MEDIA ALERT  

July 12, 2021  

Local Athletes Compete for Racquetball Gold  National Team Qualifier and Junior Championships Returns to Des Moines July 14 – 18.  

Des Moines, Iowa — If you hear a loud banging near 5th Street and Grand Avenue this week,  rest assured. It’s not more downtown construction. Rather, the thunderous booms are being  generated by the top racquetball players in the nation contending for gold medals at the  Wellmark YMCA.  

With over 250 matches scheduled between Wednesday, July 14 and Sunday, July 18, the  USA Racquetball Junior Championships and Adult National Team Qualifier tournament brings  together athletes from across the nation to compete in one of the fastest games on earth.  

Four Iowa athletes are competing for gold in this event where the ball can reach speeds of  nearly 200 miles per hour.  

Johnston native Andrew “Sluggo” Gleason (17) is ranked within the top 200 racquetball  players in the nation. He’s prepared for this event by practicing 15+ hours per week and  sending video footage to Racquetball Hall of Fame Coach Jim Winterton for analysis.  Gleason will compete in the Boys 18-and-Under Singles and Doubles divisions.  

Benjamin “Matchstick” Horner (15) from Ankeny already holds multiple national titles. Also  ranked within the top 200 players in the nation, Horner has an even tougher row to hoe than  Sluggo. Not only is he competing in the Boys 16-and-Under Singles and Doubles divisions,  he’s also “playing up” by competing in the Boys 18-and-Under Singles division.  

Blake Hansen (42) from Hudson is competing to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team with  doubles partner John Goth, currently ranked 31st in the nation. Known as a “sleeper  contender,” Hansen has the advantage of quietly practicing every day in his own private  racquetball court on the Hansen Dairy Farm.  

Beckett Hansen (9) also has the advantage of practicing on the family court any time he  likes. He’s playing in the Boys 10-and-Under Singles Division.  

Assuming your cameras are fast enough, call Don McCormick (515-418-1053) to learn more  about the event, get some footage, and interview some of these amazing athletes.  

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California Pro Crushes Iowa Open

Professional racquetball player Mauro Rojas breezed past the competition like the west coast wind at the March 1-3 Iowa Open.

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The event, sponsored by Iowa Neurology Research, was held the first weekend of March at the Wellmark YMCA in downtown Des Moines. It featured 107 players from around the midwest batting it out in 22 divisions. The top finishers were awarded either with cash or the iconic Iowa Open wooden engraved trophy. 

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For the first time in history, the top division was sponsored by the International Racquetball Tour and had a full draw of 16 participants. Notable top 250 players included Mauro "Daniel" Rojas (#29 USA Racquetball ranked player; California), Bradly Rogers (#44; Kansas), Troy Vanbemmelen (#199; Nebraska), Arun Baskaran (#215; Illinois), Josh Paul (#216; Iowa) and Derek Ott (#221). Rojas gave a double-donut in round #1, then defeated Lee Meinerz (Minnesota) in a tough 15-14, 15-8 contest to reach the semis. Joining him were Vanbemmelen, Ott and Rogers. On the bottom half, Rogers defeated Nasaar Zbeeb (Illinois), Carlos Reyes (Bolivia), then Ott 2,4 in the semis to meet Rojas, who defeated Vanbemmelen 6, 5. The finals showcased many fantastic rallies and jaw-dropping shots, but the pro Rojas was too much, sweeping Rogers 15-9, 15-5. 

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The Iowa Racquetball Association would like to thank everyone for coming to Des Moines and supporting the Iowa Open. We look forward to seeing everyone in 2020. 

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Brad Hansen Dominant in QC Open

Through the four-year history of the Marigold Resources Quad City Open, there had not yet been a two-time champion. Until 2018. Enter Brad Hansen.

