First Half 2019 | VOL 37 NO 1 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ILLINOIS STATE RACQUETBALL ASSOCIATION • ISRA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame Induction • USAR Hall of Fame Inducts Gudinas • Junior Team Illinois Keeps on Rolling! • Mega Event Coverage! Facebook: Illinois State Racquetball Association | www.illinoisracquetball.com | 1 2 | www.illinoisracquetball.com | Facebook: Illinois State Racquetball Association ILLINOIS STATE ISRA COURTSIDE RACQUETBALL Table of ASSOCIATION CONTENTS First Half 2019 | VOL 37 No. 1 PRESIDENT Laurel Davis - Oak Brook From The President ............................................................................................... 4 VICE PRESIDENT ISRA Family News .................................................................................................. 5 Geoff Peters - Chicago ISRA Awards and Hall of Fame Ceremony .................................................... 6 SECRETARY Barbara Vagedes -- Carol Stream Cheryl Gudinas Inducted Into USA Racquetball Hall of Fame .............. 8 Annual Meeting and Election of ISRA Board Members .........................10 TREASURER Dolores Lamberson - Indian Head Park Movin’ On Up: 2018-2019 Season ..................................................................10 ZONE VICE PRESIDENTS KILLSHOT Kids’ Corner .......................................................................................11 Bill Roberts - Chicago (North) 28th Annual Turkey Shoot Pro-Am Doug Halverson - Lombard (West) Arun Baskaran - Bloomington (Central) and LPRT Tier 1 Announced ............................................................................13 John O’Donnell, Jr. - Champaign (South) 2019 ISRA State Doubles Championships ..................................................14 GOVERNING BOARD ISRA State Singles Racquetball Championships ......................................17 Todd Burris - Oswego Mike Davern - Naperville 34th Annual Shamrock Shootout and IRT Tier 1 Pro Stop ....................20 Jonelle Dubois - Naperville 2019 USA Racquetball Regionals-Illinois ....................................................25 Pam Grace - Wheaton Alcides Gutierrez - Oak Lawn WSMRA Celebrates Event’s 30th Anniversary ...........................................27 Cheryl Kirk - Naperville Rick Seaberg - North Aurora 2019 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championship .....................30 Joe Silius - Mokena 2019 USA Racquetball National Singles Championship .......................31 John Thorson - Carol Stream Carolyn Vazquez - Chicago 2019 NMRA International Championships Chicago ...............................34 AUXILIARY BOARD Pan American Racquetball Championships (PARC) ................................37 Marian Bala - Indian Head Park ISRA 2019-2020 Tournament Calendar ........................................................39 Jeff Grace - Wheaton Dan Jaskier - Lombard Racquetball Challenge Courts ........................................................................40 Eric Jensen - Bolingbrook Kit Lawson - Naperville Lend Your Support ..............................................................................................41 Dave Milazzo - Gurnee 2019 ISRA Courtside Advertising Rates ........................................................41 Liz Molitor - Glen Ellyn Lem Rowans - Chicago ISRA COURTSIDE STAFF On the Cheryl Kirk - Editor COVER Photos by Mike Davern Joe Silius - Advertising Editor Top: ISRA President Laurel Davis congratulates ISRA Courtside is the official publication of the ISRA Annual Award winners Cheryl Kirk, Nadeem Illinois State Racquetball Association (ISRA). Sharifuddin, Freddy Conforti, and Janet Eminger. All rights reserved. Copyright 2019. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, Bottom: ISRA Hall of Famers welcome photograph or illustration without written Geoff Peters: John O’Donnell, Jr., Marshall Waldo, permission from the ISRA is strictly prohibited. Letters to the Editor, photographs, and articles Dave Milazzo, Bob Troyer, and Dave Olson or editorial contributions should be sent to [email protected]. Design & Layout by: TypaGraphics Facebook: Illinois State Racquetball Association | www.illinoisracquetball.com | 3 From the PRESIDENT The most recent Bylaws of the Illinois State Racquetball Association were adopted on January 18, 1989 - over 30 years ago. I have been president of the ISRA for over 22 years and a member of the Board for several years before that. I have been president for a third of my life! And, I was the first female president elected to the position! In addition, while President, I have also been elected to two terms on USA Racquetball’s Board of Directors (including being Treasurer) and have also had the honor of being awarded State President of the Year by USA Racquetball. I