2000 Ektelon USRA 33rd
National
Singles Championships
Downtown Houston YMCA
Houston,
Texas: May 24-29
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The largest racquetball tournament in the last five years will kick off at the Houston Downtown YMCA on Wednesday. The USRA's Ektelon 33rd U.S. National Singles Championships presented by Penn Racquet Sports will highlight the best amateur racquetball players in the United States in age divisions ranging from 24-and-under to 85-and-over.
More than 660 athletes, from ages 13 to 87, will compete in the six-day event, which is celebrating its 17th year in Houston. Competition will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday, and continue through the holiday weekend, with the finals on Memorial Day.
Eight appointments to the U.S. National Team will be up for grabs in the elite men's and women's Open divisions. The competition to qualify for this year's Team will once again be fierce with selected Team members representing the USA at the World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in August.
1999 champions Cheryl Gudinas (Chicago) and Adam Karp (Stockton, Calif.) hope to defend their Open divisions titles, but will face tough competition from '99 silver medalists Laura Fenton (Overland Park, Kansas) and Michael Bronfeld (Pacific Grove, Calif.). Top women's pro-athlete Jackie Paraiso (El Cajon, Calif.) is seeking the top women's amateur spot, in addition to hometown-favorite Doug Eagle (Houston) and teen-sensation Jack Huczek (Rochester Hills, Mich.) aiming for the top men's title.
More than 60 national titles will be awarded during the U.S. National Singles Championships in age divisions (35-and-over, etc.), skill-level divisions (A, B, C, D) and skill-level age divisions (40-and-over A/B, etc.), in addition to the Open division competition, which serves as the qualifier for the U.S. National Team.