Junior Team USA at IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
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by Cheryl Kirk, Team Leader, U.S. Junior Team and Delegation
Disclaimer: This article is so long it needs its own Table of Contents. There’s no other way to fully convey the experiences of the U.S. Junior Team Delegation in Santo Domingo!
Intro
Trip Timeline
Meet the Athletes and Staff
Family and Coaching Support
Good Stuff to Know
Opening Ceremonies
Competition Schedule and Format
Results -- USA Racquetball 2024 IRF World Juniors -- U.S. Team Medalists and Team Competition
Thank You’s – So Much to Say!
Summary
Here we go...
Intro
Ups and downs, on and off the court, punctuated the U.S. Junior Team Delegation’s representation of USA Racquetball and Racquetball fans across the country in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, December 5-13, 2025. In two words, the IRF 36th World Junior Championships trip can be summarized as “Mission Accomplished.” The journey to Santo Domingo was another example of Racquetball family coming together to share a common experience. When you live through wins, and losses, and discovery of another country’s culture, and getting to know your fellow travelers, the experience goes well beyond love of the sport itself. It creates friendships that will last a very long time.
Trip Timeline
Arrivals 12/3-5
Practice 12/4-5
Opening Ceremony 12/5
Matches 12/6-13
Awards Ceremony 12/13
Departures 12/14
Meet the Athletes and Staff
- 33junior athletes ranging from 20 years to 9 years old
- 8 U.S. Junior Team Staff members
- 66 parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, and support staff eager to be there for the Team
That’s 107 in the delegation – a record!
The 33 athletes hail from 8 states: California (12), Missouri (8), Texas (5), Illinois (3), Tennessee (2), Florida (1), Nebraska (1), and Hawaii (1).
World Cup (21/18/16)
Ella Boaz (MO)
Rebecca Christopher (MO)
Juan Herrera II (IL)
Vaishant Mangalampalli (CA)
Joseph Marshall (TN)
DJ Mendoza (TX)
Naomi Ros (TX)
Cole Sendrey (TX)
Aanshi Thakur (CA)
Montserrat Torres (IL)
London Townsend (TX)
Ellen Williams (MO)
Grant Williams (MO)
Evan Whitley (MO)
Esprit Cup (14/12/10)
Ashvin Aggarwal (CA)
Reyansh Chandel (CA)
Shreya Chandel (CA)
Lucas Frost-Biskup (NE)
Neil Govekar (CA)
Nyasa Gupta (CA)
Ryan Joeckel (MO)
Violet Kennedy (MO)
Ava Leister (TN)
Elijah Machado (HI)
Sloka Marivada (CA)
Jasur Pridatko (CA)
David Rada (FL)
Sameera Rai (CA)
Aaradhya Raja (CA)
Audrey Reed (MO)
Ayan Sharma (CA)
Riva Singh (CA)
Alden Townsend (TX)
U.S. Junior Team Coaches/Staff
Robbie Collins - Head Coach (HI)
Jen Meyer - Esprit Coach (CO)
George Bustos - Assistant Coach (TX)
Pablo Fajre - Assistant Coach (CA)
Adam Manilla - Assistant Coach (CA)
Charlie Pratt – Assistant Coach (OR)
Dr. Joyce Parsons – Sports Physical Therapist (NH)
Kristin Wattz – Delegate (CO)
Cheryl Kirk - Team Leader (IL)
Parent/private coaches in service to the team’s athletes included Philip Eliana (HI), Dave Negrete (IL), Sandy Rios (TX), Jairo Torres (IL), and Dan Whitley (MO). Joe Hall (TX), Cindy Tilbury (CA), and Steve Wattz (CO) were there supporting the team as well.
