPRO back to Virginia!!!

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Register Here

WPRO Rankings - "Ch-ch-ch-changes...."

Paola Longoria has regained the #1 ranking in the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO). Her win in last weekend's Puget Sound tournament moved her past Rhonda Rajsich into the top spot. Longoria has won more tournaments - 16 - than any other player over the last four WPRO seasons.

Samantha Salas and Kerri Wachtel remain 3rd and 4th, respectively, but there's a wholesale shuffling of the rankings after that.

Adrienne Fisher is up to 5th, but Cristina Amaya at 6th and Krystal Csuk at 7th are both on career highs (according to The Racquetball Blog records). Susana Acosta is 8th and Jennifer Saunders 9th.

Veteran and former WPRO #1, Cheryl Gudinas has dropped to 10th, which must be her lowest ranking for almost 20 years. Gudinas has finished in the top 5 every season since 1993-94, when she made her first appearance in the top 10.

Gudinas missed the Puget Sound event due to knee surgery, and if she's not ready for the next WPRO event - the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia - Gudinas will likely fall out of the top 10 for the first time in her long and tremendous career.

Finally, Kristen Bellows's semi-final result in Olympia has got the former top four player up to 14th.

The next WPRO event is the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia, December 8-11, 2011.

WPRO Rankings (November 22, 2011)

Rank - Name - Nationality - Points

1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1451.00

2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA)  1403.40

3 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 608.30

4 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 459.45

5 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 383.70

6 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 354.65

7 Krystal Csuk (USA) 354.60

8 Susy Acosta-Mendoza (Mexico) 352.50

9 Jennifer Saunders (Canada)  334.00

10 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 320.00

11 Angela Grisar (Chile) 307.00

12 Da'monique Davis (USA)  222.75

13 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 190.50

14 Kristen Bellows (USA) 158.90

15 Christie Huczek (Canada)  150.25

16 Nancy Enriquez  (Mexico) 148.00

17 Linda Scales (USA) 126.00

18 Laura Brandt (USA) 106.50

19 Keely Franks  (USA) 90.00

20 Sharon Jackson (USA) 87.50

Follow the bouncing ball....

Posted by The Racquetball Blog

WPRO - Puget Sound Challenge - Longoria defeats Rajsich

Paola Longoria defeated Rhonda Rajsich for the third time in two months to win the 2011 Puget Sound Challenge Pro/Am in Olympia, Washington. Longoria won it in four games, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 12-10. She's won two of the three Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tournaments so far this season. Rajsich won the other.

Going into this weekend's event, Longoria was trailed Rajsich in the standings by a little over 80 points. This win may be enough to push Longoria past Rajsich into the #1 ranking that she held for two seasons after taking the top spot from Rajsich, who took it back last season.

The next WPRO event is the Christmas Classic December 8-11 in Arlington, Virginia.

2011 Puget Sound Challenge, Olympia, Washington

Finals

Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 12-10

NEXT TOUR STOP 

ARLINGTON VA

CHRISTMAS CLASSIC

DECEMBER 9-11, 2011

Register at http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=9022 

Follow the bouncing ball....

Posted by The Racquetball Blog

Labels: WPRO

WPRO - Puget Sound Challenge QFs

Top seeds Rhonda Rajsich and Paola Longoria are through to the semi-finals at the 2011 Puget Sound Challenge Pro/Am in Olympia, Washington, but in the semis they'll face two upset winners.

Kristen Bellows, a former top 4 player on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, won again Saturday as she defeated 4th seed Adrienne Fisher, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-5. Bellows will play Rajsich in the semi-finals later Saturday, as Rajsich beat Krystal Csuk, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3.

Longoria defeated Cristina Amaya, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4, in the quarter finals, and she'll play fellow Mexican Susana Acosta, who defeated 3rd seed Kerri Wachtel in five games, 11-6, 5-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9.

The semi-finals will be played Saturday evening with the final slated for Sunday at noon.

