Ben Croft

Last updated
Ben Croft
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1985-02-11) February 11, 1985 (age 36)
Lake Forest, Illinois
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Sport
SportRacquetball
College teamColorado State (Pueblo)
Turned pro2007
Achievements and titles
World finals1st Doubles (2010)
National finals1st Doubles (2007, 2010, 2012)
Medal record
Men's Racquetball
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Burlington Doubles
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Seoul Doubles
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Seoul Team
Pan Am Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2009 San Pedro Sula Doubles

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. [1] 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".

Contents

Professional career

Croft won the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2012 Salt Lake City Pro-Am, [2] defeating Alvaro Beltran 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. Croft won two gold medals at the 2010 World Championships, one in men's doubles [3] with Mitch Williams and the other in the men's team competition. [4] Croft and Williams also won gold at the 2009 Pan American Racquetball Championships.

Most recently, Croft played Men's Doubles with Tom Fuhrmann at the 2014 World Championships in Burlington, Ontario, where they lost to the Canadian team of Vincent Gagnon and Mike Green in the semi-finals, thus earning bronze medals.

As a junior player, Croft won the World Junior Racquetball Championship in Boy 18 and under twice: in 2003 and 2004. [5] He was the 4th player to win that category twice, and the previous three - Rocky Carson, Jack Huczek and Sudsy Monchik - went on and became #1 on the IRT.

USA career

Croft has won three US National Doubles titles: two with Williams, in 2007 and 2010, and most recently with Rocky Carson in 2012. [6]

He also holds the record for total Intercollegiate Titles with seven including three singles and four doubles titles from 2004-2007.

Personal

Croft attended Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado. Croft currently works at Racquetball Warehouse. He married Sarah Spinks in 2012. Their first child was born in 2014.

See also

Related Research Articles

Sudsy Monchik, 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. Monchik was known for his power and speed, as well as his shot-making ability, especially his backhand, which many believe is the best in the game. Sudsy revolutionized the sport with his electric personality combined with his tremendous shot power from both his backhand and forehand along with his jaw dropping shot making ability. Sudsy only competed professionally for 7 seasons. Due to a back condition and broken foot which needed surgery, he had to retire early. There are many that believe if he had been healthy he would have shattered all the records. Sudsy only played 7 healthy seasons on the professional tour and finished the season as the #1 player in the world an astonishing 5 times. Sudsy is the true ambassador to Racquetball worldwide. Sudsy made another outstanding comeback with a win in the 2018 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships with partner Rocky Carson. Sudsy will now represent Team USA in San Jose, Costa Rica for the World Championships in August 2018. Sudsy's wife, Veronica Sotomayor is the most decorated racquetball player in the history of her home country of Ecuador.

The World Racquetball Championships are the top-tier racquetball competitions organized by the International Racquetball Federation (IRF).

Rocky Carson American racquetball player

Rocky Carson is an American professional racquetball player. Carson's a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Singles - a title he's won a record five times. He has been the season ending #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) twice, including in 2017-18. Carson has also played outdoor racquetball, and in 2008, he became the first man to win Men's Singles at the World Outdoor Championship, as well as the indoor IRF World Championship, and US Open.

Jack Huczek American racquetball player

Jack Huczek is a retired American racquetball player. Huczek was a 3 time International 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.

Kane Waselenchuk Canadian racquetball player

Kane Waselenchuk is a professional racquetball player born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Waselenchuk finished the 2018-19 season as the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) for a record extending 13th time. Waselenchuk, a left-handed player, has dominated the IRT for the last decade, including a record 134-match unbeaten streak that lasted over three years.

Jason Mannino, born January 28, 1975, is a retired American racquetball player. Mannino was the #1 player at the end of the 2002-2003 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season, and is a two-time winner of the US Open. He was named to the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Álvaro Beltrán, is a Mexican professional racquetball player. Beltrán is a current World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title for the fourth time in 2018 in San José, Costa Rica. Beltran is a former World Champion in Men's Singles and is one of two men to win both singles and doubles at Worlds. Also, Beltran was ranked 5th at the end of the 2017-18 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season.

