Rocky Carson (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and Cheryl Gudinas (Lisle, Ill.) won the men's and women's Open divisions, respectively. Carson earned his second men's Open title (2000) by defeating Jack Huczek (Rochester, Mich.), 6-15, 15-12, 11-10. Gudinas captured her fifth straight women's Open by getting past Laura Fenton (Overland Park, Kan.) in a rematch of last year's final, 15-11, 15-5.

Only three players were able to earn gold medals in two divisions at this year's tournament. Marci Laramee (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) won the women's C and women's 25-and-over C/D, Sheri Zappala (Westbury, N.Y) won the women's 35-and-over A/B and women's 40-and-over A/B, and Mary Low Acuff (Asheville, N.C.) was awarded gold medals in the women's 75-and-over and 80-and-over divisions.

Players were treated to festivities at the Downtown Hyatt Regency after the conclusion of play each day including talent contests, a casino night, and the annual awards banquet. The awards banquet featured a dinner followed by the induction of Cliff Swain (Braintree, Mass.) into the USRA Hall of Fame and the naming of the USRA Athletes of the Year. Mike Guidry (Carrollton, Texas) was named the USRA Male Athlete of the Year, Cheryl Gudinas the USRA Female Athlete of the Year, Robert McAdam (Crowley, Texas) the Bud Muehleisen Award recipient, and Sharon Hastings-Welty (Corvallis, Ore.) the Peggy Steding Award. The Muehleisen and Steding Awards are given to the male and female athletes of the year over the age of 35.

The Downtown Houston YMCA has hosted the event for the past 26 years and will again be the site of next year's tournament. It has also been confirmed that the Downtown Hyatt Regency will be the official host hotel of the 2003 USRA National Singles Championships.

Sean Baker (Houston, Texas) defeated Dale Durboraw Jr. (Grants Pass, Ore.) in the men's 30-and-over A/B division in a marathon match that went to a tiebreaker. Baker lost the first game 15-12, but came back to take the next two 15-7, 11-5.

Roger Hertzberg (Humble, Texas) also earned a national title in the men's 30-and-over C/D division over Twayne Howard (Grand Rapids, Mich.) in straight games. Hertzberg dominated the first game winning 15-0. Hertzberg was able to carry his momentum from the first game and held off Howard to win 15-10.

Jason Martucci (Houston, Texas) and Lou Kleinman (Houston, Texas) each earned silver medals at the event. Martucci finished second in the men's 24-and-under C/D, where he lost to Juan Martinez (Springfield, Mo.), 15-6, 14-15, 11-2. Kleinman lost to fellow Texan John Shurbet (Lubbock, Texas) in the men's 45-and-over C/D, 15-5, 15-14.

Carson, seeded No. 5, came from behind to defeat No. 2 Jack Huczek (Rochester, Mich.), 6-15, 15-12, 11-10. The first game was all Huczek as he didn't allow Carson to get anything going.

"Jack didn't miss very many shots in the first game," Carson said. "He played nearly flawless racquetball."

Carson built a commanding 9-1 lead in the second game, but nearly lost it when he allowed Huczek to pull close at 9-6. Carson again pulled away, 13-6, only to have Huczek close the gap to 13-12 before Carson closed the door 15-12 to force a decisive third game.

"He (Huczek) missed a few shots that allowed me to get a lead and some confidence," Carson explained. "I was able to hold on to get to the breaker - barely."

In the tiebreaker it looked as though Carson was out of the match. Huczek built an early 5-1 lead then expanded it to 8-3. Carson then changed his service game from soft lobs to hard drives and jam serves.

"I said to myself 'Do or die, get your serve in' to try and put pressure on him," Carson said. "I thought if I got it in then I could get a couple of quick points."

The points didn't come quick, but Carson was able to tie the game at 8-8 after picking away the lead. They were then tied at 9-9 and 10-10 before Carson forced Huczek into a skip in the backcourt with a passing shot.

In the women's open division No. 1 Gudinas defeated No. 2 Laura Fenton (Overland Park, Kan.), 15-11, 15-5, in a rematch of last year's final, which Gudinas also won. The first game was tight throughout, but Gudinas was able to keep control of center court better, which gave her more offensive opportunities.

