The top racquetball players from across Canada were in Vernon this past weekend competing for a chance to don the maple leaf in upcoming international competitions.
Close to 20 elite players took part in a Racquetball Canada Winter National Team Selection Event at the courts at The Roster Sports Club Feb. 7 and 8.
Samuel Murray of Baie-Comeau, Que., and Frédérique Lambert of Montreal secured victories in the men's and women's open divisions at the event.
Murray and Lambert are Canada's top-ranked male and female racquetball athletes and the reigning open singles national champions, and they once again demonstrated their dominance on the national stage.
In the men's final on Saturday, Feb. 8, Murray faced Coby Iwaasa of Lethbridge, Alta. in a highly competitive match. Iwaasa won the opening game but Murray responded with three consecutive wins, with final scores of 13-16, 11-7 and 11-9.
The bronze medal match in the men's open division was an all-Manitoba showdown as Kurtis Cullen and Leyton Gouldie, both from Brandon, battled for third place. Cullen, who also coaches Gouldie, took the win in straight games, 11-2, 11-9 and 11-4.
In the women's final, Lambert squared off against Juliette Parent of Saint-Jacques, Que. Parent started strong, but Lambert took control to claim the match in three straight games, 11-7, 11-3 and 11-6.
The battle for bronze was the closest match in the women's draw, as Ofelia Wilscam (Repentigny, Que.) edged out Chloé Jauvin (Terrebonne, Que.) in a hard-fought contest, winning 11-8, 11-9 and 14-12.
The Vernon event was the second selection event of the 2024-25 season, with athletes competing for national and international team placements. Final team announcements for the World Games and the Pan American Championships will be made in the coming weeks.
There are three national teams each with six spots up for grabs: the national elite team, a development team and a junior team. The Vernon event was one of three opportunities in the season for players to gain points towards national team status. The first was an event in Brandon, Man. this past fall, and the third is the national championships in Burlington, Ont. May 18-24.
At stake in these tournaments is a trip to the 2025 Pan American Championships in Guatemala City in April and the World Games in Chengdu, China in August.
The event in Vernon was the second time Roster has hosted a Racquetball Canada qualifier event in recent years, the first having taken place in 2018. The age range of the athletes was vast, with the youngest competitor being 17 and the oldest being 41.
That 41-year-old was none other than Kelowna's David Serra, who at an older age is still B.C.'s top-ranked racquetball athlete. He was the top finisher from the local area, placing 10th in the event.
Serra spoke to The Morning Star in between matches at The Roster. His final match of the tournament was against a player he had just beaten three weeks before at the Western Nationals. He said he was "pretty confident" going into the match after having a great match in the morning, though he ended up dropping the contest and placing 10th.
While a spot on the Canadian national team wasn't in the cards for Serra, he was happy to take part in a high-level competition close to home.
"It's more of an enjoyment of the sport and being able to still compete at this level, especially at my age," Serra said. "I keep watching these young kids come up and every time I see them on the court, you see their level of play just increase, and they're very motivated. They love the sport."
Racquetball Canada extended its appreciation to the Vernon Racquetball Association and Rosters Sports Club for hosting the event, with special thanks to tournament organizer Bob Wolf, along with his sponsors and volunteers.
