September Update 2016

We are ALL Heading to the US Open October 5-9, 2016 Minneapolis, MN

“Rocky Carson wins the 3 WB Outdoor Championships in Vegas and makes it to the finals of the 1^st IRT pro event in KS”

“Paola Longoria wins her 1^st two LPRT pro events in MX & SC and takes 2^nd in the Women’s Pro Doubles at the 3 WB Outdoor in Vegas”

“Wayne Antone plays 1^st ORA event of the season in Corvallis, OR”

“Jordan Cooperrider makes the semi-finals in Women’s Pro-Doubles in SC”

“Mitchell Turner plays 1^st ORA event of the season and wins Men’s A & took 3^rd in Men’s Elite in Corvallis, OR”

My “Adult Championship Racquetball Team” led by Rocky Carson and Paola Longoria were busy the first month of the 2016-2017season.

Rocky Carson

“Be Humble or Be Humbled”, by RO Carson

Rocky began his 2016-2017 season, September 9-11, with an IRT pro stop in KS, not missing a beat from last season, and made it to the finals in that event again.

Rocky had a tough route to the finals, but showed his mental toughness by beating all the young guns…Andree Parrilla (#17) in the round of 16’s, Markie Rojas (#7) in the quarter-finals, Jansen Allen (#6) in the semi-finals and then lost to Kane, the eventual winner in the finals.

Two weeks later Rocky switched to the Outdoor Courts and played in the 3WallBall World Championships in Las Vegas, NV, September 23-25, and took home 1^st place in the singles…. his 11^th Outdoor Championship Title. Rocky and his rival, Alvaro Beltran, had a battle in the finals, but Rocky came out on top.

Paola Longoria

“There are NO SECOND CHANCES, the time is NOW”, by Unknown

Paola the No. 1 ranked racquetball player in the world, kicked off the 2016-2017 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) in the same dominating fashion as she left it in the spring. At her namesake event in her hometown, San Luis Potosi, MX, September 2-5, Paola won both the singles and doubles divisions at the 2016 Paola Longoria Experience tournament beating Frederique Lambert, No. 3 ranked player in the world in the finals in 3 straight games.

Not many professional athletes have an event named after them while in their prime, but Paola is no ordinary athlete! She is a previous winner of Mexico’s National Sports Award, on Forbes Magazine’s Top 50 Most Influential Women in Mexico list and was her country’s flag bearer at the 2015 Pan American Games. While racquetball is not yet an Olympic Sport, Longoria was in Rio de Janeiro last month at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad as a commentator for one of Mexico’s largest television networks.

 

Paola continued her winning ways one week later and swept both the singles and doubles divisions again at the 2016 Sweet Caroline Open at the Sports

Club Greenville, SC. Paola needed a few extra games than usual as she dropped a game in both the semi-finals and finals of the singles draw. Tired legs could be to blame as the Sweet Caroline Open was played ONLY 5 days after the Paola Longoria Experience.

The win in South Carolina was Paola’s 73rd tournament win of her professional career. She now holds a winning streak Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough”, by Unknown

Wayne played his first Oregon Racquetball Association (ORA) tournament of the season, September 21-23, in Corvallis, OR and lost in the Men’s Open Singles semi-finals to Jason Samora on the LPRT dating back to March of 2015.

Like Rocky, one week later Paola switched to the Outdoor Courts and played in the 3WallBall World Championships in Las Vegas, NV, September 23-25, and took 2^nd in the Women’s Pro Doubles with Michelle Key as her partner and lost a tough one in the finals against Aimee Ruiz/Janelle Tisigner 11-10 in the tie-breaker…. the best women’s match of the tournament.

My “Junior Championship Racquetball Team” is ready for the Fall tournament season as well as the Junior World Championships in San Luis Potosi, MX in November.

 

Wayne Antone

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough”, by Unknown

Wayne played his first Oregon Racquetball Association (ORA) tournament of the season, September 21-23, in Corvallis, OR and lost in the Men’s Open Singles semi-finals to Jason Samora and training harder than ever.and made it to the finals of the Men’s Open Doubles with John Lindsey, but lost a close one 11-9. Wayne is getting ready for the Junior World Championships in November

Jordan Cooperrider,

“I will beat them.

I will train harder.

I will eat cleaner.

I know their weaknesses.

I know their strengths.

I’ve lost to them before,

but not this time.

They are going down.

I have the advantage

because i know them well.

They are the old me.”

-Bonnie Pfiester

In Jordan’s 2nd LPRT pro stop of the season in Greenville, SC she made some noise again after taking 1st place with Alexandra Herrera in the WO/Pro Doubles in Atlanta, GA in August. In Greenville, SC Jordan and her partner, Gabby from Guatemala, beat Rhonda Rajsich/Sheryl Lotts, the #2 seed in Women’s Pro Doubles to make it to the semi-finals and and have a chance to play Paola Longoria/Adriana Riveros. The youngsters, Jordan and Gabby, put up a good fight, but Paola’s and Adriana’s experience was too much for them.

In the Women’s Pro Singles Jordan qualified into the main draw before falling to Alexandra Herrera, #5 ranked LPRT pro player, in the round of 16’s. It was Jordan’s 2^nd time qualifying this season. It’s ONLY a matter of time before Jordan breaks through as she is working very hard on her game with me physically and mentally.

Jordan is getting ready for another LPRT pro stop, the US Open, October 5-9, before heading to the Junior World Championships in November.

Mitchell Turner

“A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into an exhausting pace, and then at the end, push himself even more.” by Steve Prefontaine

Mitchell played his first Oregon Racquetball Association (ORA) tournament of the season, September 21-23, in Corvallis, OR and won the Men’s A and took 3^rd place in the Men’s Elite. This was great preparation for the US Open he is going to attend October 5-9 and the Junior World Championships in November.

Also, Mitchell came up to train with me this weekend in Seattle, October 1st, and we tweaked a few things and sharpened his game up strategically and mentally. He is training harder then I have ever seen him and his hard work is PAYING OFF.

Enjoy your journey to your “championship game,” like my “championship team”.

**All IRT Tier 1 and Grand Slam events are streamed live on the IRT Network.

***All LPRT Tier 1 and Grand Slams are streamed on Livestream.com.