"My game plan going into the match was to keep her in the back of the court because she is such a good shooter up front," Gudinas explained. "I knew I had to win the first game or else she would have been able to gain confidence going into the second. Once she gets confidence in her game it's a dangerous thing."

Gudinas came out firing in the second game, scoring six straight points to go up 6-0. Fenton pulled within three at 7-4, but that was as close as she would get. Gudinas closed out the match with a forehand kill shot then let out a scream as she raised an open hand to symbolize the five national championships that she has won.

"The early lead in the second game allowed me to just relax and play," Gudinas said. "I think that really put the pressure on her and forced her to try some things that she normally wouldn't."

All four players in the men's and women's open finals will represent the U.S. at the 14th Pan American Games this August in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Gudinas won the women's singles at the last Pan American Games in 1999.

"The fact that I missed four straight shots after I got the bad calls made me realize that I needed to relax," Carson said. "I took a few deep breaths and thought about the things I needed to do instead of the things that were going wrong."

Carson did relax and began to chip away at Guidry's lead. He tied the game up 9-9 and then went ahead 10-9. Guidry saved match point once with a diving retrieval for a winner then evened the game at 10-10 after Carson skipped the subsequent return of serve. Guidry then hit an apparent winner for the match, but the call was overturned on Carson's appeal. Carson then won the match on a well placed touch shot to the right front corner of the court.

In the lower bracket, No.2 Jack Huczek defeated No.6 Shane Vanderson, in straight games of 15-12, 15-1. The first game started out with Huczek ahead 5-2 before Vanderson scored six straight points to move ahead 8-5. Huczek tied the game again at 9-9 and then took control of the match.

"I wasn't nervous in the beginning, but I wasn't as relaxed as I should have been," Huczek explained. "At 9-9 I settled in and began to hit to the open court, which created more opportunities for me."

The second game was all Huczek as Vanderson was unable to get anything going. "Shane played well in the first game, but I don't know what happened in the second," said Huczek after the match. He forced Vanderson to make numerous errors, leading to an easy win.

On the sidelines, Jo Shattuck collected these opinions on who might take the final: "Rocky is playing more consistent and looks stronger." - Josh Jeter, Tenn. – "Rocky because he has the right tempo for the whole thing." - John Clarke, England (Pro Squash Player) – "Jack because he has a better all around game." - Ron Martucci, Ala. – "Jack plays too well." - Bo Champaign, Texas.

On the women's side ...No.1 Cheryl Gudinas will attempt to win her fifth consecutive women's open national singles title after defeating No. 5 Kerri Wachtel in straight games 15-12, 15-1. Wachtel took an early 8-3 lead on Gudinas in the first game, but Gudinas remained patient, waiting for her opportunities.

"She (Wachtel) started out really strong and was putting the ball away in the first game," Gudinas said. "I kept giving her setups off the back wall."

The tide changed for Gudinas when she began to hit a wallpaper serve that slid down the sidewall making it hard for Wachtel to retrieve. "I hate to lob serve her because she is so good at cutting the ball off, but I had no choice because she was putting away all of my other serves," Gudinas explained. "Luckily I was hitting it well enough that it worked."

Gudinas will face No. 2 Laura Fenton who got past No. 3 Jackie Rice in a close match, 15-14, 15-13. Rice looked like she would walk away with the first game after building 9-2 and 13-5 leads, but Fenton methodically picked away at the lead until she got back into the game and was then able to win on a forehand rollout.

"The biggest thing was to be patient. I just wanted to try and get into a rhythm before the first game was over," Fenton said. "I knew I could win the first game, but I didn't expect to."

Rice refocused in the second game, which was tight throughout, but Fenton was hitting precise passes keeping Rice in the backcourt. That lead to easy setups for Fenton that she was able to put away for winners. "You have to keep her (Rice) in the back of the court," Fenton explained. "If you let her play up front she could beat you."