The 15th Racquetball World Championships were held in Seoul from August 13 to 21, 2010, with 16 men's national teams and 11 women's national teams; and several players in the Singles and Doubles competition.

Mike Green (racquetball)

Mike Green is a Canadian retired racquetball player from Burlington, Ontario. Green set the record for Men's Singles Canadian Championships at 11 in 2017, which broke a tie he had with Sherman Greenfeld. He also won 10 Men's Doubles Canadian Championships, and together those 21 Canadian titles are the most for a Canadian man.

Shane Vanderson is a retired professional racquetball player. Vanderson was the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) #5 player at the end of three seasons: 2006-07, 2007–08, 2009-10. Vanderson finished in the IRT's top 10 for ten consecutive seasons. A native of Ohio, Vanderson was known for having one of the best backhands in racquetball.

Jose Rojas is a professional racquetball player. Rojas's highest ranking is #3 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), which he was at the end of the 2011-12 season. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Rojas was #6, which was his sixth time in the IRT top 10 at season's end. Rojas has represented the USA several times in international competition, and been a gold medalist three times.

The International Racquetball Federation's 17th Racquetball World Championships were held in Burlington, Ontario, Canada from June 14 to 21, 2014. This was the second time Worlds were in Canada. Previously, they were in Montreal in 1992.

Daniel de la Rosa Mexican racquetball player

Daniel de la Rosa is a Mexican racquetball player. De La Rosa is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title in 2018. He's won seven times on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), including the 2021 US Open. De La Rosa is the first Mexican player to win the US Open, and he was the second Mexican player to win an IRT Tier 1 event.

The International Racquetball Federation's 17th Racquetball World Championships were held in Burlington, Ontario, Canada from June 14 to 21, 2014. This was the second time Worlds were in Canada. Previously, they were in Montreal in 1992.

Jansen Allen 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.

Sebastian Franco is a Colombian racquetball player. Franco is a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title in 2014 with Alejandro Herrera. In 2018, Franco became the first South American to win a tournament on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), when he won the March Madness event in San Antonio. He finished the IRT’s Top 10 four straight seasons - from 2015-16 to 2018-19 - with a career high ranking of 6th in 2017-18.

The International Racquetball Federation's 19th Racquetball World Championships were held in San José, Costa Rica from August 10–18, 2018. Originally, the event was to be held in Haining, China, but on March 17, 2018 the IRT announced via its Facebook page that the venue will be changed due to complications. Cali, Colombia was the first alternative choice, but there were complications there as well, so on June 16, 2018, the IRF announced via Facebook that San Jose, Costa Rica will host Worlds.

Alejandro Landa is a Mexican racquetball player. Landa is a two-time winner on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), and has represented Mexico internationally, winning gold in Men's Singles and Doubles at the 2017 Pan American Championships.

Conrrado Moscoso Bolivian racquetball player

Conrrado Moscoso is a Bolivian racquetball player. He's won multiple medals for Bolivia, including several gold medals, most significantly gold in the Men's Team event at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. That was the first gold medal won by Bolivia in any sport at the Pan American Games. Moscoso has also won on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), and cracked the IRT top 10 in 2019-20.

Carlos Keller is a Bolivian racquetball player. Keller is the two time reigning Pan American Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title in 2018 and 2019. Also, Keller was on the Bolivian Men's Team that won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games, which was Bolivia's first racquetball gold medal at the Pan Am Games.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bossconsulting.com/irt/ IRT Historical Data Archive
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "Men's Doubles Open Gold Single Elimination - Racquetball - 15th IRF World Racquetball Championships 2010".
  4. ↑ "(MTOG) Men's Team Competition - Open Gold Single Elimination - Racquetball - 15th IRF World Racquetball Championships 2010".
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2010-10-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ http://www.usaracquetball.com/RecordBooks/DoublesChampions.aspx
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.