Upcoming registration deadlines…

Date	Event
12/07/2023	Golden State Open - IRT Tournament

CNRA Board

(July 2023) The California/Nevada Racquetball Association (CNRA) is looking for several individuals who might be interested in joining the State Board of Directors. Are you willing to get involved in your state organization and make a difference? Do you think you have what it takes? We are in need of individuals who are willing to help us maintain and grow this great sport – RACQUETBALL!. The Board is looking for diversity of our members, including experience (both life and business), geographic, gender, and age. Interested individuals should possess a strong work ethic, excellent communication skills (both verbal and written), passion for the sport, and the time to be involved, including our monthly conference calls. Potential Board members must be willing to be highly visible advocates for racquetball, maintain their USA Racquetball membership, complete SafeSport training, submit to a background check (USAR/USOPC requirement), and be a resident of California or Nevada.

Current Board members, John Bardos, Brian Dixon, Shaun Haley, Jerry Hall, Kouren Jouldjian, Dorcy Norton, and Margaret Pederson would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you think you have what it takes and would like to be involved in your state organization please contact Terry Rogers at rogersta@comcast.net August 18, 2023.

CONGRATULATIONS To Our CNRA Juniors

(July 2023) The Bay Club Pleasanton, CA recently hosted the USA Racquetball National Junior Festival and Championships. Junior racquetball players from across the country descended on the club for 5 days of friendly competition. California was well represented with forty-six of the players hailing from the state. Play culminated with the naming of the USA National Junior Team who are invited to complete in the IRF Junior World Championships in Bolivia in November 2023. A special thanks go out to Adam Manilla and Bobby Horn as gracious hosts, Brian Dixon the USAR and CNRA Junior Committee Chair, USA Racquetball, and the NUMEROUS volunteers and contributors who helped make this event an enjoyable experience for all. CONGRATULATIONS to each and every one of the players who competed, you are all CHAMPIONS!

This annual event is scheduled to be in the same spot in 2024, tentatively for June 26-30. Mark your calendars now.

Here are the 19 CA players named to the U.S. National Junior Racquetball Team 2023-24. (6 of the players double qualified and 3 players triple qualified)

Boys Singles	1st Place	2nd Place
21 & Under	Krish Thakur (Tracy, CA)	Iain Dunn (Simi Valley, CA)
18 & Under	Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA)	Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY)
16 & Under	Eshan Ali (Union City, CA)	Grant Williams (Wildwood, MO)
14 & Under	Nathan Rykhus (Stockton, CA)	Vaishant Mangalampalli (Fremont, CA)
12 & Under	Alejandro Robles Picon (Manteca, CA)	Ayan Sharma (Pleasanton, CA)

Boys Doubles	1st Place
21 & Under	Iain Dunn (Simi Valley, CA) / Paul Saraceno (Simi Valley, CA)
18 & Under	Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) / Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA)
16 & Under	Eshan Ali (Union City, CA) / London Townsend (Sherman Oaks, CA)
14 & Under	Nathan Rykhus (Stockton, CA) / Vaishant Mangalampalli (Fremont, CA)
12 & Under	Alejandro Robles Picon (Manteca, CA) / Ayan Sharma (Pleasanton, CA)

Girls Singles	1st Place	2nd Place
16 & Under	Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA)	Thea Mattfeldt (Glendale, AZ)
14 & Under	Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA)	Aanshi Thakur (Tracy, CA)
12 & Under	Lexie Sikorski (Colorado Springs, CO)	Shreya Chandel (Pleasanton, CA)
10 & Under	Anna Sikorski (Colorado Springs, CO)	Sloka Marivada (Pleasanton, CA)

Girls Doubles	1st Place
18 & Under	Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) / Naomi Ros (San Antonio, TX)
16 & Under	Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA) / Victoria Rodriguez (Anaheim, CA)
14 & Under	Aanshi Thakur (Tracy, CA) / Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA)
10 & Under	Sloka Marivada (Pleasanton, CA) / Sameera Rai (Danville, CA)

Mixed Doubles	1st Place
16 & Under	Eshan Ali (Union City, CA) / Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA)
14 & Under	Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA) / Nathan Rykhus (Stockton, CA)

Complete results can be found at: https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=40456

CNRA Player Spotlight: Victoria Rodriguez, Anaheim

(Dec 2022)  Victoria Rodriguez is 15 years old and was born in Riverside, CA. She moved to Anaheim when she was 6 and resides there now. Victoria started playing at age 7. Her father (Victor) introduced her to racquetball, she and her brother, Hugo, would come and hang out while dad was playing and sometimes cooking up a great meal for us. She was surrounded by all these players having fun, it was only a matter of time before she would pick up a racquet and start to play. Why sit around and watch, when you can join the fun and play. There is such a community in outdoor racquetball and Victoria joined in and started to play. Here first tourney was the Battle of the Borders and she was hooked. Weekends were at the courts, playing and helping out at many tourneys (kudos for all her volunteering). Her game is continually improving and has become a great player.

She is quite the athlete playing basketball and volleyball too. Victoria took some time off from racquetball when she started junior high and high school. She focused on basketball (playing Varsity as a Freshman) and volleyball (playing JV as a freshman). She came back to racquetball and started competing at a high level, playing in the Pro and Open. To compete at these high levels, she had challenges attending traditional high school. So, to devote more time, she realized she needed to switch to independent studies so she could train, play and compete. She plans on returning to traditional school for her senior year and then on to college – her dream would be to go to UCLA, Colorado or Michigan.

