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International Racquetball Tour
The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) is the leading professional racquetball organization for men's competition. It was founded in 1991 and is the successor to previous iterations of the tour by different names. Professional Men's racquetball events have been offered since 1973. Events are played mostly in the USA. Mike Grisz became chief executive officer of the IRT in January 2019. He succeeded John Scott, who became chief executive officer in June 2017, when the IRT was taken over by E.J. Promotions Inc. Previously, Jason Mannino, a former pro player, served as IRT President., who succeeded Dave Negrete in 2009. Negrete was Commissioner from 2001 to 2009. Initially, Mannino continued to play on the tour during the 2009–2010 season as well as serve as the IRT's leader, but retired at the end of that season to concentrate on being IRT President. Rules of play IRT matches primarily use the rules as set out bUSA Racquetball IRT matches were best of five games to 11 points ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Racquetball
Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and, unlike squash, no tin (out of bounds area at the bottom of front wall) to hit the ball above. Also, the court's walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with the exception of court-specific designated hinders being out-of-bounds. Racquetball is played between various players on a team who try to bounce the ball with the racquet onto the ground so it hits the wall, so that an opposing team’s player cannot bounce it back to the wall. The sport is very similar to 40×20 American handball, which is played in many countries. It is also very similar to the British sport Squash 57, which was called racketball ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Alejandro Landa
Alejandro Landa (born March 20, 1988) is a Mexican-born American retired racquetball player. Landa is a former World Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title in Guatemala City in December 2021 while playing for the USA. Previously, he'd represented Mexico internationally, winning gold in Men's Singles and Doubles at the 2017 Pan American Championships. Landa also won four titles on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). Early life Landa was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, but moved to the US as a teenager. He began playing racquetball at age 12. His best result as a junior player was a 2nd-place finish in Boy's U18 at the 2006 Junior World Championships, losing in the final to David Ortega of Mexico. 2008 to 2012 Landa didn't play on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) more than twice in a season until the 2008–09 season, when he entered five events. In those events, Landa finished in the Round of 16 three times and twice in the Round of 32, which led him to finish ran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Andy Hawthorne (racquetball)
Andy Hawthorne is a professional racquetball player (born September 7, 1982). Hawthorne finished #6 on thInternational Racquetball Tour (IRT)at the end of the 2010-11 season, a career high and the fourth season he'd finished in the IRT's top 10 players. Primarily a drive serving player, Hawthorne also has a very "scrappy" game style. Professional career Hawthorne began playing the IRT full-time in the 2004-05 season, when he played 9 of the 12 events and reached the quarter-finals twice. Since then Hawthorne hasn't missed a tournament, reaching the quarter-finals 28 times but only once advancing to the semi-finals, which was at the Kansas City Pro-Am in September 2011, when he lost to Kane Waselenchuk in three games. International career Hawthorne has been on Team USA at three international events. He and Jason Samora were silver medalists in doubles at the 2007 Pan American Championships in Chile, losing to Canadians Vincent Gagnon and François Viens in the final. In hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Chris Crowther
Chris Crowther (born November 6, 1978) is a professional racquetball player. Crowther was the #5 player on the International Racquetball Tour at the end of the 2010–11 season, which was a career high and the sixth season he'd finished in the IRT's top 10 players. A California native, Crowther is the tallest player on the IRT and known for his strong drive serve and hard hitting playing style. Professional career Crowther played his first IRT match in May 1997, losing to Cliff Swain in three games, he wasn't full-time until the 2001–02 season, when he played the US Open for the first time, making it to the Round of 16, when he again lost to Swain. Crowther made the finals of an IRT event for the first time in September 2010 at the Cali Colombia Grand Slam event, losing to Kane Waselenchuk in four games. Crowther made his second final in October 2011 at the Red Swaine Shootout in Davison, Michigan, again losing to Waselenchuk. International career Crowther has represen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Jansen Allen
Jansen Allen (born July 24, 1989) is an American racquetball player. Allen won gold at the 2015 Pan American Games in Men's Doubles with Jose Rojas. He was ranked in the top 10 on the International Racquetball Tour for five straight seasons, from 2013–14 to 2017–18. Allen also a 5 Time Junior National Champion, the 2012 Division 1 Collegiate racquetball champion in singles and doubles, and a 5 Time Texas State Champion. International career Allen has represented the USA four times internationally. His first appearance was in 2011 at the Pan American Championships in Managua, Nicaragua, where he played doubles with Tony Carson. They defeated Canadians Mike Green and Kris Odegard in the semi-finals, but in the final, they lost to Mexicans Javier Moreno and Polo Gutierrez. In 2012, Allen and Carson were runners up in Men's Doubles at the World Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as they lost the final to Mexicans Moreno and Álvaro Beltrán. They did win g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Egan Inoue
Egan Inoue (, born June 4, 1965) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, former mixed martial artist and racquetball competitor. A two-time International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion, Inoue is a two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion in colored belts, the first non-Brazilian to win a gold medal at the World Jiu Jitsu Championship. Early life Egan Inoue was born on 4 June 1965, in Honolulu, Hawaii, in a family of Japanese descent. He started practicing Shotokan Karate from a young age taught by his grandfather. He would later take up Wing Chun Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Judo, Hapkido, and Jujutsu. At 16 he started practicing racquetball becoming state champion by the time he turned 18. Racquetball career Inoue played professional racquetball on the International Racquetball Tour, winning two tournaments, and finishing in the top 10 ranked players four times: 1986–87 to 1988–89 and 1990–91. His record on the IRT is 84–63. Inoue briefly ascended to be the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Marty Hogan
