Kirkwood girls, St. Louis U. High boys win High School Nationals

Kirkwood Girls and St. Louis University High School boys left Portland with the 2023 High School Nationals titles, and the results showed how much depth matters in racquetball’s school-based format. Kirkwood Girls won the girls crown for the first time in school history, while St. Louis U. High captured the boys title for the 16th time, and Benjamin Horner of Iowa made history by winning Boys Singles Gold #1, the first player from Iowa ever to take a High School National title.

The event drew 231 athletes and used a structure that pushes programs to build beyond one standout. Players could enter three events, but the third had to be mixed doubles. Singles played out in an Olympic-style Gold, Blue, Red and White bracket system, while doubles were single elimination with one consolation round. In team doubles, the top pair from each school went into Division #1, the second pair into Division #2, and so on, which meant a deep roster could score in multiple divisions rather than leaning on one elite duo.

That format has helped turn the high school championship into a real talent pipeline. It rewards balance across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, and it forces schools to develop chemistry between classmates instead of importing outside pairings. It also gives younger players a national stage where a second or third doubles team can matter just as much as a No. 1 singles player. Kirkwood and St. Louis U. High have used that structure better than most, with Kirkwood later turning its girls breakthrough into a run of broader dominance and St. Louis U. High adding yet another boys title to a long tradition.

The field grew fast after 2023. The 2024 nationals in St. Louis drew 326 athletes from 24 schools and five states, then 263 athletes from 32 schools and six states filled the 2025 event in Portland. In 2026, the championship returned to St. Louis as a five-day event from February 25 through March 1, drawing 311 athletes from 22 schools and seven states. Kirkwood won the overall team title in 2024, 2025 and 2026, extending a streak to five straight by 2026 and underlining how the format rewards program depth year after year.

USA Racquetball has framed the high school nationals as more than a trophy chase, and the results support that view. The championship has become one of the sport’s most important incubators, giving players the kind of bracket pressure, team scoring and mixed-doubles demands that prepare them for collegiate and elite competition.