2003 Head USRA 30th
Junior Olympic Championships
Presented by Head/Penn Racquet Sports

Executive Health & Sports Center
Manchester, New Hampshire: June 25-29

preview | releases | drawsheets | photos | finals & finishers

For more information contact Ryan John, USRA Media & Public Relations, at 719-499-3516, or via e-mail at RJohn@usra.org.

Top seeded Ben Croft faced No. 2 Dan Sheppick in the boy's 18- final on Sunday. It was a rematch of this past April's High School national championships final, in which Croft had to forfeit due to a severely sprained ankle. He was able to stay healthy throughout this match to win in a tiebreaker, 15-11, 7-15, 11-5, for his first ever national championship.

"It's the best feeling ever," Croft said after the match. "I've never done this before, but after winning it I have to do it again next year because the feelings great."

Croft plans to take some time to enjoy the win, but is already thinking about the International Racquetball Federation [IRF] World Junior Championships in December.

"I'm going to take a few days off," he explained. "But that's it because I want to get focused for worlds. I want to win that too."

No. 1 Charlie Pratt (Portland, Ore.) defeated his doubles partner and best friend No. 7 Joey Lakowske in the boy's 16- final, 15-12, 12-15, 11-2. Pratt took an early lead in the first game 10-5, only to have Lakowske tie things up at 12-12. Pratt was able to stave off the late rally to win 15-12. He wasn't able to hold off Lakowske's comeback in the second game, however, as Lakowske came back to score 9 straight points after being down 12-6. The tiebreaker was all Pratt as he dominated with precise passes and accurate pinch shots.

"One of us has always been in the finals, but we have only played each other once in the finals," Pratt said referring to their 10- final match-up 5 years ago, which Pratt also won. "He's my best friend and we wanted to have a good match today."

Another top seed, Ismael Aldana (Stockton, Calif.) ended unseeded Alan Crockett's (Birmingham, Ala.) Cinderella run in the finals of the boy's 14-. Aldana won the first game rather easily, 15-6, but then Crockett tied the match at a game apiece with a 15-13 win in the second. Aldana then took a lead in the tiebreaker and didn't look back, winning, 11-6.

"He was tough. I didn't expect to win the first game as easily as I did," Aldana said. "I was a little tired in the second game, but I began to play better again in the tiebreaker. I was hitting my shots lower and harder."

The girl's 18- and 16- finals were played Saturday with Adrienne Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) repeating as the girl's 18- champ and Elise Wilson (Bristol, Conn.) winning the girl's 16-.

Brittany Legget (Klamath Falls, Ore.) and Shannon Inglesby (Portland, Ore.) faced off in the girl's 14- final Sunday. Legget was able to come back after losing the first game 15-5 to win the next two, 15-9, 11-6. It was a rematch of last year's 12- girls' singles final. Inglesby won that last year in straight games, 15-12, 15-13.

Adrienne Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) was able to repeat as the girl's 18- national champion with a win over Jesi Fuller (Albuquerque, N.M.). 15-1,15-8. It was a rematch of the U.S. High School National Championship final, in which Fisher needed a tiebreaker to get past Fuller.

"I was thinking about it (the high school final) actually," Fisher said after her match. "I know that she's (Fuller) tough and I wanted to play well, so as not to go into a tiebreaker."

New Englander Elise Wilson (Bristol, Conn.) competed in the girl's 16- final on Saturday against Kelly Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) in one of the best matches of the tournament thus far. Wilson won the first game, 15-9, only to have Fisher tie the match up at a game apiece by winning the second, 15-7.

The tiebreaker was a game of momentum as each player took turns making runs. Wilson took a 6-3 lead and seemed to be in control until Fisher scored three straight of her own to tie the score at 6-6. Again Wilson pulled ahead 10-6, but couldn't capitalize on five straight match points and Fisher knotted things up again at 10-10. After six side outs, where neither player could score a point, Wilson finally close out the match with a forehand pass.

