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.
| Rank |
Pro |
qtrs |
semis |
finals |
champion |
| 1 |
HUCZEK, JACK |
13 |
13 |
12 |
6 |
| 2 |
CARSON, ROCKY |
13 |
12 |
10 |
6 |
| 3 |
MANNINO, JASON |
11 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
| 4 |
BELTRAN, ALVARO |
13 |
10 |
1 |
|
| 5 |
VANDERSON, SHANE |
13 |
3 |
|
|
| 6 |
WILLIAMS, MITCH |
13 |
1 |
|
|
| 7 |
CROFT, BEN |
10 |
2 |
|
|
| 8 |
CROWTHER, CHRIS |
7 |
|
|
|
| 9 |
THOERNER, JASON |
4 |
|
|
|
| 10 |
HAWTHORNE, ANDY |
3 |
|
|
|
| 11 |
MORENO, JAVIER |
2 |
1 |
|
|
| 16 |
ELLIS, JOHN |
1 |
|
|
|
| 17 |
GUTIERREZ, POLO |
1 |
1 |
|
|
June 11th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
The USA Racquetball National Singles Championships has traditionally been title sponsored by Ektelon, so they have been the only manufacturer allowed to to set up a booth showcasing the new season’s products. The other companies were forced to host suites back at the sponsoring hotel, where sponsored players would congregate to see the new products and enjoy some snacks. This year, four of the major racquetball equipment manufacturers had booths in the players’ village. Ektelon, Head, E-Force, and Gearbox were all on-site showing off new products.
Ektelon - I’d say that Ektelon definitely had the largest presence, with their typical huge banners, and tons of products from their entire line (racquets, apparel, etc) both for see and for sale. As Ektelon brings this setup to all of the major national events, it’s no surprise that they have a fine-tuned event machine.
Head - A big presence at the US OPEN, it was nice to see Head with a big display at National Singles. Besides showcasing the forthcoming technology, they also a HUGE display of old racquets to stir up the racquetball memories. And to keep you always coming back for more, Head also had a TV in the booth running Fran’s instructional DVD’s, and Tennis Channel broadcasts for past US OPEN events.
Gearbox - Still relatively new on the scene, Gearbox brought a worthy booth to National Singles. New apparel, as well as some new racquet designs were on display, and the Gearbox staff of Joel Arredondo and Rafael Filippini were always ready to chat about anything racquetball related.
E-Force - The guys at E-Force kinda got the bum location of all the vendors, way back in the corner of the players’ village. You kinda missed it when walking in, and by the time you’re leaving the club after a long day, stopping by a booth seemed like the last thing on your mind. The new racquets looked and felt GREAT, and I think Chris Crowther was all the advertisement they needed. He was absolutely CRUSHING every single shot of every rally. Bar-none, he had the most powerful game of anyone at the event.
June 11th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
The uploading of photos from the 2008 USA Racquetball National Singles Championships is underway! I’ve got photos up from the Men’s final featuring Rocky Carson and Jack Huczek, as well as the Women’s Semifinal with Kristen Bellows and Rhonda Rajsich (get well, Rhonda!). I’ll keep adding photos over the next several days, and you can either periodically check back at www.doubledonut.com, subscribe to my feed, or follow my updates on Twitter to know when new photos have landed.
The latest updates are in the 2008 National Singles Photo Gallery.
There were also a few other photographers in Houston taking photos. Julian Gomez, from 801Creative in Salt Lake City, was helping me with USA Racquetball duties, and Adam (Aaron?) Clark, a local player from Houston, was sharpening his skills with his new camera. I’ll be in contact with Julian to see if he intends to post anything online, and Adam has already added some photos to the Racquetball Group on Flickr. As always, the photo situation on the courts at the Houston YMCA is VERY challenging, with low light, dots on the glass, and lights that cycle resulting in color shifts in all the photos (not to mention that racquetball is one of the hardest sports to shoot!). Hats off to anyone who gets decent shots (of which Adam and Julian both accomplished!!).
If anyone else at the event has pictures you’d like to share, I’d HIGHLY recommend posting them to www.Flickr.com, and then adding them to the Racquetball Group on Flickr. In fact, I’d recommend adding ANY racquetball photos to that group so the world can see!!
June 11th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
Ektelon’s Scott Winters has forwarded on some additional information about the latest news for Rhonda Rajsich. In the press release below, there is some information about her surgery, which is scheduled for today. If you are reading this, please send some positive thoughts Rhonda’s way for a quick recovery.
If you’d like to send Rhonda a message, a questbook has been created for her online: http://www.e-guestbooks.com/sign/rhondarajsich
Rhonda Rajsich, the number one ranked women’s professional racquetball player, was injured in an unprovoked assault on Sunday, June 1, 2008, outside of her Hermosa Beach, California residence. Hermosa Beach Police are investigating the incident.
As a result of the attack, Rhonda suffered several fractures to the right side of her face. She will be undergoing surgery on Wednesday, June 1lth. The surgery is expected to last four to five hours and will involve the placing of titanium plates and screws in Rhonda’s cheek, jaw and eye orbital areas. The full extent of the damage will not be known until after the surgery is complete and the healing process begins. At that time, the doctors will be able to determine whether Rhonda may require further surgery.