 

This was the fourth time Brad Hansen has been to the Quad Cities competing in the Marigold Resources Quad City Open. In the inaugural year (2014), Hansen lost to Racquetball Hall of Famer Jimmy Lowe (Hawaii) in an epic final 11-13, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4 & 13-15. In 2015 it was Tanner Gross (Minnesota) sweeping Carlos Reyes (Bolivia) 11-4, 11-1 & 11-9 in the finals. Hansen did not play that year. Then in 2016 Hansen took his first championship, defeating Bradley Rogers (Kansas) 11-7, 11-2, 8-11, 11-6. In 2017 it was John Goth (Minnesota) taking the largest draw of 17-players by defeating Hansen 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-0 in the finals.

 

In 2018 it was the year Hansen became the first to ever become two-time champion of the Marigold Resources Quad City Open. The total participant draw was 48, comprised of players from seven states. Jim Sidney flew from Atlanta for this event.

 

The International Racquetball Tour Pro division featured nine players vying for their share of the $2,000 prize purse. In the semi finals, it was Thomas Carter (Pennsylvania) easily defeating Josh Paul (Iowa) 15-2, 15-4. In the bottom half, it was Brad Hansen defeating brother Blake Hansen 15-7, 15-2. Carter came into the event with a 42 world-wide racquetball ranking while Hansen came in at #40 in the world. The young 22-year old Carter showcased flashy shots and hard hitting smashes, but couldn't keep up with the experienced Hansen, nearly twice Carter's age. Hansen took the match in two – 15-11, 15-10.

 

In other division, Carlos Reyes defeated Ben Schlichting in the finals of the Pro consolation. Terry Kisling took first in two tough divisions: Elites and 45+. Two players from the Burlington area took gold: John Hackenmiller in the 55+ and Chad Zeleny in the As. Local Andrew Kinning took the Bs for his first championship. In open doubles, it was Hansen/Hansen defeating Reyes/Schlichting in the finals. In the A doubles, it was Jason Hugi / Jeff O'Hern while Phil Hart / Paul won the 100+.

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2018 Junior Scholarships Available

The Iowa Racquetball Association unanimously voted to retain the three junior scholarship options for the 2018 year. These options are the Beginner, Personal and Challenge.

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The Beginner scholarship allows any new junior to obtain a free starter racquetball kit (racquet, eye guards & racquetballs). Additionally, juniors are able to take a free introductory lesson with several coaches around the State: Don McCormick (Des Moines), Justin Reichter (Burlington) and Josh Paul (Quad Cities). Again, there is no charge for this but the "Beginner Scholarship" must be completed and sent to the IRA.

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The Personal scholarship allows any junior player to obtain rebate for taking lessons with any USAR-certified instructor. Don McCormick is the only certified instructor in Iowa, however, juniors can also capitalize on this rebate through other coaches such as Fran Davis or Steve Strandemo. The rebate is up to $50/month for instructor lessons.

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The Challenge scholarship provides a unique opportunity for juniors looking to increase their level of play to the next tier. This is an opportunity to obtain one-to-one coaching with renown Coach Jim Winterton. This is a six-month commitment and the IRA agrees to pay for 2/3 of the cost ($100/month) for this opportunity, so long as the junior fullfills the minimum requirements. Application deadline for the Challenge scholarship is January 15. 

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These scholarship options can be found on the homepage of the IRA's website.

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Goth Dominates the Field at Marigold Resources Quad City Open

The Eldridge Rec & Fitness Center played host to the 4th annual Marigold Resources Quad City Open November 3-5. A record high 61 players from nine states met in Eldridge for the weekend event. One player, Kim Keltner, traveled seven hours to participate in several amateur divisions.

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The Pro division featured not only Iowa's top players, but the best players from around the Midwest. It was the largest division in the field, with 18 players vying for the 1st place $1,200 check. Minnesota's John Goth was the recipient of that prize - making things look easy and nearly sweeping the field. Goth dropped just one of his 12 games. He outscored his opponents 140-47 during the four matches. Brad Hansen, proclaimed by many as Iowa's top player, was able to take one game off Goth in the finals, but Goth won the championship match 11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 11-0. Hansen earned $600 for second place. Brad Rogers (Lenexa, KS) and (Albia, IA) Brian Crosser were semi-finalists.