"I was worried, but just concentrated on one point or one side out at a time," A relieved Wilson said after the match. "I worked hard for this and wanted it really bad."

The girl's 14- played their semifinal matches with the top two seeds both earning a trip to the finals in straight games. No. 1 Shannon Inglesby (Portland, Ore.) defeated No. 4 Kara Mazur (Avon, Conn.), 15-7, 15-7. Another Oregonian, No. 2 Brittany Legget (Klamath Falls, Ore.) got past Dannielle Pimental (Corvallis, Ore.), 15-14, 15-5.

Girls 16- Final: Elise Wilson d. Kelley Fisher 15-9, 7-15, 11-10
Fresh from a tiebreak win in the semis over Ashley Willhite, Elise had that same glint of steel in her eyes as she stepped on the court to battle for the gold in the 16s. Her intensity can lead her the wrong way if she’s nervous, which is what happened at the start of the first game. Wilson was jumping on her shots and leaving the ball up, which played right into Fisher’s strike zone. Elise started to settle down and dominates the first game. Her superior mobility gets her to anything that isn’t rolled out, and her clean passes and backhand kills earn her the first game 15-9.

In the second game, Fisher came out with a gameplan – to hit deep drive-Z serves to Wilson’s backhand. Initially, the serves came out too short and were fodder for the Wilson backhand, but as the game progressed, Kelley’s serves and shot execution started to click. And while her quickness and anticipation are one of Elise’s greatest allies, they can also be her worst enemy. Anxious to finish this match in straight games, Wilson pounced on her shots without setting her feet. This resulted in a few skips and a few more setups for Fisher, who was consistent in putting her shots away. Elise also began taking the ball too early, leaving her pinch attempts sitting up and waiting for Kelley to drill down the line. Wilson’s confidence dropped and Fisher took game two, 15-7.

It was time for the one of the most exciting tiebreaks seen all week! Elise started off in a similar pattern as the second game, playing defensive shots that became fodder for a very confident Fisher. Elise fought her way to 3-all, then hit crack ace serves to take a lead at 5-3. Elise followed up the ace with a diving rollout to end what was an extremely athletic rally from both girls. Wilson was clearly in control at this point, but Fisher got her serve back once more before Elise advances to the first match point at 10-7. 

The crowd was one of the largest seen all weekend, and they were treated to another ten minutes of amazing shots and solid nerves under pressure from both players. Elise hit a tentative drive serve to Fisher’s forehand that popped out for Kelley to kill down the line. Untroubled by this, Elise ripped a backhand return to get to her second match point, then stepped up and gave Kelley the same weak forehand serve, with the same result. And again, Elise got her serve right back with another backhand kill. Serving for the match for a third time, Elise watched as, this time, it was Kelley’s forehand that rocketed past for a sideout. 

Kelley then put three more points on the board, taking a match point advantage for herself. Again, Wilson stepped up and hits a fearless backhand winner down the line. And this would happen from both girls, again and again, over another 4 or 5 sideouts. Finally, on her seventh match point attempt, a forehand from Kelley flew off the back wall, giving Elise a setup – but she misses the kill. Still in rally, Kelley hit the ball right into Wilson's body, and she used her quick reflexes to pinch the ball for the winner, and her first Junior National singles title. This was easily the most exciting match of the day, and both girls got a well-deserved standing ovation from the huge crowd that had gathered to watch them compete.

No. 2 Dan Sheppick handily beat unseeded Shane Karmelin (Dacula, Ga.) in straight games, 15-8, 15-4. Sheppick will face Croft in Sunday's final and had mixed feelings about playing a rematch of this past April's High School national final.

"It's good that I'm playing Ben again because I know his game style," Sheppick explained. "But he's a tough player. I wish I wasn't playing someone so tough."