Martin Francis Hogan (October 25, 1869 – August 15, 1923), nicknamed "the Indianapolis Ringer", was an English born right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds (1894) and St. Louis Browns (1894–1895). After leaving the National League, Hogan moved on to the minor league Indianapolis Hoosiers. Some sources suggest he set a national baserunning record in the 1890s.''The Baltimore Sun Almanac for 1909'' (Baltimore, Maryland: A. S. Abell Co., 1909), p. 200.''The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1906'' (New York: Press Publishing Co., 1905), p. 277. When his playing career ended, he worked as a minor league baseball manager in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As a manager, Hogan groomed several pitchers who excelled in the major leagues. He signed future stars Stan Coveleski and Sam Jones to their first professional contracts and helped launch the career of Roy Castleton, the first native of Utah to play in the major leagues. In 1912, H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
John Ellis (racquetball)
John Ellis may refer to: Academics *John Ellis (scrivener) (1698–1791), English political writer *John Ellis (naturalist) (1710–1776), English botanical illustrator *John Ellis (physicist, born 1946), British theoretical physicist at CERN * John Millott Ellis (1831–1894), abolitionist and President of Oberlin College *R. John Ellis (born 1935), British biochemist *Sir John Ellis (physician) (1916–1998), Dean London Hospital Medical College 1968–1980 medical educationalist *John Ellis (media academic) (born 1952), British media theorist and TV producer * John Ellis (physicist, born 1963), British physicist at the University of Cambridge Business * Alfred John Ellis (1915–2020), Canadian banker *John Ellis (businessman) (1789–1862), Director of the Midland Railway in the UK and MP for Leicester 1848–1852 * John Devonshire Ellis (1824–1906), English steelmaker *John Prescott Ellis (born 1953), media consultant and first cousin of U.S. President George W. Bush *Dr. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Sudsy Monchik
Sudsy Monchik (born October 12, 1974), is an American racquetball player. As a five-time Pro World Champion, Monchik is one of the top 3 players in the history of the sport. Sudsy is the only player on record to have won a National title or higher in five straight decades. 80’s,90’s,00’s,10’s,20’s. Professional career Monchik won the US Open Racquetball Championships, US Open, racquetball's most prestigious event, in its first year 1996, and then again three more times, in 1998, 2000, and 2002. He and Kane Waselenchuk are the only two men to win the US Open more than twice. Monchik's 50+ tournament wins places him fourth in career tournament wins behind only Cliff Swain (70), Kane Waselenchuk (111), and Marty Hogan (racquetball player), Marty Hogan (60). He compiled those wins in 137 tournament appearances, 13th all time. Monchik won at least one pro tournament in each of his first 8 seasons competing on the pro tour from 1993-94 to 2000-01. However, after failin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Cliff Swain
Cliff Swain (born March 21, 1966) is a professional racquetball player and coach from Boston, Massachusetts. Known for his dominant drive serve and on-court intensity, Swain finished as the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) six times -- in 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2002. He won US Open Championships in 1997 and 2001, and was inducted into thUSA Racquetball Hall of Famein 2003. A legendary figure in racquetball for over 3 decades, Swain still plays professionally and is quickly becoming a sought-after professional coach as well. Early years Swain was introduced to racquetball when he was 13 years old by his father, Robert "Red" Swain, who was a competitive handball player.Sports Illustrated, July 11, 1994 Swain was naturally talented and quickly picked up the game, soon winning the Massachusetts State and New England Regional Junior Racquetball Championships. He won the US Junior National 16 and Under Racquetball Championship in 1983, and the Orange ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Jack Huczek
Jack Huczek (born January 13, 1983) is a retired American racquetball player. Huczek was a 3 timInternational Racquetball Federation (IRF)World Champion in Men's Singles, and he was the #1 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) player at the end of the 2006–2007 season. Huczek announced his retirement on May 24, 2011. Huczek was named to USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2024. Junior years Huczek played a lot of racquetball as a junior, and his record as a junior player is unparalleled. He waUSA Racquetball(USAR) Junior Champion twelve consecutive years, winning 13 titles in that period. Huczek's streak began in 1991, when he won Boy's U8 for the first time. Huczek then won U10 twice, followed by two titles in U12 in 1995 and 1996, two in U14 in 1997 and 1998, two in U16 in 1999 and 2000, and three in U18: 2000, 2001, 2002 – U18. Across that period, Huczek was also a champion in Boys' Doubles. He won U10 Doubles with Andrew Mead in 1993. He won U12 Doubles in 1995 with Matthew M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Ben Croft
Ben Croft (born February 11, 1985) is an American racquetball player. Croft's a former racquetball World Champion, winning men's doubles in 2010 with Mitch Williams. His personal best ranking on the International Racquetball Tour was 3rd at the end of the 2010–11 season.http://www.bossconsulting.com/irt/ IRT Historical Data Archive Croft has been in the top 10 every IRT season since he turned pro in 2007. He often dives to keep the ball in play, earning his nickname "Racquetball's Crash Test Dummy". Professional career Croft won thInternational Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2012 Salt Lake City Pro-Am, defeating Álvaro Beltrán in the semi-finals and Rocky Carson in the final. He made his first IRT final at the Mexico Open, which was the last tournament of the 2009–10 season, and was also in the final of 2013 Florida Spring Break tournament and 2013 Tournament of Champions, losing both finals to Kane Waselenchuk. International career He has played on Team USA thrice. Cro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