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Hansen Takes Top Prize

Brad Hansen has been showing his dominance for years over competition in Des Moines. Last weekend, he did more of the same in Eastern Iowa.

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The International Racquetball Tour Tier V event - the Marigold Resources Quad City Open - took place October 22-23 in Eldridge, Iowa. The event featured 43 players from around the Midwest. 13 players entered the IRT-Pro Division, which thanks to event sponsors yielded a $1,000 1st place payout with $500 going to runner-up. 

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Hansen defeated Adam Mills, Eugene Coyle, brother Blake Hansen and eventually played Brad Rogers in the final. Rogers, ranked #23 in the world, had one of the furthest drives, coming from Lenexa 5.5 hours away. Rogers defeated last year's runner-up, Carlos Reyes, in the second round. He then defeated Brad McCunniff in four games to earn a spot in the finals. Hansen shot off to a quick start, taking the first two games 11-3 and 11-2. In the final, Rogers had an 8-0 lead, but the scrappy Hansen clawed his way back and swept Rogers with a 12-10 final game victory. 

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In the doubles division, Rogers and partner Art Spelts took first place, defeating runners-up Hansen and McCunniff. Josh Paul took 1st place in the Pro Consolation draw.

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Players again gathered Saturday evening at the 350 Grille for the Player Party and lunches both days were catered by Chris Teel's Bones BBQ. Many thanks to the sponsors of the event: Marigold Resources, Ruhl & Ruhl, Iowa Racquetball Association, Schroeder & Sons Contractors, Bill's Heating and Air Conditioning, General Asphalt, Rollout Racquet Stringing and Dennis Healy. 

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Gleason is Iowa State Junior Champ

 

Hard work pays off. Just ask 12-year old Andrew Gleason.

 

Gleason (Urbandale, Iowa) recently took first place in the Iowa State Junior Championships, sweating his way through the 12-player Olympic style format without dropping a game.  Gleason defeated 15-year old Carter Harbeck (Urbandale) in the final 15-11, 15-4. 

 

Gleason finds himself in a racquetball court 5-6 times per week, with three of those days being dedicated to practice.  That training played key in his recent success at the Iowa State Junior Championships. Along with the junior division matches, Gleason also played A doubles and finished 1st place in consolation with partner Kirk Hunsicker, for a total of 13 games in the one-day shootout.

 

After the final, Gleason was asked what he was thinking when he scored match point in against Harbeck. "It's finally done," he said, "I'm going to go home and take a shower. I am gassed!"

 

Gleason began playing racquetball in 2011 after the sport caught his interest when he saw several players hitting at a local club. What started out as a hobby quickly transformed into a passion. He has played 15 tournaments this year, recently taking 1st place of 28 entrants in the Pinchshot.com St. Louis Open in the "C" division. He also participated in the 2015 USA Racquetball National Junior Olympic Championships in Stockton, where he was a tri-medal winner (14- White silver, 12- Doubles silver, 12- Blue bronze).

 

Two years ago, Gleason began training with Coach Jim Winterton, and he credits Winterton with much of his success. "Coach Winterton has been helping teach me things and I've finally grasped ahold of them. I'm learning more about the sport and working on my game every day," Gleason said, "I told Coach I wanted to take my game to the next level."

 

Every tournament experience motivates Gleason to strive for excellence.  With a smile, he relays a few words of wisdom: "Work hard. It'll get you where you need to be, and this is not a bumper sticker."

Youth Over Experience at QC Open

 

The second annual Marigold Resources Quad City Open took place in Eldridge October 24-25, and it was a couple of young up-and-coming stars that battled for the first place prize..  