Local star Mike Keddie's (Manchester, N.H.) bid for a U.S. Junior Team spot ended Saturday with a tough loss to No. 7 Joey Lakowske (Corvallis, Ore.), 15-7, 15-14. Lakowske blistered shots past Keddie in the first game then came back from a 12-7 deficit in the second to win by a point.

"I just told myself that I had to play perfect or else I was going to lose that game," Lakowske said of his comeback. "I was able to play perfect for the last couple of points."

Lakowske will face his good friend No. 1 Charlie Pratt (Portland, Ore.) in Sunday's final. Pratt got past No. 4 Jordan Walters (Fayetteville, N.C.) in straight games, 15-9, 15-8. Pratt placed third last year in the boy's 16-.

Unseeded Alan Crockett (Birmingham, Ala.) earned a spot in the boy's 14- final with an impressive win over Jonathan Doyle (Cincinnati, Ohio) 15-4, 15-3. He will face No. 1 Ismael Aldana (Stockton, Calif.) who squeaked out a 15-14 win in the first game over Sean McGrath (Indianapolis, Ind.) before taking over in the second, 15-7.

• "When I watched the 11-10 tiebreaker win for Elise. That match was so intense!" - Alan Crockett, 15, Birmingham, Alabama
• "Being able to be here and watch all these great matches with out having the game stress for myself. It's such a delight to be at a tourney and enjoy the game with out having pressure on myself." - Cheryl Gudinas, The No. 1 LPRA player
• "Getting to play because it's fun to win and try your hardest. You learn a lot from watching other people and get better." - Jonathan Rosado, 10, Meriden, Connecticut
• "Watching Kelly and Elise's match. It was awesome!" - Drew Toland, 17, Parkin, Arkansas
• "The semifinals. Those are some of the best games." - Josh Hungerford, 11, Portland, Oregon
• "Just playing racquetball. Because it's a fun sport and I like doing it!" - Eric Lotts, 9, Bedford, Ohio
• "I'm still in the tournament. It stinks to come out here ad lose your matches and staying out for the long week. It's really fun meeting new people and making new friends." - Marco Hidalgo, 18, El Paso, Texas
• "Being able to see everyone I haven't seen in months. It's a different environment when you're around racquetball people then when you're home with your friends." - Da' Monique "Daba" Davis, 18, San Antonio, Texas
• "Making it to the semi's. This is the first year I'll be able to be on the national team." - Sean McGrath, 13, Indianapolis, Indiana
• "The people are great! It's interesting meeting different kids at the tournament." - Natalie Singer, 12, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Fisher sisters, Fuller & Wilson advance
The girl's 18- played out their semifinal matches with top seed Adrienne Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) earning a spot in the finals with a victory over No. 4 Katie Ferguson (Portland, Ore.) in straight games, 15-5, 15-5. Fisher is trying to repeat as the girl's 18- champion.

She will face No. 3 Jesi Fuller (Albuquerque, N.M.), who defeated No. 2 Da' Monique Davis (San Antonio, Texas), 15-4, 15-6. It was a rematch of last year's quarterfinal match in which Davis won.

"It was a good feeling today because I lost to her last year and I was able to get through her to regain my spot on the team," Fuller said after the match. "I am looking forward to a good match with Adrienne tomorrow."

Adrienne's younger sister, Kelly Fisher (Centerville, Ohio), the top seed in the girl's 16-, also advanced to her final. She defeated No. 4 Ashley Legget (Klamath Falls, Ore.), 15-10, 15-4. Kelly also made the finals of the girl's 16- last year, but was defeated by her older sister.

Kelly will face New Englander Elise Wilson (Bristol, Conn.) in the finals. Second seeded Wilson staged a come-from-behind victory over No. 3 Ashley Willhite (Klamath Falls, Ore.). Wilson dropped the first game, 13-15, before winning the next two, 15-7, 11-8.

"I try not to pay attention to the pressure," she said. "I just play to play and try to focus on my game."