The women's predictions? "Cheryl because she's more consistent this weekend and wants to keep her title." - Rachel "Boom Boom" Gellman, Ariz. – "Cheryl because she will not crumble." - David Martinez, Texas – "Laura because I like the way she plays. Smarter game, power hitter." - Clarence Simmons, La. – "Cheryl because she has more experience, composure, and mental toughness." - Jean Gallagher, Colo.

“Tournament experience and the high level of play.” - Bill Cooper, Md. “Getting to see the people that I usually see here.” - Travis Woodbury, Va. “The high quality people and even higher quality of play.” - Ken Scherer “Meeting new friends and seeing all of my old friends. Also the high level of play.” - Brian Fredenberg, Texas “Mike Orr being intoxicated at the Hyatt bar.” - Zack Miller, Calif. “Camaraderie, competition, and the Downtown Houston YMCA.” - Chuck Lew, N.C. “The level of competition, hospitality, and how well the schedule went all week.” - Frank Brozzetti, Penn. “How nice the Hyatt Hotel was.” - Marci Laramee, Tenn. “Being surrounded by racquetball players, apparel, competition, and watching the men’s and women’s open.” - Carolyn Watkins, Ill. “Meeting new people along with taking a game from Mitch Williams in the 24-.” - Chris Coy, Okla. “Staying at the Hyatt and hanging at the bar downstairs.” - Laurie Fisk, Missouri “Finally getting out of the first round (in men’s open) and beating Chris Wright.” - Brent Walters, N.C. “The men’s 40+ match with Bobby Haab that went two hours and meeting all the people.” - Carl Buschner, Mass. “Meeting and talking with Ruben Gonzalez.” - Dave Maitland, Conn. “Watching my friends play that are from Jacksonville.” - Aaron Metcalf, Fla. “The scheduling and how efficient the matches are being run.” - Ivan Sanchez, Texas “The seating and viewing area. They are excellent compared to regular tournaments. Both the Met and the YMCA are excellent facilities.” - Jeff Nelson, Md. Compiled by Matt McElhiney, Fla.

Defending Champion and No. 1 seed Mike Guidry (Carrollton, Texas) had a tough time with No. 8 Chris Crowther (Riverside, Calif.) in their quarterfinal match. At first it looked as though Guidry would cruise into the semifinals after an easy 15-3 win in the first game. Crowther came back in the second, however, to even things up with a 15-10 win of his own. Guidry was able to escape the upset and hold off Crowther in the tiebreaker to advance, 11-8.

No. 6 Shane Vanderson (Berea, Ohio) provided the only upset of the day by defeating No. 3 Jason Thoerner (Canton, Ga.), 15-8, 15-12. Vanderson nearly blew a 14-4 lead in the second game allowing Thoerner to get within two points, 14-12, before closing out the match, 15-12.

Vanderson was happy with his play thus far, and career-high advance, but doesn't want to stop there. "It's nice to get this far," said Vanderson a former USRA National Intercollegiate Champion (2001). "But my real goal coming into this tournament was to have a shot at going to the Pan Am's."

Current World Singles Champion Jack Huczek (Rochester, Mich.), seeded No. 2, defeated No. 10 Doug Ganim (Westerville, Ohio) in straight games, 15-7, 15-9. No. 5 Rocky Carson (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) also advanced into the semifinals with a win over No. 13 Mitch Williams (Raleigh, N.C.), 15-13, 15-6.

Defending women's champion No. 1 Cheryl Gudinas (Lisle, Ill.) continued her trek towards a fifth straight title by defeating No. 9 Kristen Walsh (Salt Lake City, Utah) in straight games, 15-13, 15-8. Gudinas is also the current World Singles Champion and 1999 Pan American Games Gold Medalist.

No. 5 Kerri Wachtel (Cincinnati, Ohio) recorded a minor upset against No. 4 Kersten Hallander (San Diego, Calif.), 15-7, 15-5. Wachtel forced Hallender into mistakes by taking early leads and hitting precision passes. "My next obstacle is to win tomorrow and then make the Pan Am squad," Wachtel said after her match. She last made the U.S. National team in 1994 by winning the USRA National Intercollegiate Championships.

