Rhonda’s website (www.rhondarocks.com) has been updated again about her recovery status following the latest surgery. It sounds like things are progressing along slowly but surely. If you’d like to leave Rhonda a get well message, just visit her website and click on the square banner on the right that says "Send Rhonda get well messages".
Rhonda has been recovering nicely since her surgery on June 11, 2008. The post-surgery swelling has been decreasing. The surgical stitches in her eyebrow area have been removed. The surgical stitches in her mouth will dissolve.
Although Rhonda was unable to eat solid food the first few days after her surgery, she has been slowly able to eat solid food as the pain in her jaw has decreased. She was even able to eat an In-N-Out Burger (without the bun)a couple of days ago.
Rhonda would like to thank all of her friends and family for the overwhelming support she has received. Updates will continue to be posted here on her website at www.rhondarocks.com.
The first photo slideshow / video of Kane Waselenchuk’s return to the IRT Tour has been posted to YouTube. There sure were ALOT of bells and whistles for only being a Tier 2 IRT Stop I’m really liking the limo that Rocky Carson and Andy Hawthorne stepped out of, and the fog machine for the player intros was a nice touch (I’m a BIG fog machine fan!). Great job to the organizers of the 2008 Steadman Hawkins IRT Greenville Open!
The number of entries received for the 2008 USA Racquetball Junior Olympic Championships (Junior Nationals) has pretty much leveled off, and the final count is 211. Through R2Sports, I went in and did a report for entries by state to see where in the U.S. the players are coming from. With the event in California this year, it’s no surprise they have the highest number of entrants. I believe CA won the "state title" last year over long time champion Oregon, so it should benefit them to have a strong team again. Oregon and Ohio follow California, and surprisingly Washington State comes in ahead of Florida in Forth. Should be a great event!!
Just wanted to send along my “unofficial Junior Nationals Preview” as the tourney begins this coming Wednesday, June 25, in Concord, CA.
The Girl’s 18s got some added intrigue this year when Oregon’s Shannon Inglesby decided to enter in her final year of junior eligibility, after a two year hiatus where she has been focusing on Softball. She and Indiana’s Sharon Jackson look to be the finalists this year, but you can never count out Ohio’s Sheryl Lotts who may pull an upset along the way. Inglesby and Jackson will also team in the doubles in an attempt to double qualify for the Junior National Team that will represent the US at the IRF Junior Worlds in December.
The Girl’s 16s features California’s Aubrey O’Brien, who looks to be the player to beat in this field. Aubrey will be looking to go one step further in December where she has been the beaten finalist in each of the last two Girl’s 14 and Under title matches at Junior Worlds. She’s hungry for another national title (or 3 as she’s playing doubles and mixed). Her doubles partner, Arizona’s Danielle Key, should also provide some strong competition in the singles, and you have to consider Ohio’s Lily Berry a contender here as well.
In the Girl’s 14s, this one is just too close to call as there are 3 young ladies that could very easily bring home the gold. Last year’s beaten finalist, California’s Devon Pimentelli, will certainly be a contender as will this year’s High School Nationals runner up, Courtney Chisholm from Massachusetts. The other player who will certainly be in the mix is last year’s 12 and Under National Champion, Kelani Bailey of Virginia. You can never count Kelani out of any match and her style of play can and will frustrate opponents into submission this coming week in California. Devon and Courtney will team up in the doubles and look to be the favorites in that division.
In the Girl’s 12s, again 3 young ladies should be battling for the title and once again, I can’t say that any one is more favored than the others in this one. California’s Sabrina Viscuso was the runner up last year, which should earn her the top seed this week, but Ohio’s Abbey Lavely and Oregon’s Hollee Hungerford are just as tough and ready to take the title in their last year in the 12s and thus the Espirit divisions. Sabrina and Hollee are the defending champions in the doubles and look to repeat as Abbey will be playing up with Kelani Bailey in the Girl’s 14 doubles.
In the Girl’s 10s, the favorite has to be Colorado’s Erika Manilla who was the runner up last year and will be looking to sweep the division in singles, doubles, and mixed. Judging from the beating she gave me a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn’t bet against her. Her doubles partner, Florida’s Jordan Cooperrider should provide stiff competition in the singles. These two battled for the 8 and Under title last year, with Erika getting the hard fought win.
As for the Girl’s 8s, I’m afraid I am not familiar with any of the players, so I won’t hazard a guess as to what might happen.
On the Boy’s side, the 18s features another potential match up of close friends, Jose Rojas and Ishmael Aldana both from California. Jose managed the 16s and 18s double last summer as he focused on singles, but Ishmael is in his last year of junior eligibility and is always a threat for the title. There are plenty of solid competitors among the 39 players currently listed in this division, but Jose and Ishmael always seem to be able to get to the finals at this tourney and I can’t say this year will be any different.