She is competing in many Pro/Open events both indoor and out. She has competed in the US and Mexico; Victoria has dual citizenship. She switched and played for Mexico and now is transitioning back to compete for US. While playing for Mexico, she won 1st place at Nationals in her age group. She has many other accomplishments in outdoor – one-wall & 3 wall and indoor, winning many events. She plays a mean game of paddleball too. Her goal is to become the #1 indoor & outdoor female player.

Victoria trains diligently – cardio, racquetball and pickleball daily, weight training 2-3 x a week. She is coached by Georges Barrera.

She is planning on hitting the road and competing in LPRT events, National Doubles and Singles in Tempe in February, High School nationals and Beach Bash to name a few. She will be one of the youngest players at the LPRT events.

Victoria has been part of Team Gearbox and recently was added to Team Dovetail.

Victoria realizes it’s a team effort and would like to thank her dad (Victor) and family, Team Dovetail and Mike Kinkin, Gearbox, Rafael Filippini and Joel Arredondo, RYDF (Reaching Your Dream Foundation) Los Compadres Auto Sales, Ginnie Boetel and her photography; along with Mexico Team Baja California and Los Albertos Restaurant.

Keep you eye on Victoria, she is on the road to becoming a top level player. She has been around racquetball a long time and knows what it takes!

The CNRA is Proud to Support Our CNRA USA
Junior National Racquetball Team Members

(Oct 21 2022)  The CNRA is extremely proud of our juniors and their racquetball accomplishments. Their hard work and dedication has earned them an appointment to the U.S. Junior National Racquetball Team and the opportunity to represent the USA in the upcoming 2022 IRF World Junior Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala – CONGRATULATIONS!

The CNRA boasts 11 juniors on the 29 member team. We are well aware the trip, including entry fees and travel expenses, will be very costly. The CNRA Board has voted to provide financial support of $100/player to help defray the cost of the entry fees. Also with the support of Bobby Horn and Adam Manilla, tournament directors of the recent IRT event in Pleasanton, and the donation made to the CNRA each player will receive an additional $50. This donation will go directly to help defray entry fees.

We wish our juniors and their families safe travels and the best of luck in their quest for a medal in Guatemala!!!!!

CNRA Announces the Jack Hughes Scholarship Recipient for 2022

(July 2022)  Congratulations to Heather Mahoney (Petaluma) as the recipient of the 2022 Jack Hughes Scholarship Award. Heather will be attending the University of California, Santa Barbara. Heather is an avid racquetball player and has proven herself a worthy recipient of this award through her dedication to the sport both on and off the court. We wish her the best as she moves into this next phase of her life.

CNRA Player Spotlight: Armando Perez (Sr. and Jr.), Pasadena, CA

(July 2022) The CNRA July 2022 player of the month is the father son duo of Armando Perez Sr. and Jr. Both have been involved in racquetball, playing, coaching, and giving back for a number of years.

Armando Sr. is a Senior Digital Security Officer for a world-renowned museum/trust. He began playing at the ripe old age of 18, first with handball and then a friend handed him a racquet and the rest was history. Armando stopped playing when his kids were born and started back up again when his son, Armando, turned 11 years old. A couple of years later his daughter, Adriana, at the age of 8, wanted to try the game her dad loved too. With Dad’s passion and help, both kids have accomplishments in racquetball. Armando Jr. has a desire to become a professional racquetball player and Adriana has been a member of Team USA and competed twice at Worlds (proud poppa moment)! Even though Adriana primarily trains and coaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, she occasionally trains with both her dad and brother.

Armando describes his passion - ‘I LOVE racquetball because of the speed, power, control, competitive and social nature of the game that is pretty difficult to replicate in any other sport (when a 70 year old player is able to outplay a much younger player, there is balance and order in the universe!!). It is no illusion that racquetball is a slow growth sport with the youth of today. My goal is to make getting youth into the clubs easier by providing income opportunities and reduced risk liabilities for gyms.’

Armando plays mostly local events at the B level and recently won B singles (gold) and doubles (silver) in the 2022 California/Nevada State Championships. Dad supports his kids in their sport endeavors, including playing, coaching, and sometimes as a sparring partner. Armando is as passionate about playing as he is about conditioning. ‘Conditioning and mobility!!!! I’m a HUGE proponent of conditioning and mobility not only for sport enhancement but also for longevity!!! It is my hope that we can teach all players that conditioning/mobility to play racquetball is just as important as playing racquetball itself.

Conditioning/Mobility allows players to resist injury and play racquetball longer in their lives. If one just depends on pure racquetball as their sole source of exercise, players are more prone to injury, which may force them to leave our beloved sport!

Armando Jr. currently works as a Sales Associate at Tillys. Armando was homeschooled since 3rd grade and completed his senior year this past June. As mentioned, his Dad brought him into the sport at age 11. He always wondered where his dad was going with his tennis bag and his Dad said ‘oh it is not tennis it’s racquetball, come with me and I’ll show you how to play’ and, like his Dad said above, the rest is history. His passion for the sport is indescribable. When he is on the court he feels invincible, powerful and like his true self. He would like to play the IRT full time before age 20 and be one of the ‘best singles players of all time.’

Armando did have to stop playing for about six months due to hip surgery. ‘It was a very tedious time for me because I just love racquetball, but when I was cleared to play again I just went back to 100% training.’

Armando says that probably winning his first tournament was one of his key accomplishments and got him hooked on the competition. He knew he wanted more and knew he could do it.

Armando’s other interests include playing guitar and making music as well as swimming, surfing, and snowboarding.

Both Armandos (and occasionally Adriana) play at various northern and southern California clubs but love to call the Pasadena location of LA Fitness their “home court”. When both Armandos are playing, they take the opportunity to stop and share racquetball with onlookers. Even though the Armandos don’t coach anyone, they try to expose anyone curious to the wonderful game that we all love.