Last year's runner-up No. 2 Laura Fenton (Overland Park, Kan.) got past No. 10 Malia Bailey (Norfolk, Va.) in straight games, 15-11, 15-11 and No. 3 Jackie Rice (El Cajon, Calif.) defeated No. 11 Rachel Gellman (Phoenix, Ariz.), 15-4, 15-8. Rice, a perennial semifinalist, is attempting to win her first U.S. National Singles title.

Da’Monique “Daba” Davis stole the show with some old school rap. For her first act she pulled off a flawless “Baby Got Back” complete with some rump shakin’ and dance moves. Even Jason couldn’t give her anything less than a 10. For her final performance Daba pulled off Vanilla Ice’s “Ice, Ice Baby”. She was quick to the point to the point no fakin’ and edged Tom Delle Donne who performed Sinatra's “I got you under my skin” and “I left my heart in San Francisco” by Tony Bennett. Daba earned a $500 gift certificate for her efforts and Tom received $250.

Plus, players who have "double-qualified" make sorting out the Pan American Games roster possibilities even more complicated; but we've tried to simplify it here.

For the men, Jack Huczek, Ruben Gonzalez, and Mike Guidry are already set to represent the U.S. in the Pan Am’s. If Huczek advances today (to guarantee a #1 or #2 singles finish), he will "double-qualify" by virtue of earning the IRT spot as the top-ranked pro to accept an appointment to the team. Guidry has opted to compete in doubles with partner Gonzalez; they qualified by winning National Doubles last fall.

The women have almost the same scenario, with Cheryl Gudinas, Jackie Rice, and Kim Russell already holding spots on the Pan Am squad. If Gudinas advances today, she too will "double qualify" (with a #1 or #2 finish), after having accepted the LPRA spot as the top-ranked pro. Rice, like Guidry, has opted to play doubles with partner Kim Russell; they also qualified with their gold medal in doubles last fall.

With these potential double-qualifiers, advances from here on out are critical. If Huczek and Gudinas win the event, their opponents in the final will earn the #2 roster spots for the Pan Ams. If those opponents have already double-qualified themselves (Guidry or Rice), the third place finisher will then be called on to "move up" into the #2 roster spot for Pan Am singles play.

Here's what could happen ... for the men Rocky Carson – If he defeats Guidry: Huczek needs to defeat Vanderson; or if Vanderson defeats Huczek then Carson needs to defeat Vanderson in the finals. If he loses to Guidry: Huczek needs to defeat Vanderson and then Carson needs to defeat Vanderson for third. Shane Vanderson – If he defeats Huczek: Guidry needs to defeat Carson or if Carson defeats Guidry then Shane needs to defeat Carson in the finals. If he loses to Huczek: Guidry needs to defeat Carson and then Shane needs to defeat Carson for third.

and ... for the women Laura Fenton – If she defeats Rice: Gudinas needs to defeat Wachtel or if Wachtel defeats Gudinas then Fenton needs to defeat Wachtel in the finals. If she loses to Rice: Gudinas needs to defeat Wachtel then Fenton needs to defeat Wachtel for third. Kerri Wachtel – If she defeats Gudinas: Rice needs to defeat Fenton or if Fenton defeats Rice then Wachtel needs to defeat Fenton in the finals. If she loses to Gudinas: Rice needs to defeat Fenton and Wachtel needs to defeat Fenton for third.

“I knew that the tour was without a commissioner and I knew that they needed help,” Merle said of his decision to apply for the post. “I put together a vision statement, had a few interviews, the board voted, and then offered me the job.”

Merle's plan for the future of the tour including building on the improvements made while the tour was under USRA control. "I'd like to use the groundwork that the USRA has already laid and continue to grow the tour by having a strong core of tournaments that will raise the amount of prize money," he explained. "I am lucky to have numerous resources at my disposal including Jim Hiser and Linda Mojer with the USRA and Dave Negrete with the IRT. I am confident that we can all work together towards our common goal of promoting the sport of racquetball."

