February 1, 2010

Pendleton Cup Series (First Half, 2011)

The Intramural Sports Program provides active duty personnel, stationed at Camp Pendleton, regardless of skill or experience, an opportunity to take part in a competitive unit sports program. This program helps promote combat readiness, esprit de corps, leadership, teamwork, and loyalty. This program helps identify and enable athletes with exceptional skills to continue on to higher levels of competition. Sports have been chosen to promote democratic competitions emphasizing physical fitness and a balanced program.

Men's Upper Division:
1st: Derek Cooper / CNATT
2nd: Armando Arias /CLR-17
3rd: Joe Coleman / IMHG

Men's Lower Division:
1st- Ray Brown / 1st Maint Bn
2nd- John Frost / DPC/RSU
3rd- Michael Spangenberg / 9th Comm Bn

Wommen's Open Division:
1st: Rebecca Wilkinson / HQ Supt Bn
2nd: Erin Anderson / 1st Supply Bn
3rd: Holly Semsarfathy / 1st supply Bn

Thanks to USAA & MCCS Athletics for putting it on event.

February 1, 2010

Sport Jam Cancelled, but...

It was a cool January evening. The wind wrestled with the tree branches outside. In the distance, eight PT clad warriors with stringed weapons converged on the Paige Fieldhouse to participate in the highly praised "Cancelled Shootout" tournament. One by one they entered the great hall and began their warm-up rituals.

At last, the numbered papers were shuffled and handed out. The unbiased consequences set the initial brackets: #1 Eddie vs #2 Jim, #3 Mike vs #4 Rebecca, #5 Maria vs #6 Sean, #7 Rich vs #8 Derek.

The word was given: two games to eleven, tie breaker to seven. If you lose a match, then you move to the lower bracket, where it's one game to fifteen with the possibility of getting back into the upper bracket. But, two match defeats and you were going home.

The balls were broken out from their plastic prisons and passed out to the waiting warriors. With worn gloves, scratched eyewear and smelly wrist bands, the combatants had three courts at their disposal. It would be known as the "Round of Eight".

After the first volleys were silenced, Eddie, Rebecca, Sean and Derek recorded a win and were advancing to the "Round of Four". Consequently, Jim, Mike, Maria and Rich were sent to the lower bracket to compete against each other.

In the "Round of Four"… Eddie and Derek advanced, Rebecca and Sean were sent to the lower bracket to defend themselves and their pride.

Eddie then sent Derek to the lower bracket which began another round of fierce action amongst the remaining fighters. Following a series of one game matches to fifteen in the lower bracket, Sean rose up from the lower bracket to play Eddie in the Finals.

Eddie would win the match and most importantly, the tournament in two decisive games.

-----------------------

Thanks to everyone for coming out!! IT WAS A GREAT TIME!

December 1, 2010

Camp Pendelton Sends 11 to National Championships

What a great three days of action the MRF put on at the All Military National Racquetball Championships, hosted down at 32nd Naval Base in San Diego! Of the 68 participants who entered, 11 (that I'm aware of) came from Camp Pendleton!!!

Here's how Camp Pendleton fared:

Women's A Singles: Rebecca Wilkinson: 1st place overall (GOLD)
Women's C Singles: Maria Galvan (aka area 51): 1st place overall (GOLD)
A Singles: Sean McTighe : 2nd place overall (SILVER)
45+ A Singles: Eddie Bolanos: 2nd place overall (SILVER)
B Singles: Derek Cooper: 2nd place overall (SILVER)
C Singles: Joseph Coleman: 3rd in his bracket, didn't advance to next round
C Singles: Brian Harris: 3rd in his bracket, didn't advance to next round
C Singles: Dean McDonald: 4th in his bracket, didn't advance to next round
25-35 C Singles: Joseph Coleman: 5th in his bracket, didn't advance to next round
25-35 C Singles: Brian Harris: 6th in his bracket, didn't advance to next round
50-60 Singles: Mike Cameron: 3rd place overall
A Doubles: Derek Cooper / Sean McTighe : 4th place
Mixed A Doubles: Rebecca Wilkinson / Rod Sharrar: 1st place (GOLD)
Mixed C Doubles: Dean McDonald / Maria Galvan (aka area 51): 1st place (GOLD)

Camp Pendleton was well "REPRESENTED".

October 6, 2010

Pendleton Cup: R-Ball Tournament +
GearBox Promo

The Intramural Sports Program provides active duty personnel, stationed at Camp Pendleton, regardless of skill or experience, an opportunity to take part in a competitive unit sports program. This program helps promote combat readiness, esprit de corps, leadership, teamwork, and loyalty. This program helps identify and enable athletes with exceptional skills to continue on to higher levels of competition. Sports have been chosen to promote democratic competitions emphasizing physical fitness and a balanced program.