Racquetball is truly a family sport!!!!

CNRA – USA Racquetball Junior National Championships

The 2022 USA Racquetball Junior National Championships were recently held in Des Moines, IA. California was well represented with 15 players in attendance, just behind Texas (19) and Missouri (27). The CNRA however was represented in the finals in almost all the Gold divisions. At this event, most play is Olympic style where players may go to different divisions after starting in Gold. These are Red, White and Blue. For USA Team results, we look at the Gold division. The top two singles and top team in Doubles and Mixed Doubles qualify for a trip to the World Championships as Team USA members

Play started on Thursday and finished up on Sunday. There was a lot of play and usually two courts were streaming matches for folks at home to watch. When not playing, reffing or cheering on friends, players and parents were able to check out downtown Des Moines. As a bonus, there was a huge art fair Friday-Sunday.

Below are all the Gold divisions with top three finishers in singles and top two teams in doubles. California players are highlighted in Green.

There were three players with triple Gold, Vaishant Mangalamnali, Aarya Shetty, and Heather Mahoney!!!

There are 10 CNRA players who qualified for Team USA, and many of those are taking multiple spots on the team, as an example Aarya Shetty qualifies in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. At the awards/ice cream social, the players of the year were announced for the Esprit (12’s and 10’s) and World Cup (18’s, 16’s and 14’s). Spoiler alert…. they were all from California! In the Esprit congrats to Andrea Perez-Picon and Nathan Rykhus. In the World Cup congrats go to Sonya Shetty and Nikhil Prasad. This year the World Cup has changed to 21’s, 18’s and 16’s, while the Esprit is the 14’s, 12’s, and 10’s.

At the social, it was announced that the 2023 event would be held at the Bay Club in Pleasanton, CA.

Annually, the CNRA offers a nominal thank you and congratulations to the players for representing California/Nevada at the event. This year we continue the trend, with players receiving their thank you gift/cost assistance after the event.

Congratulations to ALL players attending and thank you to the parents, friends, and coaches for their continued support!!

SINGLES

Division	Winner	Runner-Up	Semis/3rd
Boys 21 and under	Micah Farmer	Cody Elkins	Assuan Castaneda
Boys 18 and under	Josh Shea	Timmy Hansen	Dj Mendoza
Boys 16 and under	Nikhil Prasad	Gatlin Sutherland	Benjamin Horner
Boys 14 and under	Nathan Rykhus	Eshan Ali	Axel Lopez
Boys 12 and under	Vaishant Mangalampalli	Alejandro Robles Picon	Grant Williams
Girls 21 and under	Annie Roberts	Shane Diaz	Estefania Perez Picon
Girls 18 and under	Heather Mahoney	Julia Stein	Gabbie Roseman
Girls 16 and under	Naomi Ros	Ava Kaiser	Sonya Shetty
Girls 14 and under	Andrea Perez-Picon	Elizabeth Denler	Montserrat Torres
Girls 12 and under	Aarya Shetty	Leah Trejo	Sarah Bawa

DOUBLES

Division	Winner	Runner-Up
Boys 21 and under	Assuan Castaneda / Micah Farmer	Cody Elkins / Samuel Schulze
Boys 18 and under	Josh Shea / Paul Saraceno	Andrew Gleason / Timmy Hansen
Boys 16 and under	Gatlin Sutherland / Nikhil Prasad	Cole Sendrey / Dj Mendoza
Boys 14 and under	Eshan Ali / Nathan Rykhus	Joshua Tramm / Harry Bogatko
Boys 12/10’s	Lucas Frost-Biskup / Vaishant Mangalampalli	Alejandro Robles Picon / Beckett Hansen
Girls 21 and under	Graci Wargo / Shane Diaz	Annie Roberts / Khyathi Velpuri
Girls 18 and under	Heather Mahoney / Julia Stein	Brielle Fernando / Gabbie Roseman
Girls 16 and under	Ava Kaiser / Naomi Ros	Andrea Perez-Picon / Sonya Shetty
Girls 14/12’s	Aarya Shetty / Sarah Bawa	Elizabeth Denler / Safiya Mitha\

MIXED DOUBLES

Division	Winner	Runner-Up
21 and under	Micah Farmer / Shane Diaz	Assuan Castaneda / Graci Wargo
18 and under	Heather Mahoney / Timmy Hansen	Josh Shea / Julia Stein
16 and under	Cole Sendrey / Naomi Ros	Benjamin Horner / Sonya Shetty
14 and under	Axel Lopez / Montserrat Torres	Joshua Tramm / Elizabeth Denler
12 and under	Aarya Shetty / Vaishant Mangalampalli	Lexie Sikorski / Wyatt Gass

For a Full list of Results, please go to: https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=39341

CNRA Player Spotlight: Jeffrey Thompson (JT), Redondo Beach, CA

Photo credit: Photo Booth operator unknown

(June 2022) Our June 2022 player of the month is Jeffrey Thompson (JT). JT currently resides in Redondo Beach, CA and is passionate about the sport we all love and play on a regular basis. JT works in software development. JT started playing at the age of 8 at a YMCA in Texas. He was introduced to tennis and racquetball during a summer camp. He preferred not to chase his opponent's ball when it was hit over the fence, so he didn't spend much time with tennis!

JT and his family moved away from that YMCA and he gave up racquetball until he went to college where he took racquetball classes to fulfill his exercise requirement. JT took a few more breaks, always due to courts being unavailable or unknown. He started playing again at 42 when LA Fitness built a new facility three blocks from his house in Atlanta, Georgia. He has played most of the last 9 years with a significant break when all the clubs were closed, as LA County was among the last to reopen.

