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Nation's Best Junior Racquetball Players Converge on Colorado Springs for Training Camp

Junior Athletes Learn from Racquetball's Top Coaches and Athletes

The top junior racquetball players in the United States converged on Colorado Springs last Friday for the U.S. Junior National Racquetball Team training camp, being held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Lynmar Racquet Club, the official training site of the U.S. Racquetball Association.

The camp, which began Aug. 13, will continue until Aug. 19 under the direction of Junior National Team Head Coach Jim Winterton (Syracuse, N.Y.), who recently stepped down after a 10-year tenure as U.S. National Team Head Coach following a gold-medal sweep by his team at this summers' Pan American Games.

Returning for her sixth-consecutive year as a member of the team is Sara Borland (Bettendorf, Iowa), who qualified by placing second in the girls' 18- singles division at the 1999 Junior Olympic Championships held in June. Brooke Crawford (Klamath Falls, Ore.) is making her fourth and final appearance as a junior athlete at the camp after winning the girls' 18- title at the Junior Olympic Championships. 1999 National High School champion Kristen Walsh (Salt Lake City), who also captured the girls' 16- title in June, is a junior-team member for a third time.

Jack Huczek (Rochester Hills, Mich.), Josh Tucker (Joplin, Mo.) and Shane Vanderson (Dublin, Ohio) are all making their third appearances on the U.S. Junior National Team. Huczek qualified for the team by capturing the 1999 Junior Olympic boys' 16- singles title, while Vaderson finished second to Tucker in the boys' 18- singles competition.

Two sets of siblings are training with this year's junior team, including the brother-and-sister twosome of Brooke and Bart Crawford and a pair of sisters from Studio City, Calif., Lauren and Lindsay Deutsch.

While training in Colorado Springs, the junior team will not only be coached by Winterton, but a crew of top-notch racquetball coaches and athletes in preparation for the World Junior Racquetball Championships this December in Fountain Valley, Calif. Todd O'Neil (Lewisville, Texas) and Robin Levine (Sacramento, Calif.) are serving as Winterton's assistant coaches.

Three-time Tournament of the Americas doubles champion O'Neil, who is active on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), is a former national singles champion and world doubles champion. Women's International Racquetball Tour (WIRT) player Levine, who holds three Tournament of the Americas titles, is a two-time national singles champion and world doubles champion.

Also assisting with the team during the training camp is 1999 Pan American Games gold medalist and 1999 U.S. National Singles champion Cheryl Gudinas (Chicago, Ill.). Fresh off her gold-medal performance last month at the Pan Am Games, Gudinas will share her years of experience, as one of the WIRT's and USRA's top players, with the junior team. 1999 Pan Am Team manager, Kelley Bean, also joins the training camp as the team leader.

1999-2000 U.S. JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM

BOYS

Name (Hometown) - Means of Qualifying for Team
Bart Crawford (Klamath Falls, Ore.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 16- silver medalist
Jeffrey Garner (Delham, Ala.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 18- bronze medalist
Jack Huzcek (Rochester Hills, Mich.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 16- champion
Erik Leetch (Silam Springs, Ark.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 16- semifinalist
Stephen Lewis (Kennewick, Wash.) - 1999 National High School Boys' champion
Steven Klaiman (Houston, Texas) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 14- champion
Matthew McElhiney (Bradenton, Fla.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 16- bronze medalist
Brandon Shoemaker (Findlay, Ohio) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 14- silver medalist
Josh Tucker (Joplin, Mo.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 18- champion
Shane Vanderson (Dublin, Ohio)- 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 18- silver medalist
Mitch Williams (Washington, N.C.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Boys' 18- semifinalist

GIRLS

Name (Hometown) - Means of Qualifying for Team
Sara Borland (Bettendorf, Iowa) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 18- silver medalist
Brooke Crawford (Klamath Falls, Ore.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 18- champion
Krystal Csuk (Naperville, Ill.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 16- silver medalist
Lauren Deutsch (Studio City, Calif.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 18- semifinalist
Lindsay Deutsch (Studio City, Calif.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 14- silver medalist
Adrienne Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 14- champion
Meghan Guardiani (Marlboro, Mass.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 18- quarterfinalist
Kristen Kovar (Lincoln, Neb.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 16- semifinalist
Janel Tisinger (Canoga Park, Calif.) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 16- quarterfinalist
Kristen Walsh (Salt Lake City, Utah) - 1999 National High School Girls' champion
Crystal Winfrey (Powell, Ohio) - 1999 U.S. Junior Olympic Championships Girls' 16- bronze medalist