Rhonda is also under the care of an ophthalmologist. Barring any complications, at this time it does not appear that she will have any permanent vision impairment.
Although it is expected that Rhonda will make a full and complete recovery, at this time her doctors have not been able to determine when she will be able to return to the racquetball court. More information regarding her recovery time will be available sometime after she undergoes surgery.
In order to assist Rhonda with her expenses while she is unable to play, a fund has been established at Wells Fargo Bank. Checks can be sent to the Rhonda Rajsich Relief Fund, c/o Peter Nitschke, Southern California Sports Management Group, 23861 El Toro Road, Suite 700, Lake Forest, CA, 92630. Funds can also be deposited at any Wells Fargo Branch under the following account “Peter Nitschke for the Benefit of Rhonda Rajsich Relief.” For more information regarding the Rhonda Rajsich Relief Fund, please contact Peter Nitschke at Southern California Sports Management Group.
Rhonda thanks all of her fans for their thoughts, prayers and support during this difficult time.
Updates concerning Rhonda’s progress will be posted on her website at http://www.rhondarocks.com.
June 11th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
June 10th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
The MWRA (Maryland Washington Racquetball Association) is hosting a tournament on July 12th and 13th to help raise money for Rhonda’s medical bills following her hospitalization. If you’re able to make the trip, it sounds like a great event!!
Dear members from the racquetball community,
By now, many of you have heard the news about Rhonda Rajsich being attacked and severely beaten as she walked alone on a beach near her apartment in California. Rhonda is in the hospital and is stable but has multiple contusions and abrasions and a broken jaw. She is in the hospital and will be there indefinitely. She will be undergoing operations to reconstruct the left side of her face. Her eye is swollen shut but tests show that her vision will be ok. Please keep Rhonda in your thoughts and prayers.
In place of our annual end of the season tournament, the MWRA is hosting a 2 day round robin tournament on July 12 &13, 2008 at Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club. All proceeds will go to the fund established to help Rhonda defray her medical costs as she tries to recover from her injuries.
The entry fee will be $30.00 for the first event and the second event is free. We will serve meals throughout the weekend, but we are going to forgo the shirts and trophies so those proceeds can go to Rhonda. Depending on the response we get and the number of divisions we field, we are going to try to schedule divisions during certain blocks of time throughout the day. If you play 2 divisions, you will have 2 blocks of time, and if you are in a large draw with brackets, the playoffs will then be in a 3rd block.
The mail-in application is attached to this email and you can also find it at www.mwraweb.com. We look forward to seeing you there.
The MWRA committee
June 10th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
- I’m feeling REALLY fed up with “computers” right now. Doubledonut.com is having ALL kinds of problems!! (mostly my fault) ;-( #
- And now my webhost is giving me connection errors to the tools I need to fix the site. WONDERFUL. #
June 9th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
Gearbox made a big splash at this year’s 2008 USA Racquetball National Singles Championships with a large booth showcasing the new frames for 2008-2009. After some product training from Joel Arredondo and Rafael Filippini, I got a pretty good feel for the new racquets from Gearbox. Building off the popular Gearbox GB250 (170g), two new frames will debut this season. They will both feature the same design as the GB250, but will offer two new weights - 165g and 185g. The GB250 from last year will get a graphics refresh with gold letter replacing the silver versions. There was a also a pink GB250 (170g, I believe) in the Gearbox booth, but I didn’t get a close-up (manufacturer’s booth photos coming soon). Rafael was also telling me about his road trips in the Gearbox RV, spreading the good racquetball word across the nation.
June 9th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
I’m a tad late in posting this article, partially because I’m still somewhat in shock over the events which have occurred. Following the 2008 National Singles Championships two weeks back in Houston, Rhonda Rajsich was walking on the beach near her home when she was assaulted by two men, and beaten unconscious. Rhonda is in the hospital recovering from her injuries, and is apparently scheduled for surgery on her cheek due to a broken cheekbone. I can’t imagine what would cause someone to do this, and I hope the responsible parties are caught and fully prosecuted (or even better, served a little “back alley justice”).
Rhonda, you are in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope for a full and speedy recovery.
From Dave Ellis, US National Team Coach:
Friends of the US National Team:
This is a sad note concerning a most dedicated teammate. Rhonda was walking near her apartment in Hermosa beach Saturday night when she was approached by two men. The two men attacked her, brutally beating her unconscious. She is in the hospital and will be there indefinitely. She will be undergoing operations to reconstruct the left side of her face. Her eye is swollen shut but tests show that her vision will be ok.
Please remember Rhonda in your prayers. How sad that this happened to Rhonda, a friend to all and such an enthusiastic leader in our sport. We all pray for full recovery.
Dave Ellis, Coach
USA Racquetball
From Son Nyugen, Oneshot Sports:
I went to visit Rhonda today, and she is physically beat up!!! Not surprising to those that know Rhonda, she still had her sense of humor and made me laugh a few times!
