HEAD Penn Athletes Dominate the Arizona Desert at USA Racquetball National Championship to Earn Team U.S.A. Spots

Tempe, Arizona

Top players from HEAD Penn’s National Racquetball Playing Staff dominated the desert last weekend at the 2019 U.S.A. Racquetball National Doubles Championships. The event also offered singles play towards the qualification process to make the U.S. National Racquetball team. Players making Team U.S.A. will compete later this year at the Pan American Championship in Colombia and at the Pan American Games in Peru.

Rocky Carson (Ladera Ranch, California) won the Men’s Doubles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division for the fourth year in a row. Rocky teamed up with fellow Team HEAD Penn athlete Charlie Pratt (Portland, Oregon) to win the 2019 National Men’s Doubles title.

Carson also won the Men’s Singles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division contested in Arizona. With his wins in both the Doubles and Singles Divisions, Rocky has earned a spot on Team U.S.A. for the 17th time in his career. Pratt was the runner-up in the Men’s Singles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division. Charlie’s finishes in Tempe earned him another appointment to Team U.S.A. Pratt also serves as the Head Coach for the Team U.S.A. Junior Racquetball program.

Aimee Ruiz (Whitehouse Station, New Jersey) earned her 11th appearance on Team U.S.A. by winning the Women’s Doubles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division in Arizona. Aimee returns to the National Team where she has previously won ten international medals in Women’s Doubles play. In Ruiz’ national career, she has won 11 National Titles in Doubles and one in Singles.

Jose Diaz (Stockton, California) and Jake Bredenbeck (Marine, Minnesota) partnered to finish as runners-up in the Men’s Doubles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division.

Doug Ganim (Westerville, Ohio) earned Double Gold in winning a pair of National Titles in Tempe. Doug partnered with fellow TEAM HEAD player Jeff

Stark (Redding, California) to win the Men’s 45+ Doubles Division. He also teamed up with HEAD player Kelly North (Washington Township, Ohio) to win the Men’s 50+ Doubles Division. Kelani Bailey Lawrence (Roanoke, Virginia) and Sharon Jackson (Atlanta, Georgia) reached the semifinals in the Women’s Doubles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division. Bailey Lawrence was also the runner-up in the Women’s Singles Team U.S.A. Qualifying Division.

The next leg of the Team U.S.A. National Team Qualification Process will be in May at the 2019 U.S.A. Racquetball National Singles Championships in Denver, Colorado.

Archived video replays of the action from the 2019 U.S.A. Racquetball National Doubles Championships can be viewed at www.facebook.com/USARacquetball

To follow the HEAD Penn professional players, visit: www.facebook.com/headpennracquetball