Dane Elkins

USAR National Singles Championship, 2013

Dane Elkins, 17, is a Brentwood, California, resident and pro racquetball player who holds 18 major national junior racquetball championships (12 world outdoor racquetball championships and 6 USA National Junior Indoor Championships). Dane is a seven-time member of the USA National Junior Racquetball Team (indoor and outdoor),[1] a five-time USA Racquetball "All American," three-time USA Jr. Olympic "All American," a two-time USA Racquetball High School "All American," and a two-time USA National Singles Champion (Boys' Division, 14 and 18). He is currently ranked 39th on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT)[2] — the largest and best known professional racquetball tour.

Racquetball

Dane in 2016 won the Junior Olympic Nationals Championships in the boys' Gold 16 and under doubles, earning him the sport’s top honor again—a coveted spot on the USA Jr. National Racquetball (indoor) Team. At the 2016 Junior National Championships, Dane’s longtime partner, Ricky Diaz, played on a fractured ankle in their semi and finals doubles championship victories to qualify them for the World Championships in November 2016 in San Luis Portosa, Mexico, and play for the 2016 USA Jr. National Team. At the 2016 World Jr. Championships, Dane had his best showing as a two-time quarter-finalist in singles and doubles (his USA team won two bronze medals - in overall and boys).[3] As a National Outdoor USA Team member Dane has four times achieved outdoor racquetball #1 world ranking (in singles and doubles 2011 and 2013).[4][5]

At the 2014 Wilson Junior Olympics (indoor racquetball) in Denver, Colorado, Dane won the gold medal in 14-and-under boys doubles with partner Ricardo Diaz; he also won the gold medal for 14-and-under mixed doubles with partner Atossa Rejaei.[6] Dane has made the 2014 USA Junior National Team (indoor racquetball) and played at the World Championships in Cali, Columbia, representing Team USA in October 2014. The USA Jr. National Team finished third overall, receiving a Bronze medal.[7] Dane and partner Ricky Diaz, at the 2014 World Jr. Championships, lost in the quarterfinals in doubles (in a tiebreaker) to the team that silver-medaled.

In 2014, at the 47th annual USA Racquetball National Singles Championship (indoor) in Fullerton, California, Dane won the gold medal in the boy's 14 and under and boys 18 and under (as a 14-year-old).[8] In 2011, Dane won a full scholarship from the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) pro racquetball Network /USA Racquetball (USAR) team to attend the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Olympic Training Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado. And in July 2014 and August 2016 Dane again attended the USOC Olympic Training Camp as part of the USA National Racquetball Team’s mandatory training. Dane was a member of Ektelon’s pro junior development team.[9] He is now sponsored and coached at national pro/junior events by six-time #1 pro player/coach Cliff Swain.

Since 2015, Dane has served as a junior board member for the California-Nevada State Racquetball Association (CNRA). He and several local southern California players have raised several thousand dollars in CNRA fundraisers for Jr. Olympics and World Championships. Dane is the founding member and original president (he now shares that title with high school doubles’ partner Jared Anwar) of the Palisades Charter High School Racquetball Team that represented California at the 2014, 2015 and 2016 USA National High School Championship held in Oregon (2014 and 2016) and Missouri (2015).

Dane is a National Outdoor USA Team member Dane has four times achieved outdoor racquetball #1 world ranking (in singles and doubles 2011 and 2013).[10][11] In July 2013 at the 45th annual WOR Championships,[12] Dane made the national outdoor team in singles and doubles.[13][14]

USOC Training Center, 2014

Dane won his first pro match in 2014 in Fresno, California, at age 15; he has now played several top 20 pro players and has placed in the finals, semifinals, and quarterfinals at several IRT pro racquetball tour events.[15][16][17]

Education and Training

Dane attends Palisades Charter High School. In June 2016, Dane received a black belt in martial arts from five-time world champion instructor Keith Hirabayashi Cooke (Keith Cooke).

His long time coach is Hall of Fame player and 2016 Team USA pro coach Debbie Tisinger-Moore.[18] His father, Brett Elkins, is a world outdoor skills three-wall champion (2012), ranked IRT pro, and head of the World Outdoor Racquetball Hall of Fame.[19] His younger brother, Cody Elkins, in 2015 was ranked 2nd nationally in racquetball for boys 10 and under,[20] finished 3rd in boys 10 and under at the 2014 Junior Olympics, and finished 2nd in boys mixed and boys 10 doubles in 2015.[21]

Articles and Videos

ARTICLE: Dane is featured on the Palisadean Post Sports Page (June 28, 2016)[22]

ARTICLE: Dane is featured, along with several other acclaimed athletes from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, in a December 24, 2015, article in the Palisadian-Post, "Top Athletes of the Year in 2015."[23]

ARTICLE: In the Spring 2014 edition of USA Racquetball, Dane contributed an article on the January 2014 California-Nevada junior racquetball championships.[24]

ARTICLE: Dane authored the article "2015 California-Nevada State Junior Racquetball Championships (Southern California)" published on the California-Nevada Racquetball Website.[25] He also cowrote the article, "California Divides with Awesome Results," in the Spring 2012 issue of USA Racquetball Magazine.[26]