JT’s love for the sport drives his desire to keep racquetball relevant and in the spotlight. In his own words “I believe that out of sight equals out of mind. There are millions of players that played in college in the 80s with me that stopped because of family growth. Now that their children are teenagers or off to college, getting racquetball back in front of them can lead to a true resurgence of the sport”.

He continues, “Their kids will also be old enough to be exposed to the game even in clubs that require them to be 14-16+. So, my goal is to keep racquetball fresh in social media. I do this with Daily Racquetball on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.”

JT also maintains several websites for state and city organizations including (georgiaracquetball.info, alabamaracquetball.com, atxrball.com and some pro players cristiamayarball.com and bobbyhornrball.com. Lastly JT shares his insights on his own site, jt-rb.com, and one dedicated to everything racquetball newsworthy, dailyracquetball.com.

In addition to the above JT has a significant online presence in the following platforms:

• https://www.facebook.com/DailyRacquetball/
• https://twitter.com/Daily_Rball
• https://www.instagram.com/daily.racquetball/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/DailyRacquetball
• https://www.reddit.com/r/racquetball/

Regarding his key racquetball accomplishments - “Tournament wise, I am an A player on my best days, having been in a number of finals. I ran a league at the LA Fitness in Georgia for a few years, which was more important in terms of getting people back into the game and keeping players in the game. “

JT attends every LPRT event and many indoor and outdoor events. JT broadcasted the recent Canadian National Championships. He also broadcasted a tournament at Tournament House Riverside and the TeamRoot.com Super Max Slam in Overland Park, Kansas. He will be in Huntington Beach for the TeamRoot Outdoor National Championships July 14-17. JT no longer competes in 1-and-done tournaments; he does however enjoy a good shootout.

Ruben Antilla, CNRA board member has the following to say about JT’s contribution to our sport:

“I've had the pleasure of meeting many within our strong circle both indoor and outdoor racquetball. With confidence, I say that JT has been one of the warmest, credible, and most charitable with his time and involvement in the sport. JT continually records and broadcasts high-quality content, on both FaceBook and YouTube for indoor, but specifically his contributions in the outdoor arena have been groundbreaking, to say the least.”

Ruben continues, “What I really love about JT is that during the pandemic he drove for almost two hours to watch our group from the Inland Empire play outdoor racquetball. He not only recorded some of those games, but actually participated and showed us all he was a recreational player just like all of us there who love the game. He told me that he was a fan of my work and treated every player there with respect. I often see JT recording events, and never see him ask to play, or show any intention of entitlement to play lowers with many of the high-level outdoor players that would team up with him in a second. He is selfless in his work, and I constantly see him on FB helping someone find a group to play with if they are relocating, or reminding us all to make reservations at the local LA Fitness. This is the grass-roots leadership we are proud to showcase.”

Our CNRA board members recognize JT’s contribution to our sport. Keeping racquetball in the spotlight is important to continue to help grow our sport. Considering JT’s busy schedule, he still makes time to pour so much effort into the racquetball community. We are all blessed to have JT in our family.

Jack Hughes Educational Scholarship Award Announcement

(May 30, 2022)  The CNRA is pleased to announce the return of the Jack Hughes Educational Scholarship Award.

Any California or Nevada graduating seniors or undergraduate college students, who have demonstrated their desire to expand racquetball, may apply for this scholarship. Applicants must also be current USA Racquetball members.

The window to apply for this scholarship is June 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022. The Jack Hughes Scholarship will be awarded mid July. The Scholarship award will be paid directly to the recipients’ college.

For a complete Scholarship packet, please contact Shaun Haley, CNRA Board Member, at your earliest opportunity shaley@eduhsd.k12.ca.us, to give yourself enough time to complete the application. The CNRA Scholarship Committee will review the information and announce the winner.

Return the completed package via email or mail to:

CNRA c/o Shaun Haley
2620 Royal Park Dr.
Cameron Park, CA 95689

CNRA Player Spotlight: Kim Randolph, San Jose, CA

(Apr 5, 2022) Kim Randolph was born in West Deptford, NJ and currently resides in San Jose, CA. It wasn’t until her freshman year of college that she stumbled upon the Penn State University Racquetball Club at an Involvement Fair. She immediately became obsessed and played every opportunity she got. Although she did indeed graduate, Kim was known to skip a class or two as she didn’t want to leave the court!

After she moved to California, not knowing anyone in the racquetball community (yet), she began to teach her friends how to play and then made them play with her. She then entered her first tournament at the Cross Court Athletic Club in Woodland where she met several players from the NorCal racquetball scene and realized she had found her people. She quickly started joining leagues and playing every tournament possible.

When asked to describe her passion and goals for the sport, Kim replied, “It’s amazing to me how people you just meet become friends and then family so quickly. I try to be an ambassador for the growth of the sport any way I can.” This includes: RYDF board member, league director, tournament director, proud member of the Gearbox family, and avid tournament player.”

Kim considers her proudest accomplishments to be through her role as Executive Vice President with Reaching Your Dream Foundation (RYDF). RYDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports young athletes from around the world with needed resources to achieve success both on and off the court to develop successful careers in sports and life. She is the program director for the RYDF Dream Team, which provides financial and mentoring support to IRT and LPRT athletes. She also volunteers her time for RYDF’s Fitness Forever program, which was designed to make sports and fitness accessible and fun to underserved communities, focusing primarily on juniors. To date, RYDF has assisted more than 100 athletes through the Dream Team program and more than 100 juniors through the Fitness Forever program. Please consider supporting RYDF at www.give2rydf.org.