Family and Coaching Support
The U.S. Junior Team Delegation totaled 107 once everyone arrived in Santo Domingo! These are the family members and friends numbering 66 in support of the Team:
Sonal Aggarwal, Buzulagu Aizezi, Surekha Anantharaman, Monica Ayala, Valeria Rada Ayala, Sirisha Bhimineni, Brandiss Boaz, Ram Chandel, Patrick Christopher, Bibiano Gonzalez Corral, Vikrama Ditya, Marlene Eliana, Philip Eliana, Jamie Frost, Shanad Garcia, Leticia Gonzalez, Prasad Govekar, Joe Hall, Evelyn Herrera, Juan Herrera, Lisette Herrera, David Joeckel, Leena Katoch, Liz Kennedy, Vineet Kumar, Gina Leister, Kelly Leister, Zach Leister, Alyana Machado, Devin Machado, Natasha Machado, Naylea Machado, Kyra Mangalampalli, Sameer Mangalampalli, Satya Marivada, Hardy Marshall, Kristy Marshall, Liz McKee, David Mendoza, Ruchika Mohan, Raja Muthuraman, Dave Negrete, Sweta Prasad, Almira Pridatko, David Rada, Sathwik Rai, Drohn Raja, Carol Reed, Sandy Rios, Pam Sanders, Kevin Sendrey, Vikas Sharma, Ritu Singh, Virender Singh, Rakesh Thakur, Adolfo Jairo Torres, Claudia Torres, Preetu Vashista, Colleen Williams, Miles Williams, Cindy Tilbury, Mark Townsend, Dan Whitley, Siri Uppalapati, Julie Vincent, Steve Wattz
Good Stuff to Know
Altitude: 46 ft. above sea level
Weather: 85 day/73 in evening
Currency: 1 US Dollar (USD) = 63.37 Dominican Pesos (DOP)
Competition Divisions and Awards
Singles and Doubles, including Mixed Doubles, were competed in all age divisions. Medals were awarded (Gold, Silver, Bronze) as were Boys and Girls Team trophies. The Team competition was divided into two overall age categories: World Cup (21 & Under, 18 & Under, and 16 & Under) and Esprit Cup (14 & Under, 12 & Under, and 10 & Under).
Countries in Attendance
** The countries, their abbreviations and number of athletes from each added up this way:
Argentina (ARG, 2); Bolivia (BOL, 55); Canada (CAN, 14); Chile (CHI, 16); Chinese Taipei (TPE, 1), Colombia (COL, 1); Costa Rica (CRI, 26); Cuba (CUB, 1); Dominican Republic (DOM, 14), Ecuador (ECU, 29); Guatemala (GUA, 17); Mexico (MEX, 43); South Korea (KOR, 1), United States (USA, 33). That was 253 in all, competing in 31 divisions, and it added up to A TON of matches over the course of the next 8 days.
Opening Ceremonies – Friday, December 5
The traditional Parade of Nations took place in front of the Pabellón de Racquetball, where each country’s athletes and coaches were enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd and by several dignitaries from the Dominican Republic government and the city of Santo Domingo. They were in attendance along with IRF President Osvaldo Maggi and Dominican Republic Federation President Rafael Fernández. After welcoming words from each, a cultural display of dancing and singing entertained the attendees. Then it was back to the hotel for dinner and an early bedtime after checking match times for Saturday, the first day of competition.
Competition Schedule and Format
Matches commenced on Saturday morning, December 6. Match Format was Best of 5 games to 11 points, all games won by 2 points. Rally scoring (a point scored on every rally regardless of server or receiver winning the rally) was used. Matches began at 9:00 am each morning through the following Saturday, December 14, and ended each day around 8:00 pm. The Official Ball was Gearbox Sleek Black.
RESULTS
After eight days of competition, Junior Team USA medaled in 20 divisions where, during the Awards Ceremony, they had the opportunity to take their places on the medals stand.
