Summer 2001 (367 KB PDF)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DOWNtheLINEnews Maryland Washington Racquetball Association Newsletter • www.mwraweb.com The summer season is upon us once again, State championship tournaments (high- In Memoriam - and this is a great time to reflect on the lighted in the Spring newsletter). I believe past racquetball season and start looking Larry said he had a whopping seven re- • Daphne P.V. diBrandi 1 forward to 2001/2002. We are working on sponses!!! Folks, this is your association, the next season’s tournament schedule (to and would like to make the decision on About MWRA • 2 be published in the Fall newsletter), and I what to cut back on with your feedback. want to point out one possible res- So please take a minute or two to USRA Maryland DC Sanctioned urrected tournament—the Mary- tell us your thoughts on how we Racquetball Tournaments • 2 land State Games. Some of you can stop losing money on our State may recall the MWRA’s participa- tourneys by e-mailing us at tion in the late 80s and early 90s. [email protected]. We will be For Your Information • 3 I’m told this used to be quite the implementing the appropriate tournament, with lots of partici- measures starting with the Doubles USRA Member Application • 4 pation and fierce competition. We Championships in November. are working with the new State Games di- Thanks in advance for your input. Tournament Results • 6 rector to secure a tournament in the Janu- Finally, the Maryland racquetball com- ary timeframe. We are looking forward to munity has lost one of its own; Penny MWRA Rankings • Back Cover bringing this tourney back into the main- diBrandi passed away on May 31. Always stream schedule. a friendly but fierce competitor, Penny will On another note, we are busy compil- be missed on the courts at the Downtown ing all the responses to Larry’s survey re- Athletic Club. garding how we should handle our losing record when it comes to breaking even in Steve By Jim Haner, Baltimore Sun Staff Daphne P.V. diBrandi, whose explosive rac- Greece. Later, she earned a master’s degree In 1998, Penny was crowned singles quetball shots echoed through the halls of in liberal arts from the Johns Hopkins champion by the MWRA. The next year, the Downtown Athletic Club for a decade, University before going to work in the the USRA awarded her the bronze medal died Thursday, May 31 of cancer at the campus library. in its consolidated national doubles com- Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. Known For the past year, she had been a teacher petition after a series of games she played to friends as “Penny,” the champion player at Valley Academy in Towson. while suffering from what she thought was was 43. Among the longtime Bolton Hill the flu. Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to mis- resident’s many passions, racquetball came A short time later, her illness was diag- sionary parents from Frederick, Penny re- to consume her about a decade ago, fam- nosed as lung cancer. turned with her family to Maryland when ily and friends say. And with her usual te- “A hell of a player,” recalled Sharon she was an infant. Her father, the Rev. nacity, she learned the game well—so well McNeill, her partner at the 1999 doubles Herman A. diBrandi, was the rector of the that she was nationally ranked 18th in the championships. “She was a thin, little pe- church of the Nativity in Cedarcroft. 25+ division by the USRA last year. tite thing with a big ol’ oversize racquet, Ms. DiBrandi graduated from St. Paul’s “She was awesome,” said her brother, and she was fierce. The men at the DAC School for Girls in 1976 and went on to Geoffrey C. diBrandi, 47 of Cupertino, feared her—the whole bunch of them. I earn a bachelor of arts degree in literature Calif. “She was very fast and had a good don’t know if any of them ever beat her.” from Deree-Pierce College in Athens, power shot. She was definitely a power player.” Steve Graham Andrews AFB: Jeff Elder Merritt Eldersburg: Editor Aspen Hill Club: Will Ferguson Merritt Salisbury: Carolyn Payne Fitness Club of Gaithersburg: Ed Parra Merritt Security: Butch Harris Sterling Spangler Bally’s Greenbelt: Tom Miller Merritt Towson: Frank Finach Design Bally’s Rockville: Ocean City: Paul Conway Bel Air: Severna Park: Val Rogolino Jr. The opinions voiced in any Bolling AFB: Willie Sutton Skill Shot Racquetball Club: article or column are those of the Chesapeake: Program Director Sport Fit Bowie: Evelyn Specht particular author and are not an official position of the MWRA Columbia Athletic Club: Sport Fit Laurel: Ron Hines or the USRA. Newsletter Frederick YMCA: Sport & Health Bethesda: Bev Supanick advertising rates: Fairland: Warren Riecke Sport & Health Rio: Steve Myers •Business Cards: $25 Fort Meade: Sport & Health Rockville: Mel Goldstein •Tournament Ad: $35-full page Hagerstown YMCA: Sport & Health White Oak: Chad Joyce • 1/4 Page: $45 JCC, Baltimore: Harry Steinman Supreme Sports Club: Eric Robinson • 1/2 Page: $60 Leisure: Talbot County YMCA: John Mautz Sr. •Full Page: $100 • 10% discount for placing your Merritt Annapolis: Larry Seidl The Players Club: ad in four consecutive issues Merritt Downtown Athletic Club: University of Maryland: Chris Wilmoth Alan Golombek Hmmm? Ideas? Opinions? Comments? You will notice that there are several clubs that do not have names associated with them. This is due to the fact that those people who were listed ARE NOT currently USRA Give us a call members as reported on the latest membership list from Colorado Springs. and speak Anyone from these clubs who is a USRA member and wishes to become a Board of your mind... Governors representative, please contact Larry Seidl at 410-269-1976. Larry Seidl: 410•269•1976 Val Rogolino Jr.: 410•987•0980 Chairman: Tye Brown, Merritt Security Larry Seidl, Merritt Annapolis Matt Gehling, Merritt Annapolis Steve Graham, Sport Fit Laurel USRA Representative: Don Holler, Merritt Annapolis Val Rogolino Jr., Severna Park Tom Miller, Bally’s Greenbelt Warren Riecke, Fairland USRA 34th U.S. National Doubles Kevin Sterling, Severna Park Championship October 3-7, 2001 Las Vegas, NV MWRA State Doubles The Maryland Washington Racquetball Association (MWRA) is an independent, non- Championships profit racquetball player group and is not affiliated in any way with any vendor or equip- Nov 2-4, 2001 ment manufacturer. Dues are renewable every year and includes membership in both the Merritt Athletic Club - Annapolis MWRA and the United States Racquetball Association (USRA). Hilton Hotels 6th U.S. Open Down the Line News is the official publication of the MWRA. We welcome your com- ments and views! Send your letters to the editor, advertisements, and other correspon- Racquetball Championships dence to us at: November 14-18, 2001 Memphis, TN MWRA 106 Groh Lane Annapolis, MD 21403 2 Down the Line News Summer 2001 www.mwraweb.com ★ ★ ★ ONLY AT HOLABIRD ★ ★ ★ 9220 PULASKI HIGHWAY YOUR FACTORY AUTHORIZED DEALER BALTIMORE, MD 21220 FACTORY WARRANTIES • 48-HOUR SHIPPING HOLABIRD MON.-FRI. 9-5 • SAT. 9-3:30 • 24-HR. FAX 410-687-7311 ONE LOW $4.50 SHIPPING CHARGE UNLIMITED QUANTITY 410-687-6400 NO SERVICE CHARGE — MASTERCARD, INTERNET: www.holabirdsports.com VISA, DISCOVER/NOVUS OR AMEX SPORTS NO RESTOCKING FEES PHOTOS • DESCRIPTIONS • SECURE ON-LINE ORDERING SHOP OUR 1-OF-A-KIND SHOWROOM OUTLET — PHONE — MAIL — FAX RACQUETBALL RACQUETS—STRUNG RACQUETBALL BALLS QUOTES FOR ALL OTHER HEAD EKTELON BLUE ............................................................. 6 CANS 10.40 TENNIS, RACQUETBALL & SQUASH RACQUETS MASTER——SALE ......... 19.95 EKTELON EKTELON POWER PRO—GREEN ............................... 6 CANS 12.98 SHOES — ALL STYLES PYRAMID 190 G ................ 69.95 POWER RING: PENN TITANIUM—PURPLE .......................................... 6 CANS 11.69 MAJOR BRANDS & MODELS—LOWEST DISCOUNT PRICES PYRAMID 220 G ................ 79.95 BANDIT ....................... CALL PENN ULTRA BLUE ....................................................... 6 CANS 10.95 FREE CATALOG AVAILABLE Ti 170 PZ + ...................... 144.95 TITANIUM ................. 139.95 PENN GREEN——OFFICIAL ......................................... 6 CANS 12.98 Ti 175 XL ......................... 119.95 TITANIUM LITE ........ 129.95 PRO KENNEX BLUE ...................................................... 6 CANS 10.40 MEN'S & LADIES' INDOOR SHOES Ti 180 PZ + ...................... 134.95 ULTRALITE .............. 114.95 WILSON ULTRA (3 PER CAN) ...................................... 6 CANS 10.95 ADIDAS EQUIPMENT LIGHT 5—LOW—MEN ............................ 67.95 Ti 185 XL ......................... 129.95 POWER FAN EXTREME . 49.95 WILSON ULTRA Ti (3 PER CAN) .................................. 6 CANS 13.98 ASICS GEL ALTA PLUS—MEN & LADIES .................................. 59.95 Ti 190 PZ ........................... 94.95 POWER FAN FOCUS Ti . 55.95 SPORT BAGS EKTELON NFS INDOOR 1.5—MID—MEN .................................. 39.95 TI 220 PZ ........................... 54.95 QUANTUS —MID ............ 29.95 EKTELON BACKPACK ................................................................ 24.95 EKTELON NFS INDOOR II—1.0 LOW OR 1.5 MID—MEN ......... 44.95 Ti FIRE XL ....................... 109.95 RIPSTICK TITANIUM ...... 69.95 EKTELON COURT ACE ............................................................... 19.95 EKTELON VENDETTA—LOW—MEN ......................................... 49.95 Ti HEAT XL ........................ 89.95 OUTRAGE ....................... 39.95 EKTELON LARGE CHALLENGER——SPECIAL ........................ 14.95 EKTELON VENDETTA—MID—MEN ........................................... 51.95