I asked Mike Lippitt, RYDF Chairman to express a few words on Kim’s contributions. He said, “Words cannot describe how important Kim Randolph has been to the Reaching Your Dream Foundation and racquetball in general. We often refer to Kim as the ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Reaching Your Dream Foundation. RYDF is indeed blessed to have Kim as one of our members.”

While Kim has a demanding day job as Director of Client Services & Project Management of a Business Intelligence software company, she still makes the time to pour so much effort into the racquetball community. We are all blessed to have Kim in our family.

CNRA STATE SINGLES AND DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
APRIL 8 - 10, 2022

Extended Deadline - April 3rd - fast approaching!

Format change - ALL divisions will be round robin or pool play depending on the number of entrants, some divisions may be combined

Tournament shirts guaranteed for those entered by the deadline
Hospitality Provided
Bobby Horn and staff are excited to be hosting the CNRA State Combined Championships at the Bay Club Pleasanton, Pleasanton, CA

DON’T MISS OUT - ENTER TODAY

CNRA Player Spotlight: Chad Copher, Sacramento, CA

Photo credit: @drumphotos

(Mar 9, 2022) Born in San Diego, Chad took up racquetball in 1989 after a move to Carson City, NV. His dad played racquetball for many years and was a definite influence on Chad taking up the sport. He achieved a ranking of #2 in Nevada, before moving back to California in 1996.

After starting a family in the late 90’s, Chad left the game for about 10 years, briefly starting back up again in the mid-2000’s. In the Fall of 2019, Chad’s passion for racquetball was renewed thanks to a desire to “get fit again.” His love for the sport has never been stronger as he has burst back on to the tournament scene in a big way and is currently ranked #7 in California.

I asked Chad to describe his passion for the sport to which he replied, “I love how fast and challenging the game is. It requires the perfect combination of speed, strength, and agility. The mental aspect of the game is also a big factor. As long as there is still a point to be played, you’re still in it!”

Chad’s recent accomplishments include:

• 2020 Super Bowl Open - 2nd place, Mens Elite Single
• 2021 IRF Senior World Championships - Gold Medal, Mens 50+ Single
• 2021 IRF Senior World Championships - Silver Medal, 45+ Mixed Doubles
• 2021 NMRA Doubles and RPAA Holiday Shootout Combo Gold Medal, Mens 45+ Singles
• 2021 NMRA Doubles and RPAA Holiday Shootout Combo Gold Medal, Mens 50+ Doubles
• 2022 Sierra Slugfest Shootout Gold Medal, Mens Elite Doubles

Chad is currently preparing for the upcoming CNRA State Championships as well as defending his gold medal at the 2022 IRF Senior World Championships. When he is not competing, he loves spending time with his family as well as performing with his band, Darbytown at local wineries and charity events.

RACQUET ENTUSIAST EXTRAORDINAIRE
David (Bobby) Horn

(Feb 5, 2022) Part of the '209" crew, Bobby first picked up a racquet at the age of 15. Jody Nance was his initial coach when he was a little over 16. Last September he became the Racquetball Pro and Director at the Bay Club in Pleasanton, CA. Bobby has been sponsored by Gearbox since 2014. He is implementing a very in depth, extensive racquetball program including junior lessons, clinics, and camps shadowing his past mentors, both Jody Nance, Dave Ellis, and John Ellis. Bobby is anticipating hosting multiple tournaments per year. Currently he has online coaching and will travel to give private lessons. His love of the sport and enthusiasm both on and off the court are incredibly contagious! We are so blessed to have him here in the Northern Bay Area. If you are in need of private lessons look no further, he is down to earth, so easy to talk to, kind and humble and appreciative of what he has. Go to: bobbyhornrball.com. He is active on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

BEST PERFORMANCES 2019 – 2nd Place USAR National Singles 2018 – 1st Place USAR National Singles 2017 – 2nd Place USAR National Singles 2017 – 2nd Place PARC 2016 – 2nd Place USAR National Doubles 2014 – 2nd Place PARC

COURT WARS’ RACQUETBALL ELEVATED!!

(Dec 18, 2021) A racquetball event hosted at the prestigious Bay Club in Pleasanton CA was the inaugural, groundbreaking ‘COURT WARS’ event featuring Erika Manilla, Adam Manilla and Bobby Horn.

These three were solely responsible for the first ever concept of a live streaming racquetball pay per view event. The event included exceptional, in house live commentary by John Ellis and David Horn. Title sponsors included the two owners of Manilla Athletics (Adam and Erika Manilla) as well as two of the leading sponsors of racquetball from the Atlanta area, Williams Consulting and Solvent Consulting.

Twelve athletes came to the Bay Club Pleasanton to compete in a one day "WAR". Competing in the event were three out of four World Champion medalists, one former US Open Doubles Champion and multiple National Champions. This was an incredibly exciting action packed day of racquetball to watch live with 80 fans present! The tickets for the live event sold out much faster than anticipated, but the first ever live pay per view streaming option allowed everyone the additional opportunity to then watch these five live matches FOR SEVEN HOURS!

We look forward to the next exciting ‘Court Wars’.

Thanks!

The CNRA would like to give a big shout out to some individuals, businesses, and organizations that have stepped up and made donations to the CNRA. With these donations we will be able to continue to do what we do in support of our local tournaments and junior and collegiate players:

A Special Thanks to:
Del Villanueva
Mike Lippitt
Sea of Glass (Margaret Pederson)
RYDF

The CNRA and RYDF teamed once again to provide financial assistance to the California and Nevada juniors as they traveled to the USA Racquetball Junior Championships in Des Moines. We are proud of the performance of all of our juniors and very thankful for the continued support of the RYDF.

