PARC 15th Tournament of the Americas
Pan American Games Qualifying Trials
Cochabamba, Bolivia: March 22-31, 2002

preview | drawsheets | finals & finishers

Media Guide
Event History
Recordbook

MEDIA ADVISORY! ... Contact the U.S. Racquetball Association Media/Public Relations Department for more details. Call 719/635-5396, x126 or fax to 719-635-0685.

 Final Team Selected at Dallas Trials -- U.S. Set to Defend Title

Team Canada

The sport's finest athletes from the North, Central, and South American continents will be on hand to seek team positions in the 2003 Pan American Games through their performances in this qualifying event. Bolivia played host to the TOA event in 1993 and was scheduled to hold it again in 2000, until civil unrest forced the event to be cancelled. In 2001 the tournament took place in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Members of the U.S. national team were invited to Dallas, Texas where they participated in official team trials to set the Tournament of the Americas roster. Four men and four women will take part in singles and doubles competition, with tough acts to follow. The U.S. has won every Tournament of the Americas since its inception in 1986.

Current national champion Jack Huczek (Rochester Hills, Mich.) was selected as the No.1 singles player on the men's roster, and will participate in his first adult international competition after conquering the junior ranks. He is the reigning 18- World Junior champion in both singles and doubles, and will be joined by defending Tournament of the Americas men's singles champion Rocky Carson (Santa Maria, Calif.) in the No. 2 spot. National doubles champions Ruben Gonzalez (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Mike Guidry (Carrolton, Texas) will be fielded in doubles for the U.S.

Chicago's Cheryl Gudinas -- perhaps the most dominant female racquetball player in the world -- will head the women's roster. She is the reigning IRF World Champion, defending TOA singles champ, and current U.S. National singles and doubles titlist. Laura Fenton (Overland Park, Kan.) will switch from a doubles role to the No. 2 singles spot, after earning a gold medal last year at the Tournament of the Americas with Jackie Paraiso (El Cajon, Calif.). Paraiso-Rice is injured and was unable to participate in the team trials, leaving U.S. national doubles champ Kim Russell (Austin, Texas) to team up with Rhonda Rajsich (Phoenix, Ariz.) to compete the lineup in women's doubles.

The event will be staffed by Head Coach Tom Travers (Westlake, Ohio); Team Leader/Manager Marc Auerbach (Houston, Texas) and men's team alternate Dan Llacera (Rehobath, Delaware). Also on hand will be IRF Secretary General Luke St. Onge (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and USRA Executive Director James Hiser, serving as IRF Technical Director (Colorado Springs, Colo.)