 

The event was an International Racquetball Tour Tier IV event, with a combined $3,200 dished out as cash payouts. The hefty prize purse attracted 17 players into the IRT Pro/Open division from eight different states. The semi finals matched 19-year old Carlos Reyes (Wisconsin) versus Lee Meinerz (Minnesota) and Eugene Coyle (Illinois) against 21-year old Tanner Gross (Minnesota).  Reyes, who recently competed in Stockton, CA, at the National Junior Olympic Championships, entered the QC Open as the #9 seed.  After defeating Matt Reeser (Illinois) in the second round, his strong run continued as he knocked off #1 seeded John Starks (Missouri) in four games in the quarterfinals.  He continued his hot play against Meinerz, beating him in four after recovering from a game 1 0-11 loss.  In the bottom half of the bracket, Gross defeated Sam Gomez (Illinois) in the second round, then edged out a win against #2 seeded Travis Mettenbrink (Nebraska) in five games to meet Coyle.  Coyle took the first two against Gross, however, Gross was determined not to give up and fought back to win the next three, taking the match in five games.  Gross, a former top 15 ranked player in the world, is making a return to competitive racquetball after taking time off from the sport due to a death in the family.  

 

Gross and Reyes met for the first time ever in the finals.  They have a combined age of just 40.  Gross was too much to

handle, as he took the championship in straight sets 11-4, 11-1, 11-9 and collected $1,200 for first place.  Reyes earned

$600 for his work.  Gross and Meinerz also defeated Starks and Art Spelts (Kansas) in Open doubles.

 

Ben Schlichting (Davenport, Iowa) took first place in both AA (Pro dropdown division) and A singles for a total payout of

$300.  Schlichting had to beat Reyes in the semifinals of the A then Adam Mills (Illinois) in the finals.  He took out

Starks in the finals of the AA.

 

The weekend event drew 49 players from as far as Utah, packing all six courts at the Eldridge Rec & Fitness Center.  

Players got to unwind Saturday evening at 350 Grille, a family friendly bar and grille.  Bones BBQ hosted lunch both days.  

The tournament was directed by IRA treasurer Josh Paul.  

 

Team Iowa Dominates at Junior Nationals

On June 24-28, Team Iowa sent six representatives to the USA Racquetball National Junior Olympic Championships.  While these juniors brought back lots of hardware, the greatest gifts they came away with were newfound friendships and lasting memories.

 

Team Iowa was represented by: David Breese (15 years old, West Des Moines), Carter Harbeck (15, Urbandale), Lucas Shoemaker (14, Eldridge), Rei McCormick (13, Urbandale), Andrew Gleason (11, Urbandale) and Benjamin Horner (10, Ankeny).

 

This year’s event was held in Stockton, CA, a 24+ hour drive from the Midwest.  To help offset this expensive trip, the Iowa Racquetball Association assisted with a fundraising campaign.  Over $7,000 was collected, including an ultra generous $2,500 from Iowa Neurology Research which pushed the total beyond the initial $6,000 goal. 

 

The Junior Olympics featured 206 participants from 27 states – the most players since 2008.  Team Iowa finished the week with 14 total medals, two gold, five silver and seven bronze.  Each player participated in three events, and every Iowan earned at least two medals.  McCormick doubled with Roland Siverling (Sioux Falls) in the 12- Mixed Doubles, taking first place overall in that division.  Benjamin Horner earned the other gold for his first place finish in the 10- Blue bracket.  McCormick also fell in the semi-finals of the 12- Gold division to eventual champion Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) 15-14, 14-15, 10-11.  She still took bronze in that 10 player division.  Some other successes include Harbeck taking bronze in the 18-player 14- Red singles division and Shoemaker winning silver in the 16- White singles (13 players). 

 

Every member of Team Iowa expressed their thanks to each of the generous donors, as the majority of these athletes would not have made the trip had it not been for the unselfishness of others.  Another common response was that members of Team Iowa had an unforgettable experience because of the friendships formed with players from across the United States.  Their interviews can be found on the IRA’s Youtube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohmW8eU9o7ehjQmg69crmw.

 

Survey Results are In!