We have received a couple of thank you notes and with their permission are sharing we everyone:

CNRA Juniors at 2021 Junior Nationals

(Aug 4, 2021)  California had a great showing at the recent Junior Racquetball National Championships held in Des Moines, Iowa July 14th thru 18th. We had more players than any other state, including the host state Iowa. With there being No tournament in 2020 it had been about two years since many had seen their Racquetball friends in person. Probably a good chance there was some Facetiming, Instagramming etc.. in the meantime.

There was a twist to this event compared to other years. Along with the Junior play, there was also the adult qualifying for Singles and Doubles. Juniors got to watch players such as Rhonda Rajsich, Rocky Carson, Charlie Pratt, Erika Manilla, Alex Landa etc… It was motivational to see the older players competing.

California players made a great showing. All divisions in the Gold had at least one medalist from California.. The event was hosted at the Downtown YMCA in Des Moines, which is a beautiful facility with 8 glass back wall courts. It was conveniently across the street from the host hotel and walking distance to restaurants and downtown Des Moines. At most times there were at least two courts being streamed and many times a third. Stands were set up between three courts for viewing. When there was down time, there were plenty of places to nap or just walk back to the hotel. Instead of the traditional Saturday night banquet dinner, it was an ice cream social. Some past Juniors, who are now competing in the Pros gave some nice motivational talks at the social.

Team USA – To qualify for Team USA, a player must finish in the top two in singles or be the top team in doubles. This is in the Gold divisions… Most of the divisions were done Olympic style where all players start in the Gold division of their age group. If you lose in the first round, you go to the Red Division. If you lose in the first round of Red, you go to the white… If you lose in second round of the Gold group, you go to the Blue division. In the end, players are competing at their skill level with a chance of some bling…

Because of so many players, below are results in the Gold divisions and California players that medaled (Gold, Silver or Bronze). To see all results, you can visit the tournament page.

Congratulations to all players that participated!!

Girls 18s singles	Annie Roberts (Gold) Oregon, but lives in CA now, so we will claim her!!
Girls 18s Doubles	Heather Mahoney (Partner Julia Stein) (Gold) Estefania Perez (Partner Erin Slutzky) (Silver)
Girls 16s singles	Heather Mahoney (Bronze)
Girls 16s Doubles	Arya Cyril/Esha Cyril (Silver)
Girls 14s singles	Sonya Shetty (Gold) Andrea Perez-Picon (Silver) Aanshi Thakur (Bronze)
Girls 14s Doubles	Sonya Shetty/Aarya Shetty (Gold) Camila Canchola/Jordan Ellis (Silver)
Girls 12s singles	Andrea perez-Picon (Gold) Aanshi Thakur (Silver)
Girls 12s Doubles	Andrea Perez-Picon (Partner Zara Ximena Barraza (Gold) Aarya Shetty (Partner Elizabeth Denler) (Silver) Aanshi Thakur/Ishika Prasad (Bronze)
Boys 18s singles	Julius Ellis (Silver)
Boys 18s Doubles	Vedant Chauhan (Partner Josh Shea) (Gold)
Boys 16s singles	Nihil Prasad (Gold) Vedant Chauhan (Bronze)
Boys 16s Doubles	Nikhil Prasad (Partner Gatlin Sutherland) (Gold) Vedant Chauhan (Partner Josh Shea) Silver Paul Saraceno (Partner DJ Mendoza) (Bronze)
Boys 14s singles	Eshan Ali (Gold)
Boys 14s Doubles	Eshan Ali/Alexander Pappas (GOLD)
Boys 12s singles	Nathan Rykhus (Gold) Vaishant Mangalampalli (Silver)
Boys 12/10s Doubles	Vaishant Mangalampalli/Nathan Rykhus (Gold) Alex Robles Picon (Partner Aarush Sudamalla)Silver)
Boys 10s singles	Alex Robles Picon (Gold)

Remembering Jack Hughes

(July 23, 2021) Jack Hughes, 86, a long-time player and contributor to the sport of racquetball for over 50 years, passed away on July 15, 2021.

Jack was born in Amsterdam, New York, on September 10, 1934. He is survived by his loving lifetime partner and best friend Terry Ann Rogers, sister-in-law Janet Hughes, niece Dawn Hughes, and great-nephew Jorden Hughes. Terry’s family members were dear to Jack as well: Pat, Joe, David, Brenden, Michael, Katie, Jack, and Charlie. Jack also leaves behind many, many devoted friends who will carry him with them in heart and memory both on and off the court.

A graduate of Indiana University with a Master of Science in Physical Education, Jack also held a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from SUNY at Brockport. His career path led him in many interesting directions from high school science teacher, to assistant soccer coach at Buffalo State University (where he was referred to as the “Grand Old Master”), to positions in Security and Food Service with the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Braves; manager of a camping resort; and office manager for a large concrete pumping company.

Although many would swear Jack lived and breathed only racquetball (which was true for the most part), he loved to fish anywhere: deep sea, rivers, and lakes. He also particularly enjoyed ice cream, McDonald’s frappes, weekly breakfasts with the guys, annual family trips, dinner out with friends, and watching his great-nephew Jorden excel at baseball!

In his playing years, Jack earned the nickname “Diving Jack Hughes,” to which Terry can attest first-hand due to the holes in the knees of every pair of sweatpants he owned.

