The 22^nd Annual Women’s Senior/Masters Racquetball National Championships will be held Jan 14-16, 2011 at the Highlands Ranch Recreation Center at Northridge, in Littleton, CO. The WSMRA is very excited to have the tournament in Colorado for the first time! Tournaments Directors will be Marcia Richards, Cindy Tilbury and Lori Inskeep.

The traditional “fun doubles” benefit for Breast Cancer Research will be on Thursday afternoon, Jan 13 at the Rec Center for players coming in early. Player registration and meeting will be at the Rec Center on Thursday, Jan 13 at 7 pm. Play begins on Friday, Jan 14 at 8 am and will end by 3 pm on Sunday, January 16, please make you travel plans accordingly. WE ARE USING THE WILSON BLUE BALL DUE TO THE ALTITUDE.

The tournament organizers have planned a fabulous post-tournament ski trip to Breckenridge, from Jan 16- Jan 21. You can download the information by clicking this link. Deadline for signing up is July 17, 2010.

The tournament is open to all women 35 and over in both open/A and B/C (intermediate) divisions. It is an age-group, round-robin singles tournament held over only 2.5 days, from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. You are never out of this round-robin tournament, and will play usually 5 up to ten or more matches.

The host hotel and banquet site will be the Hilton Garden Inn. 1050 Plaza Dr., Highlands Ranch, CO 80129, phone 303-683-4100. ROOM RATE: $79 + tax/night. There is also a Residence Inn across the street if you prefer a suite, 93 Centennial Blvd., Highlands Ranch, CO 80129, phone 303-683-5500 (Kitchens & Suites) ROOM RATE: $89 (room) or $159 (suite) + tax/night

BOOK BY January 1, 2011 and use code WSMRA to request group rate. Rates are good for up to 4 people per room and for Wednesday through Sunday. FREE BREAKFAST at both hotels for 2/room; $5 for each additional person. There will be a shuttle service to/from the hotels/club. The hotels are less than 1 mile from the club.

The nearest airport is Denver International Airport (DIA, airport code DEN, (http://www.flydenver.com/) is 45 minutes northeast of the club. It is also possible to fly into Colorado Springs (1 hr S of Denver). Airport shuttle service such as the Super Shuttle to the hotel is available (http://www.supershuttle.com),1-800-BLUE VAN, $33 for first person, $9 each additional person for shared van, or check the links on the DIA web site.

The entry form is available for download (2011Entry.pdf) and it has all the information about the tournament. Again this year, we will not be mailing out entry forms. Registration will be primarily online using the r2sports web site (http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=7190). If you are not registered on r2, register now to save time later, and make sure your profile is up to date (this is different from your USAR profile). You can use the downloaded form if you wish to register by US Mail, or you can request a form from kdtutsch@wisc.edu.

There are many great attractions, shopping and things to do in the Denver area. Check out http://www.denver.org/ . Visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Botanic Gardens or the Aquarium. Shop the Park Meadows Mall or Outlets at Castle Rock. The National Western Stock show will be in Denver Jan 8-23, with rodeos, horse shows and much more (www.nationalwestern.com). Visit the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Plan a ski vacation before or after the tournament. Cross county skiing trails are nearby, and the Echo Mountain ski area is the closest to Denver, or try some of the other Colorado ski areas.