All four of the top seeds advanced into the semifinals of the girl's 14-, although three of them need to go to a tiebreaker to do so. Top seeded Shannon Inglesby (Portland, Ore.) came back after dropping the first game 14-15, to dominate the next two, 15-5, 11-2. No. 2 Brittany Legget (Klamath Falls, Ore.) outlasted No. 7 Sharon Jackson (Shelbyville, Ind.) in a marathon match, 14-15, 15-13, 11-10. No. 3 Dannielle Pimental (Corvallis, Ore.) had a seesaw match against Michelle Key (Gilbert, Ariz.), 15-6, 13-15, 11-3. Only No. 4 Kara Mazur (Avon, Conn.) was able to win in straight games over Jennifer Fenton (Overland Park, Kan.), 15-9, 15-10.

No. 4 Brandon Shoemaker (Findlay, Ohio) faced his doubles partner for the tournament, No. 5 Travis Woodbury (Arlington, Va.). They faced off two years ago at the Junior Olympics with Woodbury coming out on top. This time it was Shoemaker's turn, 15-9, 15-11.

"It's been a rivalry over the years, but now it's kind of weird because we are (doubles) partners," Shoemaker said. "We still have to play doubles together tonight."

No. 6 Mike Keddie (Manchester, N.H.) continued to shine on his home courts as he upset the No. 3 seed Anthony Herrera (Grand Junction, Colo.). With the crowd definitely in his corner, Keddie surprised Herrera by playing a near perfect match, 15-5, 15-2.

"He was rolling the ball. I can't say anything else," a disappointed Herrera said after the match. "Good luck to him."

"Not to sound cocky, but I have been playing extremely well and I knew I wasn't going to lose," Keddie said. "If I keep playing like that I have a chance to win the whole thing."

No. 7 Joey Lakowske (Corvallis, Ore.) provided another upset in the boy's 16- by defeating No. 2 Drew Toland (Parkin, Ark.), also in straight games. Lakowske moved around the court well and made the shots he needed to en route to his, 15-7, 15-6, win.

No. 1 Charlie Pratt (Portland, Ore.) had to go into a tiebreaker to get past Ismael Aldana (Stockton, Calif.), 15-8, 13-15, 11-6. No. 4 Jordan Walters (Fayetteville, N.C.) easily defeated Will Davis (Valdosta, Ga.) 15-2, 15-1.

Aldana was also competing in the boy's 14-, where he was the top seed. He advanced over Jerome Jackson (Norwood, Mass.) in straight games, 15-10, 15-3, but other seeds in that division weren't so lucky.

No. 2 Richard Sledzik Jr. (Brockton, Mass.) fell to Allan Crockett (Birmingham, Ala.), 15-4, 10-15, 11-7, and No. 3 Tripp Isley (Arden, N.C.) lost to Jonathan Doyle (Cincinnati, Ohio) in straight games, 15-13, 15-5. No. 5 Sean McGrath also advanced into the semifinals with a win over Jacob Hutkins (Lincoln, Neb.) in a grueling three-gamer, 15-13, 12-15, 11-8.

"I played well because I practiced and I tried hard," she said after her match.

Elizabeth has another shot at a medal in the girl's 8- multi-bounce division, where she has only lost one match so far in round-robin competition. When she gets home she plans to show her medals to her friends that she plays with.

"I like to show my medals," she explained. "Sometimes they think I am showing off, but oh well."

Sean McGrath followed suit by replaying match point in his 14- quarterfinal match against Jacob Hutkins, but he ended up winning.

McGrath was serving for the match, 10-7, in the tiebreaker when Hutkins wanted a court hinder off the door. The referee didn't believe that the ball took an odd bounce, so he called point, match over. But McGrath then decided to offer his opponent the replay.

"I believed him (Hutkins) because he was calling good calls all match, so I played it over," he said. "There was a screen play earlier in the match that the ref didn't call against him and he played it over, so I knew if he said there was a door hinder then there probably was."