Jack served two consecutive three-year teams as an elected USA Racquetball (USAR) Board Member (1999-2005). He was named to the USAR Hall of Fame Committee in 1999 and participated consistently until he passed. From above, Jack will undoubtedly continue to oversee the future proceedings of the committee.

Always ready, willing, and able to jump in wherever needed, Jack attended and volunteered in significant roles at every National Singles event since 1989 (30 consecutive years). At National Doubles, he did the same since 1992 (28 years in a row).

A founding Board member of the then-California Amateur Racquetball Association (CARA) in 1984, and as a Board member for the CSRA and CNRA as they evolved through the years, Jack served at different times in numerous capacities: Vice President, Treasurer, Tournament Chair, Junior and Collegiate Program Director, and Tournament Director of more than 50 State Championships and 25 Regional competitions.

Jack and Terry owned and operated Racquetball Plus, a small retail business inside a club, from 1990-2010. He was a Team Ektelon member and also served as a Regional Advisor for over 20 years. Later, he became a contributing member of Team Head.

Some of Jack’s proudest moments included receiving a Sportsmanship Award from the Western New York Racquetball Association in 1980 and USA Racquetball’s Joe Sobek Outstanding Contribution Award in 2017.

Jack was a Founding Member (2009) and ardent volunteer for the Military Adaptive Court Sports (MACS) / Military Racquetball Federation (MRF), where he assisted with many MRF Racquetball Rehabilitation Clinics and Demonstrations that employ racquetball as a means for helping disabled service members improve their fitness and quality of life. www.militaryadaptivecourtsports.org

For those who might wish to honor Jack’s memory with a donation to this very worthy cause, please visit: Paypal: Military Racquetball Federation in memory of Jack.

Should you wish to contribute by check to the Military Racquetball Federation or contact Terry with your condolences, please write to MRF c/o Terry Rogers, 8317 Divernon Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89149.

Jack’s determination, dedication, and giving spirit has been a constant inspiration to his racquetball family over these many years. Until we meet again, dear Jack, thank you.

Serving on the Board of California/Nevada Racquetball Association / CNRA

Our mission is to perpetuate, improve, promote and expand the sport of racquetball in California and Nevada.

Our Election Committee is accepting applications for candidates who wish to be actively involved in the Mission of the CNRA by serving as a Board of Director. This job is your opening to use your leadership skills to have an impact on the opportunities and challenges our sport faces. Please submit your Board Candidate Statement of Interest, 200 words or less, to rantilla@verizon.net, or mail to Ruben Antilla/CNRA, 1563 Sycamore Ct., Banning, CA 92220 to be received not later than 5:00pm, Sunday, June 30th, 2021.

The Election Committee will review submissions and put together a slate of candidates. Candidates will be notified on or before July 23, 2021 of their acceptance to the slate.

Voting for the Candidates will take place August 2 - August 31, 2021. Results will be announced early September 2021.

CNRA Board of Director Criteria

As you prepare your written Statement of Interest, please keep the criteria noted below in mind so that the Election Committee can best assess our candidates. This is similar to a racquetball resume with examples of your experience matching up to the criteria we are seeking.

The Board is looking for members who will support the Mission of our association and strengthen our organization’s governance.

• Leadership skills in program development to promote growth in the recreational player, junior, high school & Collegiate areas are highly desirable.
• Committee participation is a substantial portion of this Board’s activities pertaining to Membership development, Communication, Media Utilization, Fundraising, Achievements & Acknowledgments, and Event Collaborations & Board Governance.
• Participation in monthly conference calls and bi-annual Association face-to-face meetings is expected.
• Applicant must be willing to be highly visible advocates for racquetball in word and deed and be prepared to identify potential conflicts of interest.
• Must maintain a current USAR membership, and be a resident of California or Nevada.

CNRA Donation Letter

The California Nevada Racquetball Association (CNRA) is reaching out to our local businesses and business owners who may or may not be racquetball enthusiasts and might have a desire to support a local non-profit. A donation of any amount would help the association continue their programs for junior and collegiate players, our scholarship fund, and struggling tournament directors affected by the pandemic. Donations may be earmarked specifically for the junior fund, collegiate fund, and/or general fund. Donations can be mailed to Terry Rogers/CNRA, 8317 Divernon Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89149.

Should you choose to support the CNRA you will be recognized on our website and FB page so that everyone can say thank you by supporting your business!

Here is our Mission Statement: The California Nevada Racquetball Association (CNRA) is a regional organization representing California and Nevada, which is chartered by USA Racquetball (USAR) as the governing body of racquetball in California and Nevada. The CNRA is responsible for sanctioning tournaments in California and Nevada under the guidelines set forth by the USAR. Our mission is to perpetuate, improve, promote and expand the sport of racquetball in California and Nevada. Our effort to educate current and prospective racquetball players will be done through our website, http://www.californianevadaracquetball.org, FB, clinics, and the sanctioning of local tournaments.

CNRA Board of Directors:

Terry Rogers – President	Jerry Hall - Media
Margaret Pederson – VP No. CA	Shaun Haley
Dorcy Norton – VP So. CA	Kouren Jouldjian
Jack Hughes – Treasurer	Stacey Rabanal
Ruben Antilla – Secretary	Advisory Board:
Brian Dixon – Junior Liaison	Matt Hills - Webmaster
John Bardos – Collegiate Liaison

Take a look at the CNRA) website, http://www.californianevadaracquetball.org, to learn more about the organization amd see what the states are doing and what we have to offer for our members including Junior and Collegiate Programs, Scholarship Opportunities, Upcoming Events, CNRA Partners, and other CNRA newsworthy items.

