Racquetball, rodeo and kids’ wrestling don’t typically make for front-page stories in The Durango Herald sports section. But recently, a number of athletes in those “fall-between-the-cracks” activities have warranted recognition – and in a big way.
A runner-up finish in a national tournament definitely is deserving, and that’s what John McManamon of Durango accomplished in the recent USA Racquetball U.S. National Singles Championship in Denver.
McManamon, 60, who plays and trains at the Durango Sports Club, was second in the 60B age division, losing only one match in the round-robin tournament – in a tiebreaker to the eventual champion. An accomplished veteran player, this was his first national singles tournament.
“I won against the No. 1 player in Wyoming, the No. 33 player in Texas and the No. 57 player in California,” McManamon said, adding that a total of 377 players competed in the tourney.
“I beat him in the second game – he didn’t lose any other games,” he said of his tiebreaker loss to the eventual champion (10-15, 15-5, 7-11). “And I was up 4-0 in the tiebreaker. He (the eventual champ) even said to me afterward that ‘you were just missing a few shots you weren’t in the first two games.’ It was just one of those things. We were both 2-0 at the time, and we both knew the winner (of that match) was going to end up getting it (the title).”
While McManamon came up just short in his national championship bid, a number of Durango rodeo athletes will soon get their shot at nationals.
Maddie Shaline, daughter of Deck and Diane Shaline of Durango, recently finished second in breakaway roping in the Colorado State High School Rodeo Association Championships – the top four in each category advanced to the National High School Finals Rodeo. Cade Van Soelen, son of Tom and Cheri Van Soelen of Durango, tied for fourth in team roping and also will compete in the high school championships July 12-18 at Rock Springs, Wyoming. Shaline will be riding at Wednesday’s True West Rodeo Series opener at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, where she and Van Soelen also will be selling baked goods to raise funds for nationals.
In the junior high division, two locals also will be vying for national rodeo titles: Madison Story and Ty Mattausch. Story, daughter of Cody and Shannon Story of Bayfield, qualified with a third-place finish in pole bending at the state competition. Mattausch, son of Curt Mattausch of Cortez and Tammy Beach of Denver, won the bull-riding competition and was third in bareback riding. Both will compete at junior high nationals June 21-27 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
The national rodeo event is a rugged competition. Not unlike the recent Aztec Warrior wrestling championships in Farmington. No, don’t let those tiny wrestlers fool you – they were all business, with a pair of locals bringing home trophies that stood as tall as them.
Blaze Aguilar, 6, son of Blossom and Julian Aguilar of Durango, won the 6-and-under 37-pound weight division, and Lance Baker, 6, son of Alex and Wolfina Baker of Durango, won the 6-and-under 43-pound title. Lance’s sister, Marie, 5, was fifth in the 6-and-under 40-pound division.
“This was his second year wrestling with the Durango Wrestling Club and he did awesome,” Blossom Aguilar said of son Blaze, adding that the tournament attracted about 1,600 participants, competing in everything from folkstyle to greco.
That two Durango youths came out of there with trophies up to their eyes is noteworthy – that’s hardware that won’t fall between the cracks.
bpeterson@durangoherald.com
