1999 E-Force 27th U.S. National
Intercollegiate Championships
Texas A&M University - College Station, Texas: April 7-11
MEDIA ADVISORY! ... Call 719/635-5396, ext. 126 for more details about this event from Kevin Vicroy, USRA Media/Public Relations Manager. For website questions or concerns, contact Linda Mojer, USRA Assoc. Executive Director/Communications & Editor/RACQUETBALL.
wednesday, 04/07
Big names return to take a shot at this year's Collegiate title!
Several former champions are featured in this year's field at the E-Force 27th U.S. National Intercollegiate Championships, held at the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Southern Colorado's Luis Bustillos owns five U.S. National Intercollegiate crowns (tied for third all-time), a pair of singles titles and three doubles championships. Bustillos is the favorite to win two more gold medals this year, as the Mexican National Team member is the top seed in the No. 1 singles bracket and also in the top doubles draw with partner Willie Tilton.
Other former champions are: Javier Moreno (Memphis), 3 titles; Tilton, 2 titles; Valorie Woodbury (BYU), 3 titles; Joddy Stahl (Florida, 2 titles; Samuel Menache (Southern Colorado), 2 titles; Janette Olsen (BYU), 2 titles; Dino Tashie (Memphis), 2 titles; Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser), Sadie Gross (Memphis), Scott Erker (Florida) and Mark Makimoto (Southern Colorado).
Although she has never won a U.S. National Intercollegiate championship, Texas graduate student Diane Green, seeded fifth in the women's No. 1 singles draw, does own a few other titles. She was crowned the Women's Open champion at the U.S. National Singles Championships in both 1982 and 1987. In doubles, Green is also a two-time national open champion (in 1979 w/Nancy Hamrick & in 1984 with Julia Pinnell), plus holds four age group national doubles titles with Pinnell. After being named racquetball's 1987 Athlete of the Year, Green teamed with Trina Rasmussen to capture the '88 world doubles championship as a part of the gold medal-winning U.S. National Team.
- No. 1 singles: Luis Bustillos (Southern Colorado)
- No. 2 singles: Erin Brannigan (Southern Colorado)
- No. 3 singles: Willie Tilton (Southern Colorado)
- No. 4 singles: Samuel Menache (Southern Colorado)
- No. 5 singles: Kris Odegard (Southern Colorado)
- No. 6 singles: Lee George (Southern Colorado)
- No. 1 doubles: Luis Bustillos/Willie Tilton (Southern Colorado)
- No. 2 doubles: Erin Brannigan/Kris Odegard (Southern Colorado)
- No. 3 doubles: Mark Makimoto/Samuel Menache (Southern Colorado)
- No. 1 singles: Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser University)
- No. 2 singles: Jen Venneman (Missouri)
- No. 3 singles: Samantha Hinton (Brigham Young)
- No. 4 singles: Janette Olsen (Brigham Young)
- No. 5 singles: Shannon Bridge (Brigham Young)
- No. 6 singles: Megan Morris (Brigham Young)
- No. 1 doubles: Lisa Kerr/Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser University)
- No. 2 doubles: Samantha Hinton/Janette Olsen (Brigham Young)
- No. 3 doubles: Karen Carter/Shannon Bridge (Brigham Young)
thursday, 04/08
MEN'S NO. 1 SINGLES SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Luis Bustillos (Southern Colorado) vs. No. 5 Javier
Moreno (Memphis)
This could be a complete drag out fight. It'll be like playing
your best friend. As members of the Mexican National Team, Bustillos
and Moreno combined to lead the Mexican men to their first-ever silver
medal performance at this past summer's World Championships in
Cochabamba, Bolivia. A deadly doubles duo, Bustillos and Moreno won
the 1997 U.S. Intercollegiate's No. 1 doubles title. Both have
suffered through some sub-par performances as of late, but look for
Bustillos to advance to the championship. PREDICTION: Bustillos,
12-15, 15-9, 11-6.
No. 6 Josh Tucker (Missouri Southern State) vs. No. 7 Aaron
Granberg (Minnesota)
Where did Aaron Granberg come from? His 15-12, 6-15, 11-8 upset
of No. 2 seed David Hamilton (Ohio State) earned him some serious
national respect. Meanwhile, Tucker upset Texas' No. 3 Mark Bloom
9-15, 15-5, 11-3 for his semifinal appearance. A former U.S. National
high school champion, Tucker possesses one of the better young games
with a wide array of quality shots and intelligent shot selection. His
experience in top national competition's should take him to the title
match with Bustillos. PREDICTION: Tucker, 15-11, 15-14.
WOMEN'S NO. 1 SINGLES SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser Univ.) vs. No. 5 Diane
Green (Texas)
You have to go with the world champion to win. First, you must
choose which world champion. Although Van Hees is the current women's
world singles champion, Green is a former world doubles champ and a
two-time U.S. national singles (1982, '87). Green does know her
racquetball, but Van Hees is coming off of a very disappointing
Tournament of the Americas in which she - for the third consecutive
year - lost in the semifinals. Van Hees is very determined and
shouldn't be challenged in this event. PREDICTION: Van Hees, 15-6,
15-9.
No. 2 Sadie Gross (Memphis) vs. No. 3 Shannon Feaster (Columbia)
Former U.S. Junior National Team members, Gross and Feaster
should give the Texas A&M crowd a terrific match. Gross has
modified her game into a much more mature level and Feaster possesses
as much natural talent as anyone at this event. An accomplished squash
athlete, don't be surprised if Feaster breaks out a "boast"
or two against Gross. But it won't be enough. PREDICTION: Gross,
15-10, 6-15, 11-9.
