Paola Longoria wins 2015 US Open Championships bringing her to her 6th title.
CONGRATULATIONS to my “Championship Team”…Paola Longoria for winning her 6th US Open title and Rocky Carson finishing in the semi finals
CONGRATULATIONS to my “Junior Championship Team”…Jordan Cooperrider and Mitchell Turner for winning 2 Bronze Medals
The 2015 United Healthcare US Open Championships held in Minneapolis, MN was an amazing event. It was held at the Life Time Fitness Center, inside the Target Center, and there were 800+ participants, 18 countries and $67,000.00 in prize money. The 20th annual event was the biggest and most widely viewed event in racquetball history.
All http://www.irtnetwork.com/ subscribers can see Paola and Rocky’s matches in the archives as well as the finals of the Men’s and Women’s Pro Singles and Doubles finals will be aired on the Tennis Channel…days and times to be announced.
“Rocky Carson in deep thought during his semi final match at the 2015 US Open. Then it’s hanging out with TEAM HEAD.”
Paola Longoria defended her title from 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and is now the 6th time 2015 United Healthcare US Open Champion. She won the event in fashion against her rival Rhonda Rajsich in 4 games. She played amazingly well throughout the week with her aggressive style of play and her consistency. She dropped one game to, Veronica Sotomeyer in the semi-finals, and one game to Rhonda Rajsich in the finals, on the way to being crowned the 2015 US Open Champion.
Paola also won the 2015 United Healthcare US Open Women’s Pro Doubles title with her regular doubles partner, Samantha Salas Solis. They are the most dominating doubles teams presently playing, as they are the reigning World Doubles Champions and Pan American Doubles Champions.
Paola continues to build her portfolio of being the LPRT’s #1 ranked professional player in the world where winning is a way of life for Paola.
Rocky Carson made it to the semi-finals of the 2015 United Healthcare US Open, but fell short to his rival, Daniel De La Rosa, in a 5th game tie-breaker, 10-12. Rocky fought hard and played well, but unfortunately Daniel came back at the end to squeak out the 5th game victory.
Jordan Cooperrider and Mitchell Turner at 2015 US Open Championships on their way to their first Bronze Medals.
Jordan Cooperrider and Mitchell Turner both played the US Open for the first time and brought home Bronze Medals in their respective divisions.
Jordan lost a tough Women’s Pro Qualifier, but then bounced back in the Women’s Open Division to defeat the girl she lost to at the Junior World Championships last year in Cali, Columbia and played Veteran Pro Susy Acosta very close in the semi-finals.
Mitchell, at the age of 15, marched through the Men’s B Division like he owned it. Won a few tiebreakers and 2 very close matches, but in the end he fell a little short in the semi-finals.
ALL their hard work paid big dividends as they used the Racquetball Sports Triangle that I advocate in my book, Championship Racquetball. ALL year long they never missed a beat working on their racquetball skills, their mental skills and their conditioning/nutritional skills. They knew all three sides of the triangle needed to work together in order for them to reach their championship level game and they did.
Everyone wants to hold a US Open title from the pro division all the way down to the amateur divisions, which is what makes it so competitive and exciting.
I had so many of my students and our campers attend this event. …CONGRATS to all of them:
Tammarrian Rogers/Vivian Rodriguez 1st in the Women’s Elite
Heather Hojat 1st in the Women’s 25+ & 1st in Women’s 25A/45A
Dragana Bulatovic Semi-Finals Women’s A
Julienne Arnold Semi-Finals Women’s 40+
Jane Nixon 2nd in the Women’s D & Women’s 45+ C & Women’s 45C/55C
Sue Goodwin in the Semi-Finals Women’s 50+
Eugene Cole 2nd in the Men’s 45+
Daryl Cooperrider Semi-Finals Men’s 55A’
Dean Baer 2nd in Men’s Heroes Singles Open/A
I had to wear so many hats such as coach, run the HEAD Penn booth, meet for the USAR-IP Certification Program, commentate on the IRT Network, sell our “Championship Products”…book, video, camps and and and.
It is an event you DO NOT want to miss next year so plan for it and you will not be sorry you attended the BEST EVENT of the year.
****My “Junior Championship Racquetball Team” lead by Wayne Antone, Jordan Cooperrider and Mitchell Turner are representing the USA at the Junior World Championships in Dominican Republic November 6-14. Good Luck and stay focused. Bring home the hardware.
***It will be streamed live on the International Federation Racquetball website.
Sudsy Monchik at the 2015 US Open Championships during his induction into the USAR Hall of Fame.
A special CONGRATULATIONS to Sudsy Monchik, one of my dearest friends and athletes, who I coached to 5X #1 pro ranking and 4X US Open Champion, and who was inducted into the USAR Hall of Fame for 2015.
I cannot begin to tell you what a true champion he was as he climbed the ranks as a junior, adult and culminating as a pro player.
Sudsy’s work ethic and his generosity to give back to the sport that was so good to him is second to none. It was both an honor and privilege to coach him as a player and now it is amazing to see him share his experiences as the coach of the Ecuador Racquetball Team.
Sudsy has come full circle and I am GLAD I was and still am a part of his life.
Love you Sudsy…the skies the limit!