USA Racquetball 2025 IRF World Juniors -- U.S. Team Individual Medalists
GOLD (4)
Mixed 21 Doubles - DJ Mendoza/Naomi Ros
Boys 14 Red Singles - Ayan Sharma
Girls 14 White Singles - Audrey Reed
Girls 10 Blue Singles - Sloka Marivada
USA Racquetball
SILVER (1)
Boys 12 White Singles - Neil Govekar
BRONZE (15)
Boys 21 Doubles - DJ Mendoza/Cole Sendrey
Girls 21 Doubles - Ella Boaz/Naomi Ros
Girls 18 Doubles - Rebecca Christopher/Montserrat Torres
Boys 16 Doubles - Evan Whitley/Grant Williams
Mixed 16 Doubles - Vaishant Mangalampalli/Aanshi Thakur
Boys 16 A Singles - Evan Whitley
Boys 14 White Singles - David Rada
Girls 14 Red Singles - Violet Kennedy
Boys 12 Red Singles - Ryan Joeckel
Boys 12 Red Singles - Alden Townsend
Boys 10 Blue Singles - Jasur Pridatko
Girls 10 Blue Singles - Sameera Rai
Girls 10 Red Singles - Riva Singh
Girls 10 Doubles - Sloka Marivada/Sameera Rai
Mixed 10 Doubles - Sloka Marivada/Jasur Pridatko
USA Racquetball 2025 IRF World Juniors -- Team Competition Results
In addition to individual results, points are calculated by each country’s results starting in the beginning round robin stages as well as the main draws. Points graduate upwards for quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds. Bolivia and Mexico continued strong with consistent performance in both the Esprit and World Cup categories. The USA placed respectably, and we congratulate Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala for their success as well in the Team Competition. (Note: Overall Team combined results are not calculated at the World Juniors competition.)
Team Competition – World Cup (21/18/16)
Boys
1. Bolivia
2. Mexico
3. USA
4. Costa Rica
Girls
1. Bolivia
2. Mexico
3. USA
4. Guatemala
Combined
1. Bolivia
2. Mexico
3. USA
4. Guatemala
Team Competition – Esprit Cup (14, 12, 10)
Boys
1. Bolivia
2. Mexico
3. USA
4. Ecuador
Girls
1. Bolivia
2. Mexico
3. USA
4. Ecuador
Combined
1. Bolivia
2. Mexico
3. USA
4. Ecuador
Medals or no, we are extremely proud of each of our 33 Team USA athletes. Congratulations to every one for representing the United States of America honorably and with 100% effort and heart.
USA Racquetball
Thank You’s – So Much to Say!
The U.S. Junior Team Delegation and USA Racquetball wish to deliver our gratitude to those who made this event so truly memorable:
We thank the Dominican Republic Federation’s Local Organizing Committee, led by Rafael Fernandez and Ramon Acosta, for their considerable efforts in planning and operating this World Junior Championships. The work behind the scenes is extensive. Congratulations on a job very well done! Your service to the 14 countries who came to compete was efficient, friendly, and never to be forgotten.
The management and staff of Olympic Center Juan Pablo Duarte for providing the venue for this World Juniors competition. We appreciate the club employees and volunteers who worked so hard throughout the event. Sincere thanks to Ricardo Monroy for his assistance on a special recognition project.
The medical staff at Olympic Center Juan Pablo Duarte as well as the security officers on site who were so appreciated for their presence and for their service to the delegations and athletes.
Michael Espino, Daira Espino, and Mercedes Caraballo, representatives of the company that provided hotel reservation collaboration as well as ground transportation services (airport/hotel arrivals and departures), for their responsiveness and safe transport of our delegation. We thank the drivers as well for their consistent and professional service to our delegation.
Appreciation for IRF Referees and Staff
Eighteen referees from 9 countries were on hand to support the IRF at this World Juniors event. We’re grateful to these skilled and hardworking individuals for their support and hard work:
Jaime Martell, Diana Aguilar, Ricardo Gonzalez, and Iván Valdéz (all of Mexico); Fabián Torres and Francisco Gómez (Colombia); German Coppolecchia and Gerson Miranda (ARG); Roland Keller and Valeria Garzón (BOL); Geovani Mendoza (GUA); Dorian Guzman (CHI); Cristina Amaya (ITA); Glenn Martineau (USA); Ramon De Leon, María Cespedes, Pedro Pablo Yuveres, and Merynanyelly Delgado (DOM).
The referees and all attendees are in turn supported by a seasoned staff led by IRF President Osvaldo Maggi (ARG). They are Mauro Grandio (Secretary General/Technical Director), Dean Schear (Floor Manager/USA), Alberto Sánchez (VEN), Miguel Santiago (PUR/USA), Pablo Berriel (ARG), Adrian Macrino (IT Staff/ARG), Sebastian Digon (Tournament Desk/ARG).