Reaching out to the community is another goal of the new commish. “One of the first things we are looking to do is associate ourselves with a charity,” Merle said. “We want to be more involved in the communities that we go into for tournaments.”

At home Merle is self-employed and owns Blackbird Woodworking in Cleveland, Ohio where he designs and builds custom furniture. If you see Merle walking around feel free to ask him questions about the LPRA or even to build you a new coffee table ...

"I played doubles against Adrienne in Minnesota and remembered some of her tendencies," Bailey explained. "That worked in the first game, but she adjusted nicely in the second. I tried to mix things up in the third and it worked."

Elsewhere, Phoenix neighbors Rachel Gellman and Rhonda Rajsich faced off, with No.11 Gellman upsetting No.6 Rajsich in three. The match was exciting to watch as Gellman, known for her power, and Rajsich, known for her athleticism, battled it out in a tiebreaker 15-13, 8-15, 11-6.

On the men's side, No. 13 Mitch Williams upset former two-time champion No. 4 seed Michael Bronfeld in straight games 15-2, 15-12. "I got a few good gets in the first couple of points and I think that put the pressure on him," Williams said. "After that he started trying to roll everything out and it forced some skips."

Williams almost gave away the second game after building a 9-1 lead. Bronfeld scored 9 straight points to take a 10-9 lead before Williams could get his game back. "He started to hit some good shots," Williams explained. "I think that when I dove and rolled out a ball to get to 13 that really turned it in my favor." All other top seeds on the men's side advanced to the quarterfinal round.

What's gotten into Ganim? Most everyone knows Doug Ganim as the Choice Hotels U.S. OPEN Tournament Director. What some people might not know is that he is also the State President of the Ohio Racquetball Association, the Promotions/Marketing Manager for Head/Penn Racquet Sports, and runs the successful Head Intelligence Tour in that state. In addition to his administration activities, Doug has qualified for the U.S. National Team 16 times and won 3 IRF World Doubles titles.

He has a chance to add another U.S. Team qualification to his resume as he has been playing some pretty good racquetball recently. He took out Mike Guidry at the Pro Nationals in Phoenix and is now making a run at the national singles championships. Thursday he knocked off No. 7 seed Josh Tucker in a game that went to a tiebreaker. After two close first games 15-14, 13-15, Ganim took control in the tiebreaker winning it easily 11-1.

What has gotten into Ganim, now 37? Is it because he wants to make the Pan Am squad as he stated in Minneapolis at National Doubles? "I hadn't really thought about it much," he said. "I thought I had a better chance to make the team at doubles."

Doug and partner Jeff Bell were just a point from making the team at doubles, losing to champions Mike Guidry and Ruben Gonzalez 11-10 in a tiebreaker. Doug blamed the loss on his being out of shape. "I went home and started working out hard. I've lost 20 lbs since the doubles tournament," he explained. "I started doing it with the thoughts of redeeming myself next year at national doubles with Jeff Bell as my partner again. I am starting to see that it is beneficial to my singles game as well."

Beneficial enough for him to outlast someone almost half his age in a tiebreaker. "Josh just got off to a bad start in the breaker," Doug said. "Once I got him under my thumb he started to press. He didn't have his normal game."

Don't think that Doug's success this year will interfere with his obsession for golf. As he walked off the court after defeating Tucker someone in the crowd said, "I guess golf's off for tomorrow." Ganim quickly replied, "Yeah right, think again. I don't want to break the routine." So after his morning tee time he will be back on the courts today at 3:10pm to face No. 2 Jack Huczek.

You do What ...?? Athletes are known for their superstitions and racquetball is no different than any other sport. The staff at the USRA National Singles Championships polled the crowd to find out what some of those may be. Here are a few samples.