really HAVE been immersed in supporting and leading the sport for a very long time! When my ISRA Board position came up for re-election this year, I decided to see how long I had been in the role. When I realized how long it has been, I decided that it is time for a change. I will stay on the Board as Immediate Past President for two more years with my primary focus and passion being on growing the sport and our membership while mentoring the next generation of leaders and Board members who will take our sport forward. Then, and only then, will I retire from the Board. In the meantime, a new president will be elected in September who will help us to move this great sport forward! I’m honored to have represented the current and past racquetball players of Illinois for so long, and my commitment is not changing with the changing of the guard. One of my favorite nights of the year is the night I get to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the ISRA Annual Awards and Hall of Fame inductions. There I get to recognize special people in racquetball – the volunteers, the sponsors, and the best players in our state. That is a night when the history of Illinois rac- quetball is also on stage. Our state has produced some of the best racquetball talent, as well as the best racquetball leadership, in the country. Being ISRA President has been part of my identity for the last 22 years, just as being a corporate banker was part of my identity for 42 years. When I retired from the bank, I felt like I had completely lost my identity, and it was really hard. I know that stepping out of this position will be really hard. In some ways it would be easier to stay, but I want to be a catalyst for helping to grow racquetball again, and I feel that allowing someone else to step into a leadership role, while I play more of a “coaching role,” will help to enable that. We certainly have some really encouraging signs in Illinois. Both of the Pro Tours are well- sponsored and supported by our Illinois player community—we drew over 240 players to the IRT and Shamrock Shootout last year—and we are on target for similar numbers for the LPRT this November. Our Travel League continues as the longest-running racquetball travel league in the country. We have players who competed in the ISRA Travel League as far back as 1974! And, of course, our JTI Initiative is alive and well – with training, tournament participation, Clinics with the Pros and development of the next generation of players! In fact, the ISRA Board recently voted to increase the annual TJ Ferro Junior Scholarship Award up to $500 annually due to the fundraising efforts of our racquetball community. I’m looking forward to being part of this excitement and helping to grow our sport over the next several years! I would like to thank my loyal board members, our sponsors, and all of the players in the State of Illinois for their support over the years. My best friends are the friends I made through racquet- ball and without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do this job. I love you all, and while my role will change, I’m not going anywhere, except to work more on my backhand! 4 | www.illinoisracquetball.com | Facebook: Illinois State Racquetball Association ISRA Family News 2018-2019 Men’s Travel League Sad News for the Illinois Racquetball Family The 2018-2019 season was an exciting one for the ISRA Travel Raymond Markus, 89, passed League. The league was restructured to allow more players away on June 19, 2019. Ray to compete. Team rosters were expanded to 15 players. The was the adoring husband of Wednesday night A league was adapted to allow three Open Illinois Hall of Fame member level players and the Thursday night B league was changed to Lola Markus. Married for 68 allow three A level players. Scoring for the league remained years, Ray and Lola raised three the same as in prior years with total points accrued through- children, Barry, Donna, and out the season. Tim, in Park Ridge. Ray was a photoengraver at RR Donnelley The Open/A league included teams from LA Fitness Naperville, & Sons, loved the racquetball LA Fitness Alsip, Lattof YMCA, and Glass Court Swim & Fitness. family, and supported the Lattof The A/B league had teams from LA Fitness Naperville, LA YMCA. Fitness Elgin, Center Court Athletic Club, and Glass Court Swim & Fitness. LA Fitness Naperville had the most points Margaret Hoff, Nancy Kronen- throughout the regular season in both the Open/A and the feld, and Art Michaely have es- A/B leagues. tablished a Memorial Youth Scholarship Fund in Ray’s memory. Donations can be made through the Lattof YMCA at 300 E. In the playoff finals, Glass Court finished in first place by only Northwest Hwy, Des Plaines, IL 60016, Attn: Ray Markus Fund, a two-point margin over LA Fitness Naperville in the Open/A