(BRANDON), December 2, 2024 – Frédérique Lambert (Montréal, QC) and Samuel Murray (Baie-Comeau, QC) are heading home from the Fall National Team Selection Event in Brandon, with respective wins in the Women’s and Men’s Open Singles divisions. The tournament was held on November 29 to 30 at the Brandon Sportsplex.
Lambert dominated in pool play in the women’s division and went on to defeat Saskatoon’s Danielle Ramsay in Saturday’s final in straight sets (11-7, 11-4, 11-2). Ramsay earned her spot in the final by upsetting second-seeded Juliette Parent (Saint-Jacques, QC) in pool play. Parent later defeated Winnipeg’s Cher Allen to take bronze.
In the men’s division, Murray battled Coby Iwaasa (Lethbridge, AB) in an exciting five-set final, winning 3-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6. The two rivals have faced off in several national level finals over the years, but this was one of the closest matches the two have played in some time. The bronze medal match was tightly contested with Kurtis Cullen (Brandon, MB) edging Trevor Webb of Kitchener, ON in five sets with scores of 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8.
Tournament results have an impact on the selection of Team Canada for the 2025 Pan American Championships and the 2025 Chengdu World Games. Points accumulated also count towards national team placement for next season.
The tournament also provided valuable preparation for Canada’s World Junior Championship team, competing in Guatemala City starting December 6.
Hosted by the Brandon Racquetball Association alongside the Brandon Classic, the tournament also featured junior divisions. It was kicked off with a fun doubles event pairing National Team athletes with juniors that fostered the strong community connection that exists in racquetball.
Canada’s next major racquetball event is the Winter National Team Selection Event, set for February 7-9, 2025, in Vernon, BC.
Racquetball Canada thanks the Brandon Racquetball Association, Racquetball Manitoba, and Sport Canada for supporting high-performance racquetball in Canada.
Racquetball Canada also thanks Paul Shanks and Mckenzie Brayley for their work in livestreaming the selection event matches. Recorded matches can be found on Racquetball Canada’s Facebook Page and YouTube channel. Links to all social accounts can be found at the bottom of this email.
Complete results: https://secure.racquetballcanada.ca/entry-list/matches/1014507/