 

Several months ago, the Iowa Racquetball Association sent an email blast looking for your voice to be heard on how to improve future IRA events.  Survey Monkey returned with 66 player responses.  Here are the survey results:

• #1) Are you a current member of USA Racquetball/IRA?

  • Yes - 46 (70%)

  • No - 17 (26%)

  • Not sure - 3 (4%)

• #2) Where do you play racquetball?

  • Iowa - 50 (78%)

  • Other - 14 (22%)

• #3) What city is your home court?

  • Carroll (1), Cedar Falls area (4), Cedar Rapids area (4), Chicago area (2), Des Moines city (18), Des Moines suburb (13), Humbolt (1), Japan (1), Mason City (1), Minnesota (2), Newton (1), Overland Park (2), Peoria (1), Peosta (1), Quad Cities (8), Sioux Center (1), Sioux Falls (2), St. Louis (2)

• #4) What has been your favorite IRA event?

  • Iowa Open - 22 (33%)

  • QC Open - 14 (21%)

  • Wrecking Ball - 7 (11%)

  • Winterton Camps - 5 (8%)

  • Haven't participated yet - 18 )27%)

• ​#5) Would you be interested in participating in a one-day shootout?

  • Yes, very interested - 33 (55%)

  • Yes, somewhat interested - 16 (27%)

  • Not sure - 8 (13%)

  • No, not very interested - 2 (3%)

  • No, not interested at all - 1 (2%)

• #6) Which would you prefer as division prize?

  • Cash - 37 (62%)

  • Trophy - 9 (15%)

  • Medal - 7 (12%)

  • Plaque - 7 (12%)

• #7) If the Fall Classic (Oakmoor), Spring Invitational (Oakmoor) and Iowa Games (Lied Recreation Center) were sanctioned by USA Racquetball/IRA: 

  • I would definitely play - 18 (27%)

  • I would be more likely to play - 12 (18%)

  • This would not affect my decision to play - 35 (53%)

  • I would be less likely to play - 1 (1%)

• #8) Which do you prefer as referee system?

  • Winner refs - 15 (23%)

  • Loser refs - 13 (20%)

  • Self ref - 10 (15%)

  • $5 ref fee - 28 (42%)

• Is it important to get a tournament t-shirt?

  • No, I'd rather have lower entry fees - 24 (36%)

  • Yes, give me a shirt! - 23 (35%)

  • No preference - 19 (29%)

 

Rockwell Collins Rolls to Successful Event

On February 21, 2015, the Rockwell Collins Recreation Center (Cedar Rapids) kicked off an event that'd been extinct since 2012.

 

Thirty-nine players participated in the Rockwell Collins Rollout one-day racquetball shootout event.  The event was co-directed by tournament junkie Joe Glogovsky and local player John Sackfield.  In lieu of trophys and medals that often double as dust collectors, the RCRC Rollout dished out cash to the top finishers of every division.

 

In the Open/AA Division, Russ Powers (Dexter, IA) took the $200 first place prize, outlasting Jason Hugi (Mason City, IA) 3-2 in the best-of-five match.  Powers defeated John Sackfielf and Josh Paul (Bettendorf, IA) to reach the finals while Hugi took down Brandon Shanahan (Cedar Rapids) and Brian White (Des Moines).  Hugi earned $100 for his second place finish.  Rick Berg (Moline, IL) earned $50 for his 1st place Consolation victory in the Open/AA.

 

Other winners included: Hugi/White (AA doubles), Jonathan Karli (A singles), Jeremiah Wolf (B singles), Michael Becker (C singles), Jim Sampica & Burton Sumcad (B/C doubles) and Randy Puebla (55+ singles).  

 

Juniors Collect 10 Medals at Nationals

Story by Josh Paul

 

On June 25-29, 2014, seven Iowa junior racquetball players and supporting parents traveled to Denver, Colorado, to compete in the 41st annual Wilson Junior Olympic Racquetball Championships. 