MEN'S NO. 1 DOUBLES SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Luis Bustillos/Willie Tilton (Southern Colorado) vs. No. 4
Mike Dennison/Steve Molnar (Baldwin-Wallace) PREDICTION: Southern
Colorado, 15-9, 15-7. No. 2 Javier Moreno/Phillip Nordan (Memphis)
vs. No. 3 Mark Bloom/Ryan Rodgers (Texas) PREDICTION: Memphis,
15-10, 15-2.
WOMEN'S NO. 1 DOUBLES SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Lisa Kerr/Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser) vs. Susy
Acosta/Jo Shattuck (Southern Colorado) PREDICTION: Simon Fraser,
15-3, 15-9. No. 2 Megan Morris/Valorie Woodbury (BYU) vs. No. 3
Sadie Gross/Ana Martino (Memphis) PREDICTION: Memphis, 15-9,
15-11.
friday, 04/09
MEN'S NO. 1 SINGLES FINALS
No. 1 Luis Bustillos (Southern Colorado) vs. No. 7 Aaron Granberg
(Minnesota) Aaron Granberg ?
A second-place finisher at the past Minnesota State Singles
Championships, Granberg is another one of those "junk"
players from the northern Midwest that have invaded the national
racquetball scene. Remember Mike Locker's upset of Sudsy Monchik in
Denver? He used tons of junk lob serves and just refused to make any
mistakes. Well, Granberg comes from that same mold. He stated that his
quarterfinal upset of Ohio State's David Hamilton was the greatest in
his career. "He's the best player I've ever beaten,"
Granberg said. For Bustillos, his narrow 15-14, 15-14 victory over
fellow Mexican Javier Moreno (Memphis) in the semifinals may have
drained the energy tank just a bit. Although Bustillos is looking for
redemption after losing in the finals to Rocky Carson last year,
Granberg's style might frustrate the top seed. PREDICTION:
Bustillos, 6-15, 15-10, 11-8.
WOMEN'S NO. 1 SINGLES FINALS
No. 1 Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser University) vs. No. 2 Sadie
Gross (Memphis)
Columbia University's Shannon Feaster is an extremely solid
player. Sadie Gross pounded Feaster 15-5, 15-3 in Friday's semifinals.
Diane Green, a graduate student at the University of Texas, is a
former two-time U.S. national women's singles champion. Van Hees
handed Green a swift 15-6, 15-4 defeat. Two players at or near the top
of their games. Could be a great run. Gross is looking fit and gets to
more balls than most. But the former two-time 18-and-under U.S.
national singles champion will need to fend off an accurate Van Hees
drive serve in order to come up with an upset. Van Hees didn't earn
the world title by playing OK, she is one of the top three four
players in the world. PREDICTION: Van Hees, 15-11, 15-14.
MEN'S NO. 1 DOUBLES FINALS
No. 1 Luis Bustillos/Willie Tilton (Southern Colorado) vs. No. 2
Javier Moreno/Phillip Nordan (Memphis)
Great matchup. Great, great matchup. Bustillos and Moreno earned
a silver medal at the 1998 World Championships after upsetting the
heavily favored Canadian men. The two also won the No. 1
Intercollegiates doubles title in 1997. Last year, Bustillos and
Tilton won the top doubles crown. Moreover, Moreno lost to Bustillos,
15-14, 15-14, in the semifinals of the men's No. 1 singles on Friday.
A definate three-gamer. PREDICTION: Southern Colorado. 15-13,
8-15, 11-10.
WOMEN'S NO. 1 DOUBLES FINALS
No. 4 Susy Acosta/Jo Shattuck (Southern Colorado) vs. No. 3 Sadie
Gross/Ana Martino (Memphis)
Acosta and Shattuck upset Canadians Christie Van Hees and Lisa
Kerr of Simon Fraser 11-15, 15-12, 11-9 in the semifinals. Van Hees
and Kerr were overwhelming favorites. However, the Memphis duo has yet
to lose a game this week. PREDICTION: Memphis, 15-6, 15-13.
saturday, 04/10
VAN HEES AND SOUTHERN COLORADO CAPTURE 2nd
CONSECUTIVE U.S. INTERCOLLEGIATE TITLES
Southern Colorado's Bustillos wins men's crown and ties
record
In almost a complete repeat of last season, the 1999 E-Force 27th U.S. National Intercollegiate Racquetball Championships produced many similar results. The event was held on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas this past weekend.
The Southern Colorado Thunderwolves outdistanced second-place Memphis 2,388 to 2,100, while Brigham Young (1,871), Texas (1,224) and Penn State (808) round out the top five. The Thunderwolves captured 10 of the 18 individual division championships, including a sweep of all six men's singles draws. Southern Colorado also won the men's team competition, while Brigham Young took home the women's.
Current world champion Christie Van Hees (Simon Fraser University, Canada) successfully defended her women's No. 1 singles title by downing Sadie Gross of Memphis, 15-3, 15-3, in the finals. The young Canadian became only the fourth female player to win back-to-back No. 1 singles titles at the U.S. National Intercollegiates. As a foreign player, Van Hees will not receive the one-year appointment to the U.S. National Team that the No. 1 singles winner is awarded.
Southern Colorado's Luis Bustillos tied Sacramento State's Kelly Pulis for most singles and doubles championships at the U.S. National Intercollegiates by winning his sixth and seventh gold medals. Bustillos put away Minnesota's Aaron Granberg 15-7, 15-9 for the men's No. 1 singles crown. Meanwhile, Bustillos, a member of the Mexican National Team, and his doubles partner Willie Tilton cruised past the No. 1 doubles opposition to win another title. Tilton and Bustillos defeated Javier Moreno and Phillip Nordan (Memphis) in the final, 13-15, 15-5, 11-1.