After the replay McGrath lost serve and Hutkins quickly scored a point to narrow the game margin to 8-10. "I was like, 'oh, no'", McGrath said, but he wouldn't have changed it. He ended up winning 11-8 to move on in his division.

McGrath said that he had read about Ruben Gonzalez's famous skip call, but didn't hear of Sheppick's until today. "I was thinking about Ruben's call a little, but I was really thinking about Joseph Lee's call against himself at worlds," he explained. "He dove and got a shot, but immediately raised two fingers to let everyone know that it was two bounces even though nobody could see it."

Game two saw a different Fenton step into the box. During the break, her mom wisely told her to stop playing defense and start playing aggressive. And she did, staying tight with Mazur until the score was 7-8. Kara's own competitive nature kicked into high gear as she chased down everything Fenton threw at her. Her strong play put too much pressure on Fenton to hit a great shot, and a series of errors and more perfect backhand passes from Kara ended this match in straight games of 15-8, 15-10.

BOY'S 14- QUARTERFINAL: Richard Sledzik Jr. vs Allen Crockett 
The first game started out intense, with both players hitting beautiful kills from the backcourt, but the quality of play quickly degenerated. It seemed that Crockett couldn't miss and Sledzik couldn't stop skipping, which led to an easy first game for Crockett, 15-4.

Sledzik pulled his head together in the second game and came out firing. His strategy of shooting the ball whenever possible was still in play, but his execution was far better. There were many great rallies in this game, with both players diving all over the court to roll out seemingly defensive shots. This time it was Crockett who started to look out-of-sorts, hitting several unforced errors. He took a timeout, during which his mom advised him to start using his lanes better. At the same time, Sledzik's father coached his son to play to Crockett's weaker forehand side. That strategy worked and Sledzik took the second game 15-10.

The tiebreak started off the way the second game had ended, with Sledzik drilling shots past Crockett. Crockett took a crucial timeout at 6-3 and came back with fire in his eyes, while the fire that had driven Sledzik to fight his way back into the match went out. He had a hard time with Crockett's nick lob to his backhand, either skipping the ball or hitting a weak return. Still, there were many great rallies and Crockett used his mom's advice to great benefit. His down the line shooting and smart passes give him this match, 11-7 in the third.

"There are three kids that I coach playing here. Two are from Syracuse and one from Connecticut," he explained. "I coach them throughout the year and I also do camps here in the northeast so I wanted to watch some of the kids that have gone through my camps."

Winterton was referring to Brad Kirsh and Matt Emmel from Syracuse and Elise Wilson from Bristol, Connecticut. Wilson earlier in the day earned a spot in the girl's 16- finals against Kelly Fisher.

We put Coach on the spot by asking him if the talent level has increased or decreased over the years in the junior ranks. "That's a tough question," he said while rubbing his head. "There's a lot better coaching with the Rumble Camps and other camps around the country. I would say the kids are better coached and better prepared."

Winterton even sees some of future adult national team members in some of the younger players. "If they stay with it, they have the talent to do that," he said. "The road to the U.S. Team is a long one. There are no shortcuts. It's a matter of who is willing to put in the time and effort."

• "A pinch, because I do it best." - Brittany Legget, 14, Klamath Falls, Oregon
• "A splat. Half of the time they roll out, but the other half they skip and you lose." - David Schwartz, 16, Portland, Oregon
• "Anything that gets to the front wall for me." - Karan Masood, 14, Portland, Oregon
• "A splat, because it gives your opponent less time to get to the ball." - Mathew Hunter, 10, Naples, Florida
• "Raspberry Kamikaze…Oh! That kind of shot!" - Heather Fender, USRA Tournament Staff
• "A pinch. I have no idea why." - Tim Lerow, 9, Braden, Florida
• "I like drive serves because no one can get them." - Courtney Chisholm, 10, Marlboro, Massachusetts
• "A splat. I like the sound." - Stephen Brown, 15, Albuquerque, New Mexico
• "Any." - Danielle Elder, 6 3/4, Ft. Washington, Maryland