 

"Team Iowa" consisted of 16-year old Eric Loiselle (Waukee), 14 year-old Carter Harbeck (Urbandale), 14 year-old David Breese (West Des Moines), 13-year old David Bergren (Polk City), 12 year-old Rei McCormick (Urbandale), 10 year-old Andrew Gleason (Urbandale) and 8 year-old Benjamin Horner (Ankeny).

 

Overall, the seven juniors combined to finish with a Team Iowa record of 26-30 and took home 10 medals, with two competitors being named National Champions.  However, for many of these kids, it wasn't the win-loss column that brought them to Denver.  "Being with Team Iowa was the highlight of the trip because they're all my friends," said Harbeck, "I play racquetball to have fun and keep me in shape, and this was a really fun experience."  Harbeck won a silver medal in the 16- White division.

 

One of the highlights for Team Iowa was the success of Benjamin Horner.  Horner was one of five Iowa juniors to participate in a 10 month Jim Winterton coaching clinic.  Benjamin finished with a Junior Olympics record of 8-2 and took the overall gold in the 8- and 8- Multibounce divisions.  He also earned a silver in the 10-and-Under Red.  Benjamin said Coach Winterton helped him to improve his backhand and footwork and was also coaching him from the observation deck during his gold medal victory in the finals of the 8-.  Horner began playing racquetball when he was three and was introduced to the sport by his father, Dan.

 

In addition to Coach Winterton assisting Iowa juniors, many of them also thanked Don McCormick (father of Rei) for his countless volunteer hours working to improve their game.

 

Loiselle (16) was the oldest player from Team Iowa to make the Junior Olympics trip.  "The competition was very very hard.  I haven't been playing for 10 years like some other players, it was really tough," said Loiselle.  He says one of the highlights of the trip was playing top ranked juniors Justice Benson and Jordan Barth in doubles. "Jordan and Justice were incredible.  It was just nice to have the experience to play them."  Loiselle has only been playing racquetball for a few years.

 

Bergren was crowned National Champion in the 12- White division and also earned third place in the 12- Doubles.  He also credits Coach Winterton with some of his success, saying that Winterton helped improve his racquet grip and taught him how to figure out where the ball is going to go.  "It was a lot of fun," Bergren said about the event, "I had a great time meeting new people."  He also added that what he learned from the event was, "I shouldn't take it so seriously."  Great advice from a 13-year old that every racquetball player should remember.

 

In 2013, Oakmoor Racquetball-Health Center (Des Moines) was the site for the Wilson Junior Olympics.  Most players said they enjoyed their experience this year more because, as Horner said, "It was like a vacation."  Last year, McCormick was the overall gold medal winner of the Girls' 10-.  This year she added a silver medal to her trophy case in the 12/14 doubles division.  When asked to compare the events, McCormick said, "Everyone is amazing.  There are so many people who won their division or who moved up in their division because they were able to improve over the year."

 

McCormick said the highlight of the trip was meeting so many great people. "They're all so nice and have amazing sportsmanship.  It was such an amazing experience and I would do it all over again."  McCormick also qualified as one of 12 members on the United States Junior National Esprit Racquetball Team.

 

Other medal winners include Breese and Gleason.  Breese took bronze in the 14- Red while Gleason took bronze in the 10- Doubles.  He also lost in the 10- singles to eventual champion Krish Thakur.

 

Thanks to donations from dozens of businesses and individuals, the Iowa Racquetball Association collected over $2,000 which was dispersed to all seven junior players at the national event.  Each player was awarded with a Team Iowa warm-up outfit and also enjoyed a child/parent Team Iowa dinner together on one of the evenings.  Donations also assisted by paying for several of the players' costly entries into the event.

 

Next year's Wilson Junior Olympic Racquetball Championships will be held in Stockton, California.  Junior players are planning to begin raising funds for this expensive trip at the Quad City Open, September 26-28 in Eldridge.  

 

Check out video interviews with the players by clicking HERE.