In the Boy’s 16s, Current High School National Champion, Oregon’s Taylor Knoth, looks to add the title that eluded him last year as the runner up to Jose Rojas in this division. Again, there are plenty of tough competitors fighting for this prize, so look for partner Jake Bredenbeck of Minnesota, Joseph Lee of Louisiana, and Dylan Reid of Oregon to have a say in the final outcome of this division. Joseph and Dylan will also team in the doubles and could very well face Taylor and Jake for the gold in that event.
In the Boy’s 14s, Current World Champion Marko Rojas of California has got to be a strong favorite to repeat, but you can never count out his doubles partner, Jose Diaz also from California. Other players who should be in the hunt include Louisiana’s Zach Wertz, Oregon’s Sam Reid and John Lindsay. Zach and Sam will also team in the doubles and could be a tough match for Marko and Jose if they should meet for the gold.
In the Boy’s 12s, Colorado’s Adam Manilla should emerge as the top seed based on last year’s results (the only returning semifinalist), but there are several players that have really stepped up their games this year and have to be given serious consideration. Among them are (in no particular order) Oregon’s Josh Lebow, New Hampshire’s Chris Francis, California’s Bobby Sehrgosha, Alabama’s Robert Hemphill, Florida’s Sean Cooperrider, and Colorado’s Zach Pellowski. Adam Manilla teamed with Sean Cooperrider to win the doubles last year and should be favorites again this year.
In the Boy’s 10s and the Boy’s 8s, once again I’m afraid that I’m not familiar enough with the players to make an educated guess but there should be plenty of tough competition in both divisions.
The action kicks off Wednesday morning from Concord and you can follow the draws at the following link:
Kane left no fans disappointed this weekend at the 2008 Steadman Hawkins IRT Greenville Open, where he dispatched two top IRT players on his way to a tournament win. In the seminfinals, Kane met Alvaro Beltran (#3 IRT), and was able to make an immediate statement winning in three games - 3, 10, 0. This win would create a showdown in the finals against current IRT #1, Rocky Carson. Although the scores of the games are missing from the official online draws (1, 5, -10, 5 ?) the four game victory for Kane will undoubtably set the tone that he is ready and waiting to reclaim the top spot on the tour. There are going to be some brutal qualifying matches in the coming months as Kane makes his way back into the top 8. I guess the bright side is that some qualifying players who don’t normally make the main draw will get a chance to play against one of the most dominant players in the sport.
I noticed today that DLC Sports has created a line of T-Shirts to contribute funds to aiding Rhonda Rajsich financially recover from her injuries. They feature designs for men and women, and are available in assortment of colors. They are priced at $18.99, and all proceeds go to Rhonda.
Normally end-of-season Tier 2 events (not affecting year-end outcome of rankings for most pros) don’t get much attention from racquetball fans outside of the host city, but the 2008 Steadman Hawkins IRT Greenville Open is generating some buzz. This event marks the return of one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, Kane Waselenchuk. Armed with his new racquet, the Krowning Moment KM175, Kane will be testing the waters of the IRT tour against some of the tour’s top players, including: Shane Vanderson, Alvaro Beltran, and Rocky Carson (**assuming all top seeds advance).
Kane will play Shane Vanderson at 5:30PM EST TONIGHT, and you can bet I’ll have some updates online as soon as they are ready. Assuming Kane picks up where he left off two seasons ago, he’ll play in the semifinals at 4:30PM on Saturday, and then in the finals at 12:30PM on Sunday.
We’ve known for some time that Ben Croft had signed with Gearbox, but the company made the official announcement a few days ago with a press release. Gearbox has been consistently upping their presence in the racquetball community since appearing on the scene just over a year ago, and the addition of another top ranked pro to their player roster continues to solidify their position. Ben finished the 2007-2008 season with some big wins over top 5 players, and I’m sure Gearbox will see some big things from him in the coming seasons.
Press-release
Gearbox Racquetball Welcomes Ben Croft #7 ranked player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Bonita, CA June 18, 2008
Gearbox racquetball is proud to announce the signing of Ben Croft from Lake Bluff, Illinois. At the bright young age of 23, Ben has stormed his way up the rankings where he is currently ranked #7 on the International Racquetball Tour.
Ben is not only the youngest player in the current top 10, he is also known as one of the most exciting and intense players to watch on the court. Ben captures the audience with his fierce approach to the game and super human speed, sometimes diving five times in one rally to chase down any ball.