Pablo Fajre, Gary Mazaroff, Gustavo Farell (all from USA), and Rodrigo Mendoza (BOL) provided live streaming and excellent commentary for racquetball fans near and far. beginning Tuesday 12/9.
María Paz Riquelme (CHI), aka Maripa, worked to publicize the event using her social media, photography, and graphics expertise. Visit the International Racquetball Federation on Facebook and Instagram.
Support Team Gratitude
We thank USA Racquetball’s Aimee Roehler, who stopped whatever else she might have been doing as soon as a blog and photos were ready for posting and who did a stellar job, as always, with daily coordination of social media efforts.
USAR Director of Operations Jonathan Greenberg was back in St. Louis checking in every day to see how he could help.
It takes a village to execute a smooth trip for 107 people, and that village was mobilized at World Juniors. There were so many examples, big and small, that personified the concept of “Yes! Now, what’s the question?” Much gratitude goes to Jen Meyer (so much done behind the scenes!), Cindy Tilbury (Questions of the Day compilation), Sandy Rios (player profiles for live streaming), Surekha Anantharaman, Brandie Boaz, Ari Raja, Ruchika Mohan, Colleen Williams, Claudia Torres, Dave Joeckel, Ryan Joeckel, Nyasa Gupta, Montserrat Torres, Kristin Wattz, Steve Wattz, and Dan Whitley. Also, Ellen Williams (photographer extraordinaire), Dr. Joyce Parsons (physical therapy and TLC), Jairo Torres and Pam Sanders (translation). I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone, which would be easy to do because so many were unfailingly kind and supportive. Thank you, everyone! Numerous members of the delegation frequently offered to help with whatever was needed, and it is appreciated more than you know!
The parents and cheerleaders were present for every match, living every point as if they themselves were out there competing. Much gratitude to this amazing delegation in Santo Domingo for taking care of our athletes AND the coaches and staff throughout the day!
Support for the Junior Team
WIS Inventory Solutions, a leading inventory verification and supply chain management company, stepped up in a big way again this year, and we are so grateful for their support and encouragement. Learn more at . Thank you, with an additional heartfelt message of gratitude to Waseem Bawa.
Splathead’s Joe Hall was with the delegation the entire time. His sponsorship of the U.S. Junior Team for a third year included uniform packages, bag tags, pins...all at no charge for the athletes and staff members. Joe’s partnership and generosity has been unparalleled. This has been a significant gift to USA Racquetball, the athletes, their families, and our sport. We could never say enough about Joe’s partnership and friendship.
Splathead & WIS Inventory Solutions
Special Contributions
IRF President Osvaldo Maggi, Secretary General Mauro Grandio, and IRF Vice President Dr. Estuardo Wer have contributed their leadership and dedication to Racquetball and its development around the world. Also, thank you to Luke St. Onge and Keith Calkins whose earlier work set a solid foundation for the future.
Summary
"When you fight with all you have and commit to exceeding expectations, you don't need a trophy to be a champion." -- Unknown
The mark of champions is how they handle themselves, win or lose, as they pursue their dreams. Congratulations to all 33 champions on the U.S. Junior Team! USA Racquetball and the U.S. Junior Team staff couldn't be prouder of this team and this delegation. A group of 107 people arrived, got to know each other, celebrated wins, lamented losses, and left Santo Domingo as family.
Congratulations to each and every athlete and country delegation who placed in the standings as well as those who did not. Everyone represented their countries with honor and pride, and Team USA is proud to be a member of the worldwide Racquetball community.
Everyone who loves this sport would have reveled in the atmosphere of passion and excitement. For closer looks at the draws and the Daily Blogs, visit:
DRAWS AND RESULTS
View on www.internationalracquetball.com or on R2 Sports: https://www.r2sports.com/website/division-list.asp?TID=46434&sortBy=defaultOrder
BROADCAST AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Select matches were broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.
DAILY BLOGS: Schedules, results, coaches’ comments, Questions of the Day, anecdotes, recognition, thank you’s, can be found HERE.
Until next time...GO TEAM USA!!
