# Ben Croft > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ben_Croft > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ben_Croft.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Croft > Source revision: 1319555194 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American racquetball player|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Ben Croft | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = American | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|2|11}} | birth_place = Lake Forest, Illinois | death_date = | death_place = | height = 5 ft 11 in | weight = | website = | country = | sport = Racquetball | event = | collegeteam = Colorado State (Pueblo) | team = | turnedpro = 2007 | coach = | retired = | coaching = | highestranking = | worlds = 1st Doubles (2010) | regionals = | nationals = 1st Doubles (2007, 2010, 2012) | olympics = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [Racquetball](/source/Racquetball)}} {{MedalCountry | {{flagu|United States}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[World Championships](/source/Racquetball_World_Championships)}} {{MedalBronze | 2014 [Burlington](/source/Racquetball_World_Championships) | Doubles}} {{MedalGold | 2010 [Seoul](/source/Racquetball_World_Championships) | Doubles}} {{MedalGold | 2010 [Seoul](/source/Racquetball_World_Championships) | Team}} {{MedalCompetition|[Pan Am Championships](/source/Pan_American_Racquetball_Championships)}} {{MedalGold | 2009 [San Pedro Sula](/source/Pan_American_Racquetball_Championships) | Doubles}} | show-medals = }} '''Ben Croft''' (born February 11, 1985) is an American racquetball player. Croft's a former [racquetball World Champion](/source/Racquetball_World_Championships), winning men's doubles in [2010](/source/2010_Racquetball_World_Championships) with Mitch Williams. His personal best ranking on the [International Racquetball Tour](/source/International_Racquetball_Tour) was 3rd at the end of the 2010–11 season.[http://www.bossconsulting.com/irt/ IRT Historical Data Archive] 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". == Professional career == Croft won the [http://www.irt-tour.com International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127222243/http://www.irt-tour.com/ |date=2018-11-27 }} 2012 Salt Lake City Pro-Am,{{Cite web |url=http://www.irt-tour.com/draws/2012_Utah_Draw.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000129/http://www.irt-tour.com/draws/2012_Utah_Draw.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }} defeating [Álvaro Beltrán](/source/%C3%81lvaro_Beltr%C3%A1n) in the semi-finals and [Rocky Carson](/source/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](/source/Kane_Waselenchuk). == International career == He has played on Team USA thrice. Croft won two gold medals at the [2010 World Championships](/source/2010_Racquetball_World_Championships), one in men's doubles{{Cite web|url=http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/drawsOut/view-bracket.asp?leftFrame=&TID=7256&divID=0&combinedID=41422&print=&fromPage=&highlightMatchNum=&drawVar=&message=|title=Men's Doubles Open Gold Single Elimination - Racquetball - 15th IRF World Racquetball Championships 2010}} with Mitch Williams and the other in the men's team competition.{{Cite web|url=http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/drawsOut/drawOut.asp?drawVar=&display=&divStatus=Olympic%20Format&linkPlayer=&TID=7256&divID=0&combinedID=41358&numPlayers=62&chatRoomUserID=|title = (MTOG) Men's Team Competition - Open Gold Single Elimination - Racquetball - 15th IRF World Racquetball Championships 2010}} Croft and Williams also won gold at the 2009 [Pan American Racquetball Championships](/source/Pan_American_Racquetball_Championships). Most recently, Croft played Men's Doubles with Tom Fuhrmann at the [2014 World Championships](/source/2014_Racquetball_World_Championships) in Burlington, Ontario, where they lost to the Canadian team of [Vincent Gagnon](/source/Vincent_Gagnon) and [Mike Green](/source/Mike_Green_(racquetball)) 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalracquetball.com/juniors/01irfjrs.htm |title=RACQUETBALL – International Racquetball Federation – IRF |accessdate=2010-10-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208091938/http://www.internationalracquetball.com/juniors/01irfjrs.htm |archivedate=2009-02-08 }} He was the 4th player to win that category twice, and the previous three – [Rocky Carson](/source/Rocky_Carson), [Jack Huczek](/source/Jack_Huczek) and [Sudsy Monchik](/source/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.{{cite web | title=USA Racquetball > Record Books > Doubles Champions | url=http://www.usaracquetball.com/RecordBooks/DoublesChampions.aspx | access-date=2010-12-27 | archive-date=2011-01-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123125859/http://www.usaracquetball.com/RecordBooks/DoublesChampions.aspx | url-status=dead }} He also holds the record for total Intercollegiate Titles with seven including three singles and four doubles titles from 2004 to 2007. == Personal == Croft attended [Colorado State University](/source/Colorado_State_University) in Pueblo, Colorado. Croft currently works at [http://www.racquetballwarehouse.com Racquetball Warehouse]. He married Sarah Spinks in 2012. Their first child was born in 2014. ==See also== * [List of racquetball players](/source/List_of_racquetball_players) == References== == External links == *[http://www.irt-tour.com IRT Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127222243/http://www.irt-tour.com/ |date=2018-11-27 }} *[https://twitter.com/BenCroftRB Ben Croft's Twitter page] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Ben}} Category:American racquetball players Category:Living people Category:1985 births --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ben Croft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Croft) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Croft?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.