What a great turnout for the Pendleton Cup R-ball tournament yesterday. I want to say they're were about 40 Marines & Sailors participating in the tournament?? After several monster dives, hair splitting Z serves and 10 possession rallies... the dust settled and the last man standing was Derek Cooper and the last women standing was Rebecca Wilkinson. CONGRATS to the both of them on their 1st places finishes.

Pendleton Cup R-ball action (2nd half)
Gearbox Promo

Halfway through the event, Gearbox owner/player Rafael Filippini, Alvaro Beltran (the #3 player in the world) and the rest of the Gearbox crew put on a racquetball clinic explaining the basics of the game and giving professional tips & pointers. For those still in the tournament, they were able to take this newly acquired knowledge and put it to quick use. IT WAS A GREAT TIME HAD BY ALL!

Pendleton Cup R-ball action (2nd half)
Gearbox Promo

Thanks to MCCS Athletics for putting it on and Special thanks to Gearbox for coming out and doing what they do best... growing the sport of racquetball.

September 1, 2010

52 Area Fitness Center Shootout

Twelve players came out for the 52A "Overlunch Open" shootout. We played one game to 11 with the loser moving to the lower bracket with the opportunity to come back and play in the finals. Which is how it played out, as Sean went undefeated into the Finals by defeating Derek in the 3rd round only to have him (Derek) play his way through the lower bracket to defeat Sean in the Finals and win the shootout.

The final ranking was Derek 1st, Sean 2nd and Rebecca (battling with the men) taking 3rd place.

Great time... Thanks to everyone who played a part in making it happen (MCCS athletics /52A gym) and special thananks to Eddie & Joe for running the event.

52 Area Overlunch Shootout
Pictured L-R: Sean McTighe(2nd Place), Derek Cooper(1st place),
Rebecca Wilkinson (3rd place) and Eddie Bolanos(Director)

August 27, 2010

101 Days of Summer Sports Jam

What a great time Friday night was... There were approximately twelve players that came out to prove their might. With both Men's and Women's division's being OPEN, the Jam attracted a few off base players as well.

We played 2 games to eleven with a tie-breaker to seven, single serve format. The DEF player moving over to the loser's bracket playing one game to fifteen.

The women were on court 3 and played a round robin format: 1st place went to Rebecca Wilkinson(CPEN), 2nd place went to Maria Galvin(CPEN) and 3rd went to Yvette Vequezo(Chula Vista).

The Men's division had a few surprises... Many of the local favorites were just out gunned and when it was all said and done, Lorenzo Valdez(San Diego) took 1st place, Jimmy Vequezo (Chula Vista) took 2nd place and 3rd place went to Mike Cameron(CPEN).

Thanks goes out to the MCCS Paige Fieldhouse staff putting on the event.

2010 Sport Jam / Paige Fieldhouse
L-R Women's Divison: Rebecca Wilkinson(1st), Yvette Vequezo(3rd) & Maria Galvin(2nd place)
L-R Men's Division: Mike Cameron(3rd), Jimmy Vequezo(2nd) & Lorenzo Valdez(1st palce)

August 1, 2010

MRF Tournament at NAS Lemoore

23-24 July - Members of the Camp Pendleton Varsity Racquetball Team supported by the base MCCS Athletics department, made the 400 mile drive from Camp Pendleton to NAS Lemoore for their (Lemoore) first MRF tournament.

"The Marines have Landed" was the comment by the Navy Sports Coordinator. The team consisted of Team Captain Derek Cooper, Rod Sharrar, and Sean McTighe. There were a total of 16 MRF players in the tournament (11 upper and 5 lower division players).

After pool play was completed, all three of Pendleton's team members had made it into the next round of play (Semi-finals). In the semi-finals, Derek (CPEN) Def Jace Mirmak (Lemoore) in two games to advance to the finals... And Sean (CPEN) Def Rod (CPEN) in three games to advance to an all-Marine/all-Pendleton Final on the Navy base.

In the NAS Lemoore MRF tournament Finals, Sean squeaked by Derek in two games (15-13, 15-13) to win the tournament. In the end it was a 1-2-3 sweep for the Pendleton Varsity Team.

It was a great tournament hosted by Lemoore's Courtney Tilley (MWR) & Kristen Helm, and managed by Jack Hughes (MRF) ... then it was on the road for the five hour drive back to the North County!

NAS Lemoore
Derek Cooper, Jack Hughes, Sean McTighe & Rod Sharrar