2015 Media Guide SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wednesday Oct. 7th Media Day 1 pm - 9 pm Pro-Am Doubles for Charity 6 pm - 10 pm Men’s & Women’s Pro Sgls & Dbls Qualifying 10 am - 11 pm Thursday Oct. 8th Men’s round of 32 Sgls 9 am - 1 pm Women’s round of 32 Sgls 9 am - 1 pm Men’s & Women’s Dbls Qualifying cont. 3 pm - 10 pm Men’s round of 16 Sgls 1 pm - 7 pm Women’s round of 16 Sgls 1 pm - 7 pm Men’s & Women’s Men’s & Women’s Quater-Finals Dbls 7 pm - 10 pm Friday Oct. 9th Men’s quarters Sgls #1, #2 10 am - 1 pm Women’s quarters Sgls #1, #2 10 am - 1 pm Men’s quarters Sgls #3, #4 1 pm - 4 pm Women’s quarters Sgls #3, #4 1 pm - 4 pm Men’s & Women’s semi’s Dbls 5 pm - 9:30 pm Saturday Oct. 10th Women’s semi Sgls #1 / Men’s semi Sgls #1 10 am - 1 pm Women’s semi Sgls #2 / Men’s semi Sgls #2 1 pm - 4 pm Women’s LPRT Dbls Finals 4 pm Men’s IRT Dbls Finals 5 pm Sunday Oct. 11th Women’s LPRT Sgls Finals Men’s IRT Sgls Finals 10 am - 2 pm Table of Contents US OPEN...“RACQUETBALL’S PREMIER EVENT” ..............................2 US OPEN LEADERSHIP PROFILES ...................................................4-6 ...................Doug Ganim - US OPEN Event Director ...............................4 ...................Steve Czarnecki - USA Racquetball Executive Director ....... 4 ...................Jeff Oliver - US OPEN Co-Media Manager ...........................5 ...................Leo Vasquez - US OPEN Co-Media Manager ......................5 ...................Jason Mannino - IRT President (Men’s Pro Tour) .................6 ...................Andy Kulback - LPRT Commissioner (Women’s Pro Tour) ...6 PAST US OPEN CHAMPIONS .............................................................7-8 IRT PLAYER PROFILES ....................................................................9-14 ...................#1 - Rocky Carson .............................................................. 10 ...................#2 - Kane Waselenchuk ......................................................10 ...................#3 - Alvaro Beltran .............................................................. 11 ...................#4 - Daniel De La Rosa .......................................................11 ...................#5 - Jose Rojas ...................................................................12 ...................#6 - Ben Croft ......................................................................12 ...................#7 - Jansen Allen ................................................................ 13 ...................#8 - Marco Rojas .................................................................13 ...................2015-2016 IRT Scorecard & Schedule ............................... 14 ...................Current IRT Rankings ......................................................... 14 LPRT PLAYER PROFILES ...............................................................15-20 ...................#1 - Paola Longoria .............................................................16 ...................#2 - Maria Jose Vargas ....................................................... 16 ...................#3 - Rhonda Rajsich ........................................................... 17 ...................#4 - Frederique Lambert ..................................................... 17 ...................#5 - Samantha Salas .......................................................... 18 ...................#6 - Christina Amaya ...........................................................18 ...................#7 - Michelle Key ................................................................ 19 ...................#8 - Sofi a Rascon ............................................................... 19 ...................2014-2015 LPRT Scorecard & Schedule ............................20 ...................Current LPRT Rankings ......................................................20 Media Guide Photo Credits: RestrungMag.com, Mike Boatman, Mike Augustin, Geoff Thomsen & Gallemore Photography. 