Day 5- All finals done and it is a wrap...

Team USA - World Cup (14s/16s/18s) and Eprit (12s/10s)



Sunday was the last day of the Junior Olympics (aka Nationals) with many finals happening etc...

As far as Team AH-HA was concerned there was only one thing to be determined on Sunday, if Ava was 3rd or 4th in 12s. She played Aanshi Thakur, from Tracy, CA, in the playoff. Game 1 went pretty easy for Ava, winning 15-7...Aanshi stepped it up in game 2 hitting great shots and making some good serves. Ava took a deep breath and finished the last point, winning 15-14. This gives her Bronze in the division. She does qualify in doubles for Team USA, and if circumstances changes for either the 1 or 2 player, she would move into the singles spot as well... 

So, the final medal count for Team AH - HA
NOTE: GOLD is aka National Champion

AVA

12 and under singles - Bronze (Team USA if 1st or 2nd can not )
12 and under Doubles - GOLD - Team USA
12 and under mixed doubles - GOLD

Heather

16 and under singles -  Silver - Team USA
14 and under singles - GOLD - Team USA
16 and under Doubles - Silver

To qualify for Team USA you must be 1st or 2nd in singles or 1st in Doubles. Team USA will compete in the World Junior Championships this November in Costa Rica.... Congrats Ava and Heather!!! Now real hard work begins....

I have only missed one Junior Nationals since 2007 ( I am not counting when I was a player in 1979!!), and I am very glad I made it to this one to work with and watch Ava and Heather. Hard to believe but the little kids that were playing Multi-Bounce in 2007 are now too old to play Juniors. At this annual event, I get see see many familiar faces at our yearly get together. 

Heather's first Junior Nationals was in Fullerton, CA in 2012. She played in the Girls 8s/10s, Mixed doubles with James D'Ambrogia, Boys Multibounce... She went 0-4 in the 8/10 division. All the girls in the group also played in this years tournament (Graciana Wargo, Estefania Perez, Nikita Chauhan, and Julia Stein)...In Mixed doubles, she and James got 2nd place in 10 and under. They would play again the next year in Des Moines and win the GOLD.  In Boys Multibounce she got 2nd in the Red Division. Interesting, the winner of the Gold division multibounce was Nikhil Prasad and 2nd was Vedant Chauhan the same result as this years 14 and under. 

Ava's first Junior Nationals was in 2015 in Stockton, CA. That was a big year for our team, then Team PVAC. We had 6 players in attendance with several memorable performances....Ava won both the 8 and under single bounce and the multibounce, both over her current doubles partner, Sonya Shetty. She also won the Blue division of 10 and under 2 bounce. James D'Ambrogia and partner Tommy Andros won GOLD in 12 and under doubles... Heather had the GOLD trifecta winning GOLD in 12 and unders, 10 and unders, and 12 and under doubles...

Lifelong friendships are made from these events. I speak with past juniors that are now college grads, that still stay in touch with friends they made through this event.  When they are not playing, you can see it all around. The kids are hanging out as if it has not been a whole year..

The next Junior Nationals will be in Fullerton June 2020..

So how has Team California done, you may ask. Some may know I am the Junior Director on the California Nevada Racquetball Association Board. Always try to keep tabs on how the California (No Nevada players this year) kids are doing. This year we had 50 players (about 36% of the participants) so tough to follow. 

Here is how we did in singles on the GOLD divisions (top 4)..

18 and under singles
Boys - Antonio Rojas - 1st
Girls - Nikita Chauhan - 2nd

16 and under singles
Boys - Antonio Rojas - 1st, Krish Thakur - 4th
Girls - Heather Mahoney - 2nd

14 and under singles
Boys - Nikhil Prasad - 1st, Vedant Chauhan 2nd
Girls - Heather Mahoney - 1st, Arya Cyril 4th

12 and under singles
Boys - Angel Galvan 2nd, Eshand Ali 3rd, Advait Kartik 4th
Girls - Sonya Shetty 1st, Andrea Perez-Picon 2nd, Ava Naworski 3rd, Aanshi Thakur 4th

10 and under singles
Boys - Nathan Rykhus 1st, Ashton Guiraud 2nd, Vaishant Mangalampalli 4th
Girls - Andrea Perez-Picon 1st, Aanshi Thakur 2nd; Alea Guiraud 4th



Some finals pics from Team AH - HA....

























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