Day 1 of the USA Racquetball XXIX 2017 Junior World Racquetball Championship Blogs has been published by Cheryl Kirk.
Originally published on November 4, 2017.
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XXVIIII 2017 Junior World Racquetball Championship Blogs
Minneapolis, MN
November 5-11, 2017
Team USA Challenge Donation Link
US Junior Team Blog #1
Friday, November 3, 2017
Welcome to the first of nine (or ten, if you’re lucky) Daily Blogs that are designed to make you feel like you’re right here in Minneapolis with the 46 players representing the USA at the IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships.
The temperature is presently in the low 30’s F. with a wind chill of at least (I believe) 12 degrees below zero. (Just kidding. But it’s nippy.) A picturesque snow fell this afternoon, delighting a number of young players who had never seen it before. I kind of liked it, too, and I’m from Central Illinois. First glimpse of the season…
Many of the US Junior Team Delegation arrived Thursday afternoon and evening with the rest today and into this evening. Extended practices took place twice at our host venue, Life Time Target Center in the heart of Downtown Minneapolis (where the US OPEN was held just last month).
There are 46 players, 8 staff members, and an impressive number of parents/siblings/friends in the delegation. I think it’s a record — 136 the current count! I’ll be recognizing the latter in tomorrow’s blog.
Without further ado, introducing the US Junior Team players and staff!
WORLD CUP (18)
Boys Singles
18 & Under — Mauro “Daniel” Rojas (CA), Dane Elkins (CA)
16 & Under — Sahil Thakur (CA), Cayden Akins (TX)
14 & Under — Akul Ramayani (NY), Antonio Rojas (CA)
Boys Doubles
18 & Under — Mauro “Daniel” Rojas (CA) / Lukas Le (TX)
16 & Under — Mitchell Turner (OR) / Julian Singh (CA)
14 & Under — Akul Ramayani (NY) / Antonio Rojas (CA)
Girls Singles
18 & Under — Jordan Cooperrider (FL), Hollie Scott (WA)
16 & Under — Briana Jacquet (AZ), Nikita Chauhan (CA)
14 & Under — Annie Roberts (OR), Julia Stein (PA)
Girls Doubles
18 & Under — Hollie Scott (WA) / Megan Carver (WA)
16 & Under — Briana Jacquet (AZ) / Graciana Wargo (FL)
14 & Under — Julia Stein (PA) / Heather Mahoney (CA)
ESPRIT (20)
Boys Singles
12 & Under — Vedant Chauhan (CA), Josh Shea (NY), Benjamin Horner (IA), Nikhil Prasad (CA), Gatlin Sutherland (MT), Aidan Weller (TX)
10 & Under — Joseph Marshall (TN), Angel Eden Galvan (CA), Eshan Ali (CA), Advait Kartik (CA), Bobby Singh (CA)
Boys Doubles
12 & Under — Vedant Chauhan (CA) / Josh Shea (NY), Nikhil Prasad (CA) / Gatlin Sutherland (MT)
10 & Under — Angel Eden Galvan (CA) / Eshan Ali (CA), Joseph Marshall (TN) / Bobby SIngh (CA)
Girls Singles
12 & Under — Heather Mahoney (CA), Ava Kaiser (MN), Arya Cyril (CA), Esha Cyril (CA), Camila Gomez (CA), Kareena Mathew (OR)
10 & Under — Sonya Shetty (CA), Ava Naworski (CA), Ashlyn Carver (WA), Adriana Perez (CA)
Girls Doubles
12 & Under — Arya Cyril (CA) / Esha Cyril (CA), Ava Kaiser (MN) / Kareena Mathew (OR)
10 & Under — Sonya Shetty (CA) / Ava Naworski (CA), Adriana Perez (CA) / Ashlyn Carver (WA)
CHALLENGER (8)
Boys Singles
14 & Under — Andrew Gleason (IA), Krish Maini (WI), Armando Angel Perez (CA), Cody Thomas (CA)
12 & Under — Krish Maini (WI)
10 & Under — Alexander Gomez (CA), Caleb Marshall (TN), Taij Singh (CA), Joshua Tramm (MN)
STAFF
Charlie Pratt (OR/FL) – Head Coach
Jennifer Meyer (CO) – Assistant Coach (Esprit)
Jody Nance (CA) – Trainer/Assistant Coach
David “Bobby” Horn (CA) — Assistant Coach
Robert “Robbie” Collins (HI/CA) — Assistant Coach
Cheryl Kirk (IL) – Team Leader