2011 Puget Sound Challenge, Olympia, Washington

Quarter finals

Rhonda Rajsich d. Krystal Csuk, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3

Kristen Bellows d. Adrienne Fisher, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-5

Susana Acosta d. Kerri Wachtel, 11-6, 5-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9

Paola Longoria d. Cristina Amaya, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4

Semi-finals

Rhonda Rajsich vs. Kristen Bellows

Paola Longoria vs. Susana Acosta

Follow the bouncing ball....

Posted by The Racquetball Blog at 7:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: WPRO

WPRO - Puget Sound Challenge QFs

Top seeds Rhonda Rajsich and Paola Longoria are through to the semi-finals at the 2011 Puget Sound Challenge Pro/Am in Olympia, Washington, but in the semis they'll face two upset winners.

Kristen Bellows, a former top 4 player on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, won again Saturday as she defeated 4th seed Adrienne Fisher, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-5. Bellows will play Rajsich in the semi-finals later Saturday, as Rajsich beat Krystal Csuk, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3.

Longoria defeated Cristina Amaya, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4, in the quarter finals, and she'll play fellow Mexican Susana Acosta, who defeated 3rd seed Kerri Wachtel in five games, 11-6, 5-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9.

The semi-finals will be played Saturday evening with the final slated for Sunday at noon.

2011 Puget Sound Challenge, Olympia, Washington

Quarter finals

Rhonda Rajsich d. Krystal Csuk, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3

Kristen Bellows d. Adrienne Fisher, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-5

Susana Acosta d. Kerri Wachtel, 11-6, 5-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9

Paola Longoria d. Cristina Amaya, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4

Semi-finals

Rhonda Rajsich vs. Kristen Bellows

Paola Longoria vs. Susana Acosta

Follow the bouncing ball....

Posted by The Racquetball Blog at 7:00 PM 0 comments

Labels: WPRO

WPRO - Puget Sound Challenge Round of 16

Kristen Bellows continues to make an impact in her return to the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, as she reached the quarter finals at the 2011 Puget Sound Challenge Pro/Am in Olympia, Washington, with a win over 5th seed Jennifer Saunders, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8.

The win sets up a re-match with 4th seed Adrienne Fisher, who was a straight games winner over Keely Franks, 11-8, 11-2, 11-2. Bellows defeated Fisher in the US Open last month.

The other top seeds were also winners. Top seed Rhonda Rajsich beat Cheyenne Hayes, 11-5, 11-4, 11-2; second seed Paola Longoria defeated Grace Hughes, 11-3, 11-0, 11-6; and third seed Kerri Wachtel needed four games to get by Jocelyn Loredo, 11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9.

The quarter finals and semi-finals will be played on Saturday with the final slated for Sunday.

2011 Puget Sound Challenge, Olympia, Washington

Round of 16

Rhonda Rajsich vs. Cheyenne Hayes, 11-5, 11-4, 11-2

Krystal Csuk d. Da'monique Davis, 12-10, 11-1, 11-7

Kristen Bellows d. Jennifer Saunders, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8

Adrienne Fisher d. Keely Franks, 11-8, 11-2, 11-2

Kerri Wachtel d. Jocelyn Loredo, 11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9

Susana Acosta d. Linda Scales, 11-4, 11-4, 11-4

Cristina Amaya d. T. J. Baumbaugh, 6-11, 11-8, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8

Paola Longoria d. Grace Hughes, 11-3, 11-0, 11-6

Quarter finals

Rhonda Rajsich vs. Krystal Csuk

Adrienne Fisher vs. Kristen Bellows

Kerri Wachtel vs. Susana Acosta

Paola Longoria vs. Cristina Amaya

Round 1

Cheyenne Hayes d. Tammarrian Rogers, 11-9, 11-1, 1-6

Grace Hughes d. Kimberly Ferina, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5

Follow the bouncing ball....

Posted by The Racquetball Blog at 12:29 AM 0 comments

Labels: WPRO

Rhonda Rajsich and the Girls just wanna have fun!...and the boys

Olympia WA, November 18, 2011 – Rhonda Rajsich shows up at Ballys, dons a two-foot tall wig and glasses, not because she wants to, but because she has too.  The Pro ladies of Racquetball (WPRO) are playing at the Puget Sound Challenge this weekend at Ballys and Rhonda showed up early for a junior clinic put on by Cheyenne Hayes.   

