Jack Huczek (Rochester, Mich.) and Cheryl Gudinas (Chicago, Ill.) have been selected as the 2001-2002 United States Racquetball Association [USRA] Male and Female Athletes of the Year. These two outstanding athletes were concurrently chosen to represent the sport as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Athlete’s of the Year for racquetball. It is the third straight year that Gudinas has earned the honor.

Huczek, 19, became the second youngest male ever to be crowned the USRA National Singles Champion last May, while he was still 18. He is also the 2001 U.S. High School, U.S. Junior 18-and-under singles, U.S. Junior 18-and-under mixed doubles with Crystal Winfrey (Powell, Ohio), and U.S. OPEN (open division) champion. To cap the award review period, Huczek captured two gold medals at the IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships in boys’ 18-and-under singles and 18-and-under doubles with Zack Miller (Alta Loma, Calif.) in December of 2001.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be given this award and named amongst some of the top players in our sport,” said Huczek upon hearing of his selection. “I am humbled to have been chosen for it.”

Gudinas, who also earned the award in 1999 and 2000, repeated as the USRA’s National Singles champion and choice for the Female Athlete of the Year honor. In addition, this season she won the U.S. National Doubles Championships with partner Kim Russell (Austin, Texas). Playing for the U.S. National Team, Gudinas captured the 2001 14th Pan American Racquetball Confederation [PARC] Tournament of the Americas helping the U.S. capture the women’s and overall team title at the event.

Ruben Gonzalez (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Debra Tisinger (Canoga Park, Calif.) have been selected as the 2001-2002 United States Racquetball Association [USRA] Bud Muehleisen (Male Age Group Athlete of the Year) and Peggy Steding (Female Age Group Athlete of the Year) Award winners. The awards are earned by the most outstanding male and female athletes, age 35 and over, on the basis of performances over the previous year.

Gonzalez, 50, was chosen as the Bud Muehleisen Award recipient after another spectacular year on the courts. Last fall he teamed up with Mike Guidry (Carrolton, Texas) to win their second USRA National Doubles Championships title in three years. The win placed him on the U.S. National Racquetball Team for the sixth straight year. Gonzalez also earned the men’s 45-and-over USRA National Singles Championship and the men’s 45+ International Racquetball Federation [IRF] World Singles title. In 2000, Gonzalez was inducted into the USRA Hall of Fame.

Tisinger, 44, earned the Peggy Steding Award for the second time in her career, following up on a 1997 Steding award. In 2001 she completed a “hat-trick” of sorts by earning gold medals at three major tournaments. She is the current women’s U.S. OPEN, USRA National Singles, and IRF World Singles champion in the 40+ division. Tisinger also competed in the women’s 35+ division at the USRA National Singles Championships where she again earned gold medal - her second of that event.

Both Gonzalez and Tisinger were recognized at the USRA's annual awards banquet on May 25, held in conjunction with the 2002 Ektelon 35th USRA National Singles Championships in Houston, Texas.

Lee Beckwith, one of Colorado’s premier players in both the Open and Age Divisions was named the 2002 John Halverson ‘Fair Play Award’ recipient at ceremonies held in Houston in late May. Tom Rall nominated Lee based upon his observations during the Colorado State Championship, where Lee distinguished himself as having displayed outstanding sportsmanship during the entire tournament. 

But it was during one match in particular that Lee showed what sportsmanship is all about, and also redefined court etiquette. Against an opponent he had played before, Mike McKlintock, Lee took a shot that could have ended the rally, but as luck would have it he instead over-ran it a bit and hit the ball slightly ‘off’; the ball traveled close to his body and passed just by him. Mike was positioned very close behind, but with both players ‘on the run,’ for it to be called an ‘avoidable’ was nebulous at best. Both players stopped. As McKlintock entered the service box to serve again, Lee stopped him and said, ‘That shot was an avoidable. You could have killed that ball. I was in your way.” With that, the first game ended with Lee losing 14-15 on a call he made against himself. He walked off the court a bit disappointed, only to receive a standing ovation! He may have lost the game, but he had won the respect of everyone watching. 

The close second game played out much like the first: 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, and Lee made two more calls on himself, but this time won the game 15-13. The tiebreaker was filled with great gets, long rallies and even more amazing shots! At 8-8, Lee made another call on himself on a ‘get’. It was questionable. The referee, even the crowd thought he had gotten the ball. But Lee was true to himself and insisted ‘I didn’t get that’, and handed the ball to his opponent. 

This is the kind of sportsmanship that demands recognition. Lee Beckwith is a player of integrity, one who is not afraid of making calls on himself, and obviously would never take anything he didn’t deserve. Here is a player of substance, who we should all strive to emulate. [Photo: Author Rall presents Beckwith with award, at recognition ceremonies in Colorado]