• “I have to chill out and play some vids. I’m going back to the hotel to do that right now.” - Mitch Williams, North Carolina
• “I like to eat a tuna sandwich or a tuna salad. It depends on the tournament. Sometimes I’ll eat a whole box of Frosted Flakes before I play.” - Rhonda Rajsich, Arizona
• “I brought my lucky stuffed dog, Frisbee.” - Shane Vanderson, Ohio
• “I’ve got about 100 so I’ll only name a couple. I never ever look at the draw. I also have to buy the same amount of the same beverage at every tournament.” - Cheryl Gudinas, Illinois
• “I need to get energized before I play.” (Whatever that is) - Mike Dennison, Ohio
• “I have a little purple rock in my bag for good luck and I always have a Diet Coke out side of the court. Oh, and I always eat sweets before I play.” - Heather Dunn, Massachusetts
• “I have a seashell in my bag from my beach. It reminds me of the power of the ocean.” - Dan Llacera, Delaware
• “I always eat peanut butter and english muffins. I also have a Red Bull before I go on the court - always.” - Patty Barrows, Massachusetts

The No.5 seed, Rocky Carson, advanced past a pesky Tom Furman who didn't go down easily. Furman had a 13-7 lead in the first game but Rocky methodically picked away to win 15-13. The second game was close throughout with Rocky again making a push at the end to pull out the 15-11 victory.

Later in the week, as sponsored pros begin to arrive on site to pitch next year's lines, you'll see top names in the "broadcast center" adding their insights to the play-by-play and color commentary. If you're on site and have any experience in broadcasting (or just a great voice) and would like to volunteer to assist with the project, introduce yourself to Willie or Jackie and tell them what you know! And they'll also be looking for insightful questions "from the field" to pose to USRA officials during Open Forum discussions. Get in touch!

This year's officer lineup is headed by Frank Taddonio, who previously served as military representative to the board, and later completed a vacated board term as secretary (replacing Van Dubolsky). Taddonio was named the new President of the USRA Board, replacing Otto Dietrich who retires from the board this year after two consecutive terms. 

Remaining officers named were Randy Stafford, who spearheads the "Players Helping Players" capital campaign as Executive Vice President; newly-elected member Lance Gilliam as Treasurer; and former VP Jan Stelma in the position of Secretary.  

In addition to Dubolsky and Dietrich, whose terms concluded this year, local organizer and Texas Racquetball Association president Annie Muniz also retires from the board after two consecutive, three-year terms, in which she served as association Treasurer. Both Dietrich and Muniz will "carry on" in other official capacities within the association, following their board service; Dietrich as National Rules Commissioner, and Muniz as lead tournament director for adult national championships.

Other newly-elected members to the board include Lorraine Galloway and Jeff Elder (military representative). 

Mike Guidry (Carrollton, Texas) is back to defend his men's open title and has been awarded the top seed. Guidry attempts to become just the seventh player to repeat as men's open champion. Guidry will be challenged by 2001 champion and No. 2 seed and current world singles champion Jack Huczek (Rochester Hills, Mich.). Others expected to vie for the title are No. 3 Jason Thoerner (Canton, Ga.) and former champions No. 4 Michael Bronfeld (Pacific Grove, Calif., '94 & '95) and No. 5 Rocky Carson (Laguna Niguel, Calif., '00)

Four-time defending champion Cheryl Gudinas (Lisle, Ill.) will attempt to make history in seeking her fifth straight title. She was named the women's No. 1 seed followed by last year's runner-up Laura Fenton (Overland Park, Kansas) at No. 2. Others expected to challenge are No. 3 Jackie Rice (El Cajon, Calif.) and No. 4 Kersten Hallander (San Diego, Calif.).

Over 600 players are competing in the tournament, which continues through Memorial Day weekend. The men's and women's open finals are scheduled for Sunday and all other finals are played on Monday.

There is added importance to this year's open division playoffs, since it will be the last chance for athletes to qualify for spots on the national team that will compete in the 14th Pan American Games this August in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Racquetball was first included in the Pan American Games in 1995 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and again in 1999 in Winnipeg, Canada. The U.S. earned gold medals in every discipline at both events.

The tournament begins Wednesday at the Downtown Houston YMCA with the men's and women's Open finals scheduled for Sunday and all other finals on Monday. Special activities are scheduled throughout the week for players and spectators including the USRA's annual awards banquet when the Hall of Fame induction of Cliff Swain (Braintree, Mass.) will take place along with the naming of the USRA Athletes of the Year.