The WPRO is currently working with the GoGirlGo! Program to support each local community where a WPRO tour stop is scheduled.  “It’s a chance to give back to the community and the girls, showing them the diversity of our elite female athletes, hearing their stories, talk about staying fit and healthy and playing a little racquetball’, says Commissioner Rock.  It’s the least we can do.   We will also be accepting racquet donations at each of our tour stops to help build and support these upcoming athletes.

Rhonda had a blast with the girls and boys who came in for the Junior Clinic, each kid played a quick game with her and had a photo opportunity.  But, it wasn’t about how hard they could hit the ball, it was more about what kind of advantage they could get.  Each kid had the opportunity to roll the dice and see what advantage they had playing the #1 World Champion.  Rhonda donned a wig with glasses, barely being able to see at all, the wig falling down  over her eyes,  and sunglasses that could block out a nuclear explosion, or she had to play with a newspaper, and there were many strange, fun items Rhonda was forced to play with.  Each kid rolled the dice and took the advantage, what great fun and the laughter echoed throughout the gym.  

These kids showed tenacity, a great spirit and the love of racquetball…there’s a future pro among them.

Later in the evening several of the other pro ladies landed in Olympia to thank the sponsors by playing Sponsors Doubles.  Each sponsor drew from a stack of cards that had the pro they would be paired up with, what great fun.

Thank you to all the sponsors who helped bring the Women’s Professional Racquetball Organization and the Pro Ladies to Olympia, WA

About GoGirlGo!

GoGirlGo!, is an award winning curriculum and sports education program, works to improve the health of sedentary girls and to keep girls involved in physical activity by supporting programs and organizations that work with girls.

  

About the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization

The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) is the governing body for the highest-level professional female racquetball players in the world. It is currently comprised of elite athletes representing over a dozen countries including the United States, Mexico, Chile, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Paola Longoria Mexico's Champion

Paola Longoria Michelle Lopez

BY GUILLERMO GONZALEZ MARTINEZ

Nebraska’s Only Latino Owned Bi-lingualSpanish/English Newspaper

Paola Longoria Lopez became the golden girl of the Pan American Games to win three gold medals in racquetball individual, doubles and team. But it is also a great lover of fashion, the catwalk, for she has own brand clothing and racket. From the nine years focused on being a winner and she preferred the gold medals. 

And thanks to support from her parents, today the Queen who revels in her beauty, she sighs, which is an example to follow, and moreover, many young girls who write her letters because they want to be like her. "I think I'm the woman who pulled up for the Mexican sport, not the triumph demerits the men and my other colleagues.  It is the discipline and mindset that is the modern woman, which is what led her to the top. She made ​​history and it is the result of what she is capable of. " Longoria Lopez is simple, though now her feet have many subjects waiting only to see it up close her beautiful and elegance.

Paola, like any great athlete, has had lows and highs. But her tenacity to be the best has led her to break down the barriers that prevented her from being a winner. She struggled, as did the unicorn who every day went into the woods looking for ways to be reflected among the lights illuminating the trees until he succeeded. So Michelle sought (her middle name) leave a lasting figure in the Pan. "I am 22 years old and racquetball has left me great satisfaction. I'm still learning, and want to give my country medals this is what has motivated me to keep me going. Now it's really cool to see so many nice messages to me.

 But it is that the Federation now gets hundreds of calls to ask where you can practice this sport. That is the legacy she leaves as an athlete, "knowing that you are  a champion is the best thing that can happen. It is a difficult lifestyle, but always leaves me with an unforgettable experience." Mexico is the face of international level and it is loved by all who trusts her. "I told myself I could do it", even though she was injured. "My ankle and knee ached, but I told myself to win, and thank God we won the medals". I have a favorite phrase, which is… Let's play hard (Let's play hard).