“Paola Longoria Wins 3 Tournaments in a Row including the Mexican National Championship”
“Rocky Carson Wins the US National Doubles Championship”
“Jordan Cooperrider Wins the Florida State Women’s Open Championship”
My “Adult Championship Racquetball Team” led by Rocky Carson and Paola Longoria, both had tournaments in February coming into the 2nd half of the 2013/2014 Season.
Rocky Carson had a rough tournament at the IRT Sioux Falls, ID Pro Am in singles losing in the semi-finals, but then came back strong in the Men’s Pro Doubles and made it to the finals with Jose Rojas before losing in a tiebreaker, 9-11, to Kane Waselenchuk and Jason Mannino…. a well played match by all.
Two weeks later Rocky traveled to Tempe, AZ for the National Doubles Championship Tournament. Rocky bounced back and won the National Championship in the US Qualifying Division and added the 8th career National Doubles Title to his ever-growing trophy case; with this win Rocky earned an appointment to the pool of American players that will be selected from for this year’s Pan American Championships to be held in Bolivia in April and the World Championships to held in June in Canada.
Rocky is still currently ranked as the No. 2 IRT player in the world.
Paola Longoria doubled up over the February 7-9 weekend when she captured the Mexican National Championships in both Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles. With the victories, Paola earned an automatic appointment to the Mexican National Racquetball Team for this year’s Pan American Championships to be held in April in Bolivia and the World Championships that will take place in June in Canada.
On the international stage, Paola is the defending singles and doubles World Champion and holds 11 career global gold medals. On the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), Paola is in the midst of a 112 consecutive match-winning streak and 28 consecutive tournament victory streak. Paola has not lost a match internationally or on the professional tour since May of 2011.
Recently she added to her total victories by winning the Cincinnati, OH (January 24-26) and Kansas City, KS (February 21-23) LPRT PRO-AMS.
My “Junior Championship Racquetball Team”
Jordan Cooperrider, 15 years old, competed in the Florida State Racquetball Championships, February 7-9, and was able to repeat last year’s win with another 1st Place victory in the Women’s Open Division. Jordan also received four awards at the Florida Racquetball Association annual banquet which included the following: Women’s Open Singles Champion, Women’s Open Player of the Year, Female Junior Player of the Year, and Girl’s 14 & Under Season Champion.
Wayne Antone, 15 years old, took 2nd Place in the Men’s Open Division at the Corvallis, OR event and knocked off the #1 seed, Dan Cramer along the way before falling short in the Open Finals. It was a great tournament for Wayne who shows so much promise in the months to come getting ready for Jr. Nationals in Denver, CO in June.
Wayne is presently playing in the High School Nationals in Portland, OR, which is being streamed by the IRT Network; so check him out this weekend.
Rocky Carson and Paola Longoria both have a very busy 2nd half of the season. Rocky is getting ready for Tampa, FL and Paola for Warren, NJ, both being played the weekend of March 7-9.
***All IRT and LPRT Tier 1 and Grand Slam events are streamed live on the IRT Network.
Enjoy your journey to your “championship game,” like my “championship team.”