All top seeds advanced in the boy's 18- with the exception of No. 8 Marc Moccia (Haverhill, Mass.) who was upset by Brad Slocum (Sarasota, Fla.) in a tough match. Slocum won the first game 15-7, but Moccia knotted the match at one game apiece by winning the second 15-10. Slocum shook off the second game loss to win the tiebreaker 11-6. All other top seeds won in straight games, including No. 1 Ben Croft (Lake Bluff, Ill.) and No. 2 Dan Sheppick (Portland, Ore.), who stayed on course for a rematch of last year's boy's 16- final. Sheppick came out on top in that final a year ago.

There were no upsets in the boy's 16- as all seeds advanced in straight games. Local star Mike Keddie (Manchester, N.H.) got past David LaForest (Queen's Village, N.Y.) in a rematch of last year's heated boy's 14- round of 16 match. Keddie again was able to defeat LaForest in straight games, 15-4, 15-10.

"I am playing very well and I feel very focused," Keddie said of his play thus far in the tournament. "I went in with a good strategy against David (LaForest) and I stuck with it."

Keddie and his partner Marc Moccia (Haverhill, Mass.) fell, however, in his boy's 18- doubles match to No. 4 seed Brady Hernandez (Harvey, La.) and Shane Karmelin (Dacula, Ga.), 15-12, 15-9.

In the boy's 14- singles No. 4 John Sanderson (Park City, Utah) fell victim to Jacob Hutkins in straight games, 15-5, 15-1. Sanderson is also playing in the boy's 12-, where he is the top seed. He was able to rebound from his earlier loss for a comeback victory against Bradley Kirch (Syracuse, N.Y.), 13-15, 15-7, 11-8.

Although the older girl's didn't see singles action on Thursday, the younger divisions were in full swing. Elizabeth Vargas (Aurora, Colo.) moved closer to winning two gold medals. She defeated Danielle Falvey (Madison, Wisc.), 11-5, 11-6, in the girl's 6- multi-bounce and then moved on in the girl's 8- multi-bounce with a victory over Danielle Elder (Ft. Washington, Md.) 11-0, 11-1.

The top four seeds in the girl's 12- advanced in straight games and are already down to the semifinals. No. 1 Wesley Toland (Parkin, Ark.) will face No. 4 Danielle Key (Gilbert, Ariz.) and No. 2 Nicole Grundman (St. Cloud, Minn.) goes against No. 3 Tarryn Harborth (Sacramento, Claif.) to see who will get to the finals.

• "Having fun and winning!" - Lilly Berry, 10, Columbus, Ohio
• "I like mostly everything, but especially when I get a point."
  - Danielle Falvey, 7, Madison, Wisconsin
• "The intensity! I look forward to the competitiveness and I love seeing Kelley Beane!" - Brady Hernandez, 18, New Orleans, Louisiana"
• Beating Ismael! I look forward to making the U.S. team when I come." - Jerome Jackson, 14, Boston, Massachusetts
• "I love the people and the competition.  When I come I love to play good and tough people and see my friends." - Sarah Hettesheimer, 15, Cincinnati, Ohio
• "It's a fun sport! I look forward to playing my hardest. I'm in the quarterfinals in 10- singles!" - Andy McGuffey, 10, Cincinnati, Ohio
• "It's fun to play and I get to see all my friends!" - Derek Wray, 6, Huron, Ohio
• "I like to run!  I love to hit the ball around and I beat my brother one time and I love my friends." - Spencer Shoemaker, 7, Findlay, Ohio
• "It's fun and exciting. I love the challenge and meeting new people." - Brad Falvey, 11, Madison, Wisconsin
• "I'm in the quarterfinals and that's all you need to know!" -  Joseph Lee, 10, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

In the boy's 18- Ben Croft (Lake Bluff, Ill.) and Dan Sheppick (Portland, Ore.), seeded No. 1 and No. 2, had no trouble in their first round matches as they advanced in straight games. Croft defeated Christopher Brown (North Granby, Conn.) 15-4, 15-4 and Sheppick got past Evan Ussery (Albuquerque, N.M.) 15-3, 15-4. No. 3 Clay Burris (Brandon, Fla.) was tested against Ryan Watson (Tulsa, Okla.), but still managed to pull ahead to advance in straight games of 15-12, 15-9.