Check out the USAR website, https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Racquetball.aspx, for further information and all the features available to members (Features, Programs, Events, Rankings, Instructors, Rules, Members, About, Donate).

Jack Hughes Educational Scholarship

(Sep 10, 2020)  The CNRA awards one or more financial scholarships to graduating high school seniors and/or already-enrolled college students. There is an application and selection process, including a short essay, “What I would like to do to promote racquetball at my school and/or collegiate racquetball team.” We are proud of our high school and collegiate players as they have the ability to play a huge part in the growth racquetball. The process began in early July and after careful consideration the recipients were announced just recently. We are lucky to have a strong state treasury to assist with this award supplemented with generous donations from Mike and Leslie Pawka and Reaching Your Dream Foundation. Each recipient will receive $1,000. Congratulations to Nikita, Julius, and Cody!

Nikita Chauhan – University of California, Berkeley, Cognitive Science major
‘UC Berkeley already has a racquetball club team and we have practices every week. We plan to attend the collegiate nationals this coming year. I am currently the co-president of this club and am excited to continue to spread the love of the sport that we all share. Racquetball has been such an important part of my life. ‘

Julius Ellis – California State University, Sonoma, English/Creative Writing major
‘My goal to help promote racquetball at Sonoma State University would be to start a racquetball club during my freshman year. Since there are not any racquetball courts on the campus, I would have to branch out to the various health/racquetball clubs in the area to see if they would support our program and allow us to use their facilities… Our goal would be to take a Sonoma State Racquetball Team to the 2021 USAR Collegiate Nationals, wherever they are!’

Cody Thomas – University of California, Santa Cruz, Computer Science major
‘Besides club days on campus, I will be spreading the sport by word to my friends. Then my friends will share it with their friends, and it will continue to cycle. I already have someone from high school that wants to get involved in the program because he is also going to UCSC. I will make sure racquetball is well known around the campus one way or another. My ultimate goal is to pour my future success into the sport of racquetball, educating the future youth about the sport and building more courts to play on around the world. Racquetball will live on and rapidly grow in my hands.’

CNRA Team Shirt Design Contest 3WB World Championships

We are currently accepting designs for a T-shirt to be given to registered CalNeva players at the upcoming 3WB World Championships in Las Vegas.

Please email your digital designs by September 11, 2020 to CNRA Board Member Stacey at staceyrabanal@gmail.com. Please include your name and contact information.

The CNRA board will choose the top 3 designs and all current CNRA members will be invited to vote for their favorite design September 14-18, 2020. The design winner will be announced September 21, 2020.

The Rules – Specifications of Finished Artwork

• Size: Vertical format to be used for the back of the shirt
• Color: Up to four (4) standard printing (PMS) colors
• Design Features: The following must be included:
• Unique design
• Team Name – Team CalNeva
• Event Name – 11th Annual 3WB World Championships (no date or month in case event cancels due to Covid-19)
• Locations – Las Vegas
• Images submitted with a background color will be used as our color. We will do our best to match as close as possible

Submit entries electronically, preferably EPS or AI, JPEG will also be accepted but not preferable. For specific questions or concerns contact Stacey Rabanal.

2020-21 US Junior Team Selection

(Aug 31, 2020)  There is this annual trek in June of each year of Junior players, along with family members, to the USA Junior National Championships. These are held in different locations each year, with the last couple being in Portland, Oregon and Des Moines, Iowa… In 2020 it was to be in Fullerton, yes California.. Sometime in March/April of this year it was decided to cancel this event with no re-scheduling due to the Covid-19. One of the results of this event is deciding which players will be representing Team USA at the Junior Worlds… Top two finishers in singles and top team in doubles for each age group qualify.

Without the tournament, USA Racquetball had to come up with a different way to determine the team in case the Junior Worlds do happen (Currently on calendar for December in Bolivia). What happened was basically a three step process… 1) Players had to let USAR know they were interested in being part of the team 2) Players were given an application to complete that included tournament history, other sports interests etc.. 3) Players were asked to submit videos for 4 weeks showing what they are currently doing for training, play etc… After the first two weeks, the number of players was narrowed down, with remaining players continuing with video the next two weeks.. Team coach Charlie Pratt and others reviewed videos etc.. and came up with a team along with alternates (non point earners for Esprit). California is well represented on this list of players selected. Please see below… Congratulations to all that made the team and for all that put in the time end effort . Brian Dixon – CNRA Junior Director

World Cup
Boys 18s
#2 singles – Julius Ellis
Alt – Iain Dunn and Cody Thomas

Girls 18s
Doubles – Nikita Chauhan

Boys 16s
#2 Singles – Vedant Chauhan
Doubles – Krish Thakur

Girls 16s
#1 Singles – Heather Mahoney
Doubles – Alondra Canchola and Arya Cyril
Alts – Tess La Rue and Esha Cyril

Boys 14s
#1 Singles – Nikhil Prasad
Alts – Paul Saraceno and Advait Kartik

Esprit Cup
Boys 12s
#1 Singles – Nathan Rykhus #2 Singles – Eshan Ali
Non point earners – Alexander Pappas

Girls 12s
#1 Singles – Aanshi Thakur
Doubles – Victoria Rodriguez and Jordan Ellis
Non point earners – Camila Canchola

Boys 10s
Doubles and Singles - #1 Singles – Ashton Guiraud #2 Singles – Manav Raghuram
Non point earners – Ved Kartik

Girls 10s
Singles and Doubles - #1 Singles – Alea Guiraud #2 Singles – Natalia Canchola

World Cup Team – 8 players Alternates – 6 players
Esprit Team – 9 players Non Point – 3 players