VIDEO: 2016 Jr. Olympics, boys 16 gold division doubles, featured their Championships match on USA Racquetball National Streaming. Dane Elkins and Ricky Diaz defeated Mitch Turner (Oregon) and Julian Singh (CA) to make the USA National Jr. Team.[27]

VIDEO: U.S. Junior National Racquetball Team member Dane Elkins is interviewed by the Palisadian Post following the recent Junior World Championships held in Cali, Colombia. Dane and his teammates brought home the Bronze Medal for Team USA. Video listed on USA Racquetball home page, interview conducted by Post sports editor, Steve Galluzzo.[28]

VIDEO: 2015 Jr Olympics, boys 16 gold division, featured match. Dane Elkins defeats Lucas Shoemaker.[29]

References

  1. ↑ Official event record for boys 18 2015 WOR championship: http://www.r2sports.com/website/event-results.asp?TID=13737
  2. ↑ Current Rankings & IRT Ranking System, http://www.irt-tour.com/current-rankingspost/
  3. ↑ Results of 2016 World Junior Championships: http://www.amafraweb.com.ar/juniors2016/
  4. ↑ World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) 2011 rankings (page 97 singles, page 105 doubles) http://worldoutdoorracquetball.net/rankings
  5. ↑ WOR 2013 rankings (page 89 singles, page 102 doubles) http://worldoutdoorracquetball.net/rankings
  6. ↑ 2014 Wilson Junior Olympics, 6/25/2014-6/29/2014, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA. http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=11902
  7. ↑ Article, "Congratulations to the U.S. Junior National Team Members," June 30, 2014. http://www.californiaracquetball.org/
  8. ↑ Racquetball Tournament (5/21/2014 - 5/25/2014), 2014 National Singles Championships presented by Penn and Ektelon, location: The Meridian Sports Club, Fullerton, CA, USA. Racquetball Event News. http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=11901.
  9. ↑ California Junior Wins Scholarship," California Nevada Racquetball Association, June 20, 2011. http://www.californiaracquetball.org/news.htm
  10. ↑ World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) 2011 rankings (page 97 singles, page 105 doubles) http://worldoutdoorracquetball.net/rankings
  11. ↑ WOR 2013 rankings (page 89 singles, page 102 doubles) http://worldoutdoorracquetball.net/rankings
  12. ↑ "Dane Elkins, Pali High Freshman, wins 3 national/world racquetball titles over the summer," Brentwood Patch, August 08, 2013. http://brentwood.patch.com/groups/announcements/p/dane-elkins-pali-high-freshman-wins-3-nationalworld-racquetball-tittles-over-the-summer
  13. ↑ WOR 2011 National Team http://worldoutdoorracquetball.net/downloads/2010-2011%20WOR-national-team-seasonal-champions.pdf
  14. ↑ WOR 2013 National Team http://www.worldoutdoorracquetball.net/files/download/605
  15. ↑ http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=18780
  16. ↑ 2016 Egg-Splat Open Racq Tournament & IRT Shootout & CPRT Shootout, 4/22/2016-4/24/2016, 360 Health Club, Reseda, CA, USA (ref. pro/open). http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=17263
  17. ↑ 2015 Bad Santa Racquetball Tournament Crunch Fitness, 12/11/2015-12/13/2015, Gym-Simi Valley, Simi Valley, CA, USA (ref. pro/open). http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=16548
  18. ↑ Racquetball Hall of Fame coach, Debbie Tisinger Moore, profile on the US Racquetball Assn Website. http://www.usaracquetballevents.com/profile-player.asp?UID=43797.
  19. ↑ WOR Hall of Fame.http://www.worldoutdoorracquetball.net/worhof.
  20. ↑ U.S. Racquetball Association Men's National Rankings (http://www.usaracquetballevents.com/rankings.asp?sortOptions=YES)
  21. ↑ 2014 Wilson Junior Olympic Championships (http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/viewResults.asp?TID=11902)
  22. ↑ "Elkins Earns Spot on National Racquetball Team," http://www.palipost.com/58487-2/
  23. ↑ "Top Athletes of the Year in 2015". Palisadian-Post, Steve Galluzzo , December 24, 2015.
  24. ↑ USA Racquetball Online, Spring 2014, page 8 (p. 10 in electronic count), "California State Junior Championships." http://online.publicationprinters.com/launch.aspx?eid=eaef202b-6431-4c3b-b2f0-96f4228f6d20.
  25. ↑ "2015 California-Nevada State Junior Racquetball Championships (Southern California)," California-Nevada Racquetball Website: http://www.californiaracquetball.org/.
  26. ↑ "California Divides with Awesome Results," Spring 2012, USA Racquetball Magazine.
  27. ↑ "2016 National Olympic Junior Championships," http://livestream.com/accounts/13069673/events/5605945/videos/127708815
  28. ↑ Dane Elkins interview in Palisadian Post re: Junior World Championships, Cali, Colombia. http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Racquetball/Features/2014/November/11/Dane-Elkins
  29. ↑ 2015 Jr Olympics, boys 16 gold division, featured match. http://livestream.com/usaracquetball/events/3981054/videos/91232267
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