The top seeds also advanced in the boy's 16- in straight games, including top seeded Charlie Pratt (Portland, Ore.) and No. 2 Drew Toland (Parkin, Ark.). No. 3 Anthony Herrera (Grand Junction, Colo.) sprained his ankle during practice on Tuesday, but with treatment was able to defeat Jason Olvaivar (Long Beach, Miss.) in straight games, 15-7, 15-4. Also advancing in the boy's 16- was local favorite Mike Keddie (Manchester, N.H.), who placed second last year in the boy's 14- to earn a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team.

The boy's 14- division saw more blowouts as top seeded Ismael Aldana (Stockton, Calif.) defeated Brad Nauditt (Colbert, Wash.) 15-1, 15-0; No. 2 Richard Sledzik Jr. (Brockton, Mass.) defeated Taylor McDermott (Dallas, Texas) 15-0, 15-3; and No. 3 Tripp Isley (Arden, N.C.) defeated Andrew Embry (Corvalis, Ore.) 15-3, 15-0.

There were only two matches played in the girl's 18- and both higher seeds won in straight games. No. 3 Jesi Fuller defeated Melissa Gransbury (Gladstone, Ore.) 15-3, 15-5 and No. 4 Katie Ferguson (Portland, Ore.) defeated Lauren Ritter (St. Louis, Mo.) 15-6, 15-6.

New Englander Elise Wilson (Bristol, Conn.), seeded No. 2, took part in the only girl's 16- match and defeated Elizabeth Ferguson (Portland, Ore.) in straight games 15-6, 15-6.

The top two seeds in the girl's 14- received byes in the first round, but No. 3 Dannielle Pimental (Corvallis, Ore.) saw action and defeated Sherrika Darnell (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) 15-8, 15-4. No. 4 Kara Mazur (Avon, Conn.) also played as she defeated Natalie Singer (Eau Claire, Wis.) 15-7,15-2.

WMUR sent on-air sports broadcaster Jamie Staton to the Executive Health & Sports Center for a live broadcast that was aired during the 5 and 6 o'clock news. In addition to showing parts of some matches, Staton interviewed local favorite Mike Keddie and U.S. Junior Team Head Coach Kelley Beane.

Keddie was a little nervous before the interview began, but settled in quite nicely and represented the sport well. Beane, always calm under pressure, pulled it off without a hitch.

WMUR plans on returning to the tournament this weekend for more broadcasts and will offer updates to their viewers as the tournament progresses.

Adam was able to come out on top 11-3, 11-8, but both players appeared to enjoy themselves during the match and afterwards as well.

"I just like the sport of racquetball," Conlon said after the match. "I might want to play in college."

Conlon's sports list is full as he also competes in soccer, baseball, golf, and skiing. He picked up racquetball after attending a free clinic in his hometown. "We belonged to Sawmill Athletic Club and he went to a free clinic Gary (Vanderson) was running," explained Conlon's father, Kevin. "They really liked it and stuck with it." Gary Vanderson, who happens to be the father of former junior champion and current U.S. National Team member Shane Vanderson, is now coaching Conlon on a regular basis.

Adam is also active in other sports, playing baseball, soccer, and basketball. He was shy at first, but then spoke of why he liked playing in tournaments. "I like playing different players and watching other people," he said. "And just having a good time."

Adam started playing last May and already has a state championship under his belt. This spring he took first place in the Colorado State Championships in the boy's 8- multi-bounce. Now he has his sights set on winning a national title this week in New Hampshire - that is if his dad, Victor, can handle the pressure.