Ben holds an unprecedented seven intercollegiate titles in Division I, thus forming the solid foundation of a champion. Ben Croft also received the prestigious Rookie of the Year Award in 2007 as well as the 2007 United States National Doubles Champion title. Having had successful victories over Jason Mannino, Shane Vanderson and Jason Thoerner, Ben’s determination to win was further proven in the 2007-2008 season.
Gearbox Racquetball is extremely pleased to add Ben Croft to their roster of professional athletes. Gearbox’s Athlete Manager, Joel Arredondo says, “Ben is a dominant force to be reckoned with and an extraordinarily talented athlete who brings excitement to the game. I could not be any happier to have him be a part of the Gearbox family”.
Gearbox Racquetball:
Gearbox racquetball takes it roots in being a company for the player designed by a racquetball player. Seeing racquetball not only as a great sport but also as a great lifestyle, Gearbox wants to create a proud and enduring identity for the sport. Gearbox is committed to designing products for the racquetball player lifestyle, products that promote racquetball on and off the court.
I finally figured out that Firefox was giving me issues on Rhonda Rajsich’s website, www.rhondarocks.com, and switched to IE to find she had some updates on her current condition. It sounds like everything went well, and she is on the full and lengthy road to recovery. If you know Rhonda, or have seen her play, and like to leave her a get well message, check our her website and click on the little banner on the right that says "Send Rhonda Get Well Wishes, Click here".
Rhonda’s surgery on Wednesday, June 11 went well. At this time it appears that the surgeons were able to repair all of the fractures in her face area. She spent the night in the hospital and will most likely be discharged sometime later today.
Although Rhonda’s doctors expect her to make a full recovery, she will have some difficult days ahead of her. Again, she wants to thank all of her fans for their thoughts prayers and support.
Rhonda’s website will be updated regularly regarding her condition.
As for the players on the IRT, I’ve also compiled a list of placements for the 10 top stops on the WPRO tour. It’s no doubt that Rhonda Rajsich ended up with the season title after not missing a single semifinal appearance in any Tier 1 or grand slam event, and then only missing two finals. A few of the top contenders missed several of the events throughout the season, including Christie Van Hees, Paola Longoria, and Brenda Kyzer.
missed
Quarters
Semis
Finals
Champ
1
Rhonda Rajsich
0
10
10
8
5
2
Cheryl Gudinas Holmes
0
10
8
7
3
4
Angela Grisar
0
10
7
1
3
Kerri Wachtel
0
10
7
1
6
Paola Longoria
4
6
3
1
1
5
Kristen Bellows
0
10
3
1
8
Brenda Kyzer
2
7
7
Adrienne Fisher
1
6
9
Christie Van Hees
8
2
2
1
1
12
Diane Moore
-
3
11
Jo Shattuck
-
1
10
Doreen Fowler
-
2
14
Vivian Gomez
-
1
18
Samantha Salas
-
1
27
Janell Wheeler
-
1
update 6/20: Changed rankings to reflect final 2007-2008 season standings
I decided to go back and take a look at the finishes of the IRT players for the 2007-2008 season, and below you will find a summary table for all Tier 1 and Grand Slam Events - 13 in total (**except two quaterfinalists from Allentown, PA where the draws are completely MIA). The rankings you see are from about mid-season, so the actual year-end rankings are not accurate. There is a definite trend for the top 7 or so players, with the 8th spot up for grabs at each of the events. The top two athletes also dominated throughout the season, with Jack and Rocky only giving up a single tournament win to another player.
I’m really liking the limo that Rocky Carson and Andy Hawthorne stepped out of, and the fog machine for the player intros was a nice touch (I’m a BIG fog machine fan!). Great job to the organizers of the 2008 Steadman Hawkins IRT Greenville Open!
Kane left no fans disappointed this weekend at the 2008 Steadman Hawkins IRT Greenville Open, where he dispatched two top IRT players on his way to a tournament win. In the seminfinals, Kane met Alvaro Beltran (#3 IRT), and was able to make an immediate statement winning in three games - 3, 10, 0. This win would create a showdown in the finals against current IRT #1, Rocky Carson. Although the scores of the games are missing from the official online draws (1, 5, -10, 5 ?) the four game victory for Kane will undoubtably set the tone that he is ready and waiting to reclaim the top spot on the tour. There are going to be some brutal qualifying matches in the coming months as Kane makes his way back into the top 8. I guess the bright side is that some qualifying players who don’t normally make the main draw will get a chance to play against one of the most dominant players in the sport. 
I noticed today that 
2008 USA Racquetball Junior Olympic Racquetball Championships 