This incident was unprovoked and she believes it would’ve happened to anyone. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Police speculate that these guys were on some sort of drugs and or alcohol.
Her face is obviously swollen and her eye is swollen shut, but her vision is good! Reconstructive surgery will be next week. Doctors want her swollen face to heal as much as possible and then do the surgery. The police department is working on finding these two cowards. Rhonda does have insurance, but it will not cover everything. She will obviously not be able to compete for a while and will not be able to earn a living.
If anyone is interested in sending a monetary donation, please send a check payable to Rhonda Rajsich, and send it directly to me:
Oneshot Sports: 6392 Sligo Circle Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Keep her in your prayers………………………………..Son
June 9th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
If you attended the 2008 USA Racquetball National Singles Championships, you got a chance to partake in some AWESOME racquetball history that was on display in the USA Racquetball Museum. Lining the entry way to the tournament, was over 30 years of history in the form of old racquetball magazine publications, racquets, balls, US Team uniforms, and much, much more. HUGE thanks to Chuck Meredith in his hard work putting all of this together (not to mention driving it from Colorado Springs!)! You can click the pics for larger versions hosted directly on Flickr.
May 31st, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
Through some discussions with Mike Boatman, I learned that the IRT was distributing IRT Pro Player Trading Cards at the 2008 IRT Pro Nationals in Chicago! It looks like the top 10 players were included, but it’s not clear if they are intended to be for the 2007-2008 season or if they are more of a “one time thing”. These cards will apparently be sold through the IRT Store, however they weren’t listed on the site at the time of this post. I’m very curious to see the details (like cost and how many are available), so if anyone has an inside line, please comment below! I was able to get some proofs, and here they are:
May 30th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
- Processing racquetball photos from the USA Racquetball National Singles Champs .. posts coming soon! #
- Big congrats to Rocky Carson and Cheryl Gudinas on their National Singles racquetball titles #
May 29th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
Just getting underway chugging through the ~3,200 photos (hmm, am I slacking this year?) from the 2008 USA Racquetball National Singles Championships. Rather than take forever to process all the shots and then post in a big batch, I’ve decided to post them as they come. To kick things off, I’d like to introduce Ruben Gonzales and Thomas Fuhrmann in the Men’s US Team Qualifier, round of 32.
Racquetball Photo Gallery: 2008 National Singles
Racquetball Photo Gallery: M32 - Fuhrmann def. Gonzales (13, -7, 9)
May 28th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
I had a chance to have a few conversations with both Mike Martinez and Kane Waselenchuk this past weekend at the 2008 USA Racquetball National Singles Championships, and both seem very excited to start the 2008-2009 season. Kane looked to be in great shape, and seemed back at home while mingling and signing autographs on the tournament scene at National Singles. His new signature racquet, the Krowning Moment KM 175, had some great graphics, and will undoubtedly be in high demand this season. He was also sporting some custom clothing, featuring Kane’s signature “GBWM” logo.
ProKennex International Signs Kane Waselenchuk
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orange County, CA . May 26, 2008
ProKennex International Co., Ltd., a world leader of graphite sports equipment and technology is proud to announce the signing of Kane Waselenchuk. The agreement between ProKennex and Kane will include the development, manufacturing and marketing of the Krowning Moment line of products. The first product introduction will be the KM 175 racquet built to Kane.s personal playing characteristics and specifications.
Waselenchuk was the #1 racquetball player in the World in 2004-05-06. In addition, he holds 3 consecutive U.S.Open Singles titles and over 25 tour victories.
“I am very pleased to welcome aboard one of the most gifted and dynamic players in history” said Mike Martinez, VP North America, ProKennex International Co .This business relationship represents innovation and commitment to provide premium equipment for the serious player.
“This is a great opportunity for me to compete for the #1 World Ranking and have a significant role in the future of ProKennex Racquetball” said Waselenchuk.
The KM 175 racquet will be available June 15, 2008.
ProKennex International Co., Ltd. is based in Taichung City, Taiwan and specializes in graphite sports equipment and technologies. ProKennex designs, manufactures and distributes tennis, racquetball, squash and badminton products to over 60 distributors around the world.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT PROKENNEX:
racquetball@prokennexusa.com
May 28th, 2008
by Geoff Thomsen
Just wanted to congratulate everyone that went and competed in Houston this past week at the USA Racquetball National Singles Championships. The US Team Qualifying Divisions were won by Cheryl Gudinas Holmes and Rocky Carson. They have earned 1 year appointments to the US National Racquetball Team and should be in Ireland later on this summer representing the US at the IRF World Racquetball Championships.
Next up on the indoor circuit will be the Junior Nationals in Concord, CA June 25-29. Once again, racquetballonline.tv will be there to stream the best matches live to everyone.
The tournament website is:
http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=2466
For those of you attending, you can enter online at this site.
As previously mentioned, I will not be there this year, but I will try to keep everyone updated as I receive word from several people that will be there this summer.
That’s all for now.
May 27th, 2008
by Adam Katz
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