USA Celebrate Triple Gold PanAm Success In Ecuador

USA celebrated triple gold in the 2008 Panamerican Squash Championships in Cuenca, Ecuador, winning the men's and women's team titles together for the first time, and claiming their first men's individual gold.

Julian Illingworth, the silver medallist at the 2007 Pan American Games, defeated US compatriot Christopher Gordon 9-2, 9-0, 9-2 in the men's final to secure the title.  The 24-year-old world No38 from Portland did not drop a single game on his way to winning the championship.

The US men's squad - with Illingworth and Gordon supported by Gilly Lane and Ryan Donegan - went on to win the team gold medal, beating Mexico 3/0 in the final.  Led by world No4 Natalie Grainger, the US women's team made it a double - also beating Mexico 3/0 in the other team final.

“Winning the gold medal is exciting for me, but more importantly for the team, especially since it something we’ve never done before," said Illingworth.  "This is the strongest team we have ever sent.  With the depth these four players give us, we are able to mix and match well and we are really looking forward to competing for gold at the 2011 Pam Am Games."

Colombia claimed gold in the women's singles event, where Silvia Angulo Rugeles beat USA's Kristen Lange 9-7, 10-8, 9-2 in the final.  Lange secured her surprise place in the final after upsetting top-seeded Brazilian Thaisa Serafini in the semi-finals.

Peru and Mexico shared the gold medal spoils in the Doubles competition.  The men's final went the full distance, with Peruvians Mauricio Dasso & Andres Duany ultimately prevailing 11-9, 5-11, 11-9 over Brazil's Ronivaldo Santos & Vinicius Costa.

The women's final was a more straightforward affair, in which Mexicans Nayelly Hernandez & Graciela Lopez Perez beat Guatemala's Pamela Anckermann & Nicole Anckermann 11-5, 11-4.

"The Ecuador Squash Federation hosted the 2008 Panamerican Squash Championships in conjunction with the VI Olympic Festival of Ecuador," said Linda MacPhail, of the Federacion Panamericana De Squash Executive.  "The Festival is a major sporting event in Ecuador, and is organized by the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee.  This year's festival featured 41 sport events, including squash (one of only three Panamerican Championships). 

"The event was held in the new public facility, the Complejo Bolivariano, which featured an international doubles court built to the new WSF specifications (as approved Dec 07).  This was not only a great opportunity to showcase the sport of squash, but also the fantastic new venue in Cuenca."

Panamerican Squash Championships, Cuenca, Ecuador

Men's Singles quarter-finals:

[1] Julian Illingworth (USA) bt Robertino Pezzota (ARG) 9-3, 9-4, 9-3

[3/4] Robin Clarke (CAN) bt Gilly Lane (USA) 9-5, 9-4, 9-6

[3/4] Ryan Donegan (USA) bt Ricardo Weisskopf (ESA) 9-6, 9-1, 9-0

[2] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt [Q] Rodrigo Torres (COL) 9-3, 3-9, 9-5, 9-6

    Semi-finals:

[1] Julian Illingworth (USA) bt [3/4] Robin Clarke (CAN) 9-5, 9-1 ret.

[2] Christopher Gordon (USA) bt [3/4] Ryan Donegan (USA) 2-9, 9-7, 6-9, 9-6, 9-0

    Final:

[1] Julian Illingworth (USA) bt [2] Christopher Gordon (USA) 9-2, 9-0, 9-2

Women's Singles quarter-finals:

[1] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) bt Mariana Pontalti (BRA) 9-7, 9-7, 9-6

Kristen Lange (USA) bt Nayelly Hernandez (MEX) 9-4, 9-6, 9-3

Miranda Ranieri (CAN) bt Sarah Parsons (CAN) 9-5, 9-1, 9-5

[2] Silvia Angulo Rugeles (COL) bt [Q] Catalina Pelaez (COL) 2-9, 9-4, 9-3, 9-1

    Semi-finals:

Kristen Lange (USA) bt [1] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 9-2, 5-9, 9-5, 9-2

[2] Silvia Angulo Rugeles (COL) bt Miranda Ranieri (CAN) 9-4, 0-9, 9-6, 2-9, 9-5

    Final:

[2] Silvia Angulo Rugeles (COL) bt Kristen Lange (USA) 9-7, 10-8, 9-2

Men's Doubles final:

Mauricio Dasso & Andres Duany (PER) bt

   Ronivaldo Santos & Vinicius Costa (BRA) 11-9, 5-11, 11-9

(Bronze medallists: Ecuador & Colombia)

Women's Doubles final:

Nayelly Hernandez & Graciela Lopez Perez (MEX) bt

   Pamela Anckermann & Nicole Anckermann (GUA) 11-5, 11-4

(Bronze medallists: Ecuador & Colombia)

Men's Team semi-finals:

USA bt COLOMBIA 2-1 (Christopher Gordon bt Santiago Montoya 4-9, 9-5, 10-9, 9-5; Julian Illingworth bt Rodrigo Torres 9-2, 10-8, 9-6; Ryan Donegan lost to Andres Vargas w/o)

MEXICO bt ARGENTINA 2-1 (Marco Toriz bt Matias Valenzuela 9-3, 9-2, 9-1; Erick Tepoz bt Robertino Pezzota 9-6, 9-3, 9-7; Alejandro Hernandez lost to Hernan D'Arcangelo w/o)

     Final:

USA bt MEXICO 3-0 (Ryan Donegan bt Alejandro Hernandez 9-2, 9-0, 9-0; Julian Illingworth bt Erick Tepoz 9-5, 9-3, 9-1; Christopher Gordon bt Marco Toriz 9-0, 10-8)

    3rd place play-off:  ARGENTINA bt COLOMBIA; 5^th place CANADA; 6^th BRAZIL, 7^th GUATEMALA, 8^th EL SALVADOR, 9^th PERU, 10^th ECUADOR, 11^th VENEZUELA

Women's Team semi-finals:

USA bt BRAZIL 3-0 (Kristen Lange bt Mariana Pontalti 9-0, 9-0, 9-2; Natalie Grainger bt Thaisa Serafini w/o; Amanda Siebert bt Noemi Borjas 9-1, 9-3, 9-0)

MEXICO bt COLOMBIA 2-1 (Nayelly Hernandez lost to Catalina Pelaez 7-9, 5-9, 5-9; Samantha Teran bt Silvia Angulo Rugeles 9-4, 9-1, 9-0; Graciela Lopez Perez bt Andrea Garcia 9-3, 6-5 ret.)

    Final:

USA bt MEXICO 3-0 (Amanda Siebert bt Karina Heredia Gonzalez 3-9, 8-10, 9-3, 9-5, 9-1; Natalie Grainger bt Samantha Teran 9-3, 10-8, 3-9, 9-7; Kristen Lange bt Graciela Lopez Perez 9-0, 9-0, 9-0)

    3rd place play-off:  COLOMBIA bt BRAZIL; 5^th place: CANADA, 6^th GUATEMALA, 7^th ECUADOR