"I'm glad that's (the match) over," Victor said with relief. "As parents you get more nervous than the kids do sometimes."

Charlie Pratt (Portland, Ore.), who finished third in 2002 in the boy's 16-, earned the top seed in the boy's 16- this year. Drew Toland (Parkin, Ark.) earned the second seed after finishing fourth last year. Joey Lakowske (Corvallis, Ore.) was placed at No. 3 and Jordan Walters (Fayetteville, N.C.) No. 4.

Last year's 12- boy's singles champion Ismael Aldana (Stockton, Calif.) moves into the boy's 14- this year and earned the top seed. Richard Sledzik Jr. (Brockton, Mass.) placed in the quarterfinals last year in the boy's 14- and assumes the No. 2 seed this year. Tripp Isley (Arden, N.C.) earned the No. 3 seed followed by last year's 12- runner-up, John Sanderson (Park City, Utah, at No. 4.

Adrienne Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) will attempt to win her second straight girl's 18- singles championship and is listed as the No. 1 seed. Fisher won both the girl's 16- and 18- singles divisions a year ago and is currently ranked No. 7 on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Association [LPRA] Tour. Da' Monique Davis (San Antonio, Texas) finished fourth in the girl's 16- last year and has been placed in the No. 2 position. Jesi Fuller (Albuquerque, N.M.), who finished second to Fisher at the 2003 High School National Championships, earned the No. 3 seed followed by Katie Ferguson (Portland, Ore.) at No. 4.

Adrienne's younger sister Kelley Fisher (Centerville, Ohio) is the top seed in the girl's 16-. The Fisher sisters played in the finals last year with the elder Adrienne coming out on top. Elise Wilson (Bristol, Conn.) finished third in girl's 16- a year ago and was placed in the No. 2 spot this year. Two Ashley's, both from Klamath Falls, Oregon finished up the seeding in the girl's 16-. Ashley Willhite earned the No. 3 seed followed by Ashley Legget at No. 4. Legget didn't participate in last year's event due to injury.

Shannon Inglesby (Portland, Ore.) and Brittany Legget (Klamath Falls, Ore.), finished first and second, respectively, last year in the girl's 12- singles and are seeded No. 1 and No. 2 in the girl's 14-. Danielle Pimental (Corvallis, Ore.) earned the No. 3 seed and Kara Mazur (Avon, Conn.) was placed in the No. 4 position.

The 5-day event includes many activities for the players and guests including contests, cookouts, and an awards banquet that will be held at The Center of New Hampshire in Manchester on Saturday. All competition takes place at the Executive Health & Sports Center located at 1 Highlander Way in Manchester. There is no charge for spectators to view the action.

Championship kicks off on Wednesday
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U.S. Junior Team Head Coach Kelley Beane (Manchester, N.H.) works as the Court Sports Director at the Executive Health & Sports Club and has headed up local organizing efforts for the tournament. “We have a great committee of volunteers that have helped set up all the special events for the week,” she said. “I think it will be a great experience for everyone here to see.”

New Hampshire Governor Craig R. Benson has declared June 28, 2003 “Junior Racquetball Day” for the state [view document]. In his proclamation  Governor Benson stated “New Hampshire has always been a place where athletics, especially youth athletics have thrived.” Last year Mike Keddie (Manchester, N.H.) earned a spot on the U.S. Junior National Team by placing second in the boy’s 14-and-under division.

The top two players in both the boy’s and girl’s 18-and-under, 16-, and 14- singles divisions, in addition to the top doubles team in each of those divisions, will earn spots on the U.S National Junior Team that will compete this December in the International Racquetball Federation [IRF] World junior Championships in Orlando. The U.S. is looking to rebound after suffering defeat for the first time last year when they lost to Mexico.

“It’s going to be exciting to see how the team shapes up,” Beane said. “We have our work cut out for us, but we will go in (to the World Championships) more experienced than last year.”