2015 US OPEN RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEDIA GUIDE 1 Racquetball’s Premier Event The UnitedHealthcare US OPEN is racquetball’s original “Grand Slam” event and the most prestigious tournament of the season. With cash prizes totaling more than $58,000, it boasts the largest total prize purse in the sport. One of the most exciting aspects of the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN Racquetball Championships is the “made-for-TV” portable racquetball court, which will be used for all feature matches. The unique construction of the court allows for viewing through all four walls in a stadium seating configuration for more than 1,400 spectators. From the quarterfi nals on, all men’s and women’s pro matches will take place on the stadium court. Dramatic player introductions complete with laser light shows and booming music will treat fans to a total entertainment experience. In addition to the marquee professional divisions, the US OPEN Rac- quetball Championships offers more than 80 USA Racquetball (USAR) sanctioned divisions separated by age and skill. UnitedHealthcare The US OPEN Racquetball Championships announced in June 2012 that UnitedHealthcare will serve as the title sponsor for the US OPEN Rac- quetball Championships. The agreement partners racquetball’s largest and most prestigious annual tournament with one of the nation’s largest health and well-being companies. UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefi t programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid benefi ciaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversifi ed Fortune 50 health and well-being company. 2 2015 US OPEN RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEDIA GUIDE Minneapolis / St. Paul The Home of the US OPEN After 14 years in Memphis, Tennessee, the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN Racquetball Championships made a successful move to Minneapolis in 2010. The Twin Cities region welcomed the world’s best racquetball event with open arms. The event’s relationship with LIFE TIME FITNESS and Meet Minneapolis has created partnership that should keep the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN in Minneapolis for many years to come. The main location and nerve center for the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN is in downtown Minneapolis at the fabulous LIFE TIME FITNESS Target Center, the same building in which the Minnesota Timberwolves play. All pro matches and many of the amateur matches will take place at this facility, located in the center of the exciting Entertainment District in Minneapolis. Restaurants, nightclubs, hotels, and world class shopping area located all around the club. Just two blocks away is the second LIFE TIME location that will be utilized, the Minneapolis LIFE TIME Athletic Club. Short complimentary shuttle rides to the LIFE TIME FITNESS St. Louis Park and LIFE TIME FITNESS Fridley will complete the rotation. The 2015 UnitedHealthcare US OPEN Racquetball Championships will bring 800 professional and amateur racquetball players to the State of Minnesota, plus an additional 3,000 spectators. The tournament is estimated to bring more than $4 million in economic impact to the region over the course of the week-long event. During the week the US OPEN is in Minneapolis, more than 3 million local television viewers watch coverage of the event on the local news. For a preview of the type of action the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN brings to Minneapolis, please visit: http://bit.ly/usopenracquetball 2015 US OPEN RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEDIA GUIDE 3 Doug Ganim US OPEN Event Director As US OPEN Event Director and Founder, Doug Ganim has brought a level of exposure to the sport that has not been seen since the early ’80’s. He started the project in 1996 with the dream of producing racquetball’s fi rst “Grand Slam” event. That dream has been realized and the US OPEN, now in its 20th year, has become the most prestigious racquetball tournament of the season. Ganim is also the president of the Ohio Racquetball Association and has run the successful Head Racquetball Tour there for the past 20+ years. He holds a degree in business from Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Dayton. An accomplished player in his own right, Ganim is a former U.S. National Racquetball Team member and has won three International Racquetball Federation World Doubles Championships. Steve Czarnecki USAR Executive Director Steve Czarnecki was named USA Racquetball’s seventh Executive Director in January 2013. Czarnecki previously spent 13 years with the United States Golf Association, where he directed the Association’s charitable activities. His work there included oversight of a $65,000,000 grant program, development of a number of programs and partnerships focused on introducing young people and individuals with disabilities to golf, and administration of the USGA Fellowship; designed to introduce recent college graduates to the principles of non-profit management. Most recently, he worked for DISH Network in Englewood, Colo. Czarnecki holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Crosby MBA program at the University of Missouri. He played racquetball competitively as a junior. 4 2015 US OPEN RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS - MEDIA GUIDE Jeff