Mike Ceresia
{{Short description|Canadian athlete}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More footnotes|date=January 2016}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2016}}}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Mike Ceresia
| image = Mike Racquetball 3.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| fullname = Mike Ceresia
| nickname =
| nationality = Canadian
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Sarnia, Ontario
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height =
| weight =
| website =
| country = Canada
| sport = Racquetball
| event =
| collegeteam =
| team =
| turnedpro =
| coach =
| retired = 2004
| coaching =
| finals =
| highestranking =
| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals = 1st 1992, 1997 (singles) 1st 1988-89, 1993, 1995-97, 2000, 2002 (doubles)
| olympics =
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| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's Racquetball}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalSilver | 2002 World Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalGold | 2002 World Championships | Men’s Team}}
{{MedalGold | 2000 World Championships | Men’s Team}}
{{MedalGold | 2000 World Championships | Overall Team}}
{{MedalSilver | 1996 World Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalGold | 1996 World Championships | Men’s Team}}
{{MedalSilver | 1994 World Championships | Singles}}
{{MedalSilver | 1990 World Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalSilver | 1988 World Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalGold | 1988 World Championships | Men’s Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan Am Championships}}
{{MedalSilver | 1998 Pan Am Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalSilver | 1997 Pan Am Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalGold | 1992 Pan Am Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalBronze | 1991 Pan Am Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalSilver | 1990 Pan Am Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalSilver | 1989 Pan Am Championships | Doubles}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}
{{MedalSilver| 1995 Mar del Plata | Men’s Team}}
| show-medals =
}}
Mike Ceresia is a Canadian retired racquetball player from Sarnia, Ontario. He won gold in the Men’s Team event at four [http://www.internationalracquetball.com International Racquetball Federation] (IRF) World Championships, and one overall World Championship Title for a total of 5 Gold Medals. This is a Canadian record. In Canada, Ceresia won 10 Canadian Championships (two singles and eight doubles),{{cite web |title=Canadian Open Champions |url=https://racquetballcanada.ca/national-teams-2/ |website=Racquetball Canada |publisher=Racquetball Canada |accessdate=22 November 2020}} and that is 3rd most men's titles (tied with Sherman Greenfeld).
International career
Ceresia represented Canada on 18 occasions between 1988 and 2002,{{cite web |url=http://www.racquetball.ca/articles.asp?articleID=1835&zoneID=299 |title=Canadian National Champions |website=Racquetball.ca |date= |accessdate=2016-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802011959/http://www.racquetball.ca/articles.asp?articleID=1835&zoneID=299 |archive-date=2018-08-02 |url-status=dead }} including eight consecutive World Championships during that period.
His lowest finish at the World Championships was fourth.{{cite web|url=http://www.racquetball.ca/en/tournaments/world/index.html |title=Racquetball Canada - World Championships : Championnat du Monde |date=26 June 2009 |accessdate=23 May 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626054840/http://www.racquetball.ca/en/tournaments/world/index.html |archivedate=26 June 2009 }}
Ceresia was a member on the Canadian men's team that won gold four times: 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2002, as well as a gold medal for Overall/Combined Team in 2000. Ceresia and his partners won the deciding match for the men's team title in 1988, 2000 and 2002.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} These three clinching victories were over the United States.{{cite web|title=Slam! Sports 28th Annual Canadian Sport Awards|url=http://slam.canoe.com/CanadianSportAwards/Racquetball.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011434/http://slam.canoe.com/CanadianSportAwards/Racquetball.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 5, 2016|website=Slam! Sports|publisher=Canoe Inc.|accessdate=19 December 2016}}
Ceresia was the men's doubles silver medalist at Worlds on four occasions:{{cite web|url=http://www.internationalracquetball.com/racquetball/recordbook/irf-recordsbooks/match-results.aspx |title=IRF:: International Racquetball Federation - Match Results |date=6 June 2012 |accessdate=23 May 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606112356/http://www.internationalracquetball.com/racquetball/recordbook/irf-recordsbooks/match-results.aspx |archivedate=6 June 2012 }} in 1988 with Paul Shanks, in 1990 with Ross Harvey, in 1996 with Simon Roy, and in 2002 with Mike Green. Ceresia was also a World silver medallist in men's singles in 1994.
Ceresia was a Pan American Games silver medalist in the Men's Team event in Mar Del Plata, Argentina in 1995.{{cite web|url=http://www.racquetball.ca/en/tournaments/pan-am-games/1995_story.html |title=Racquetball Canada - Pan Am Games |date=28 August 2011 |accessdate=23 May 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828033047/http://www.racquetball.ca/en/tournaments/pan-am-games/1995_story.html |archivedate=28 August 2011 }}
Canadian career
Ceresia was the Canadian Champion in Men's Singles twice: in 1992 and in 1997. He was Canadian National Doubles Champion in Men's Doubles on eight occasions.
His first two doubles titles were back to back in 1988 with Roger Harripersad and 1989 with Paul Shanks. He next won in 1993 with Jacques Demers. Ceresia's most successful partnership was with Simon Roy. They won three consecutive championships, from 1995 to 1997. Ceresia won in 2000 with Mike Green and his final championship came in 2002 with Gary Waite.
His 10 Canadian Championships tie him for third most men's championships with Sherman Greenfeld.
Personal life
Ceresia is a member of three sports halls of fame. He was inducted into the Sarnia-Lambton Sports Hall of Fame in 2008,{{cite web|url=http://www.sarniasports.com/Halloffame/2008Inductees/MikeCeresia.html |title=Sarniasports |website=Sarniasports |date= |accessdate=2016-01-07}}{{cite web|url=http://www.theobserver.ca/2008/07/16/hall-reveals-class-of-08|title=Hall reveals Class of '08|last=nurun.com|website=Sarnia Observer|accessdate=23 May 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.norwichgazette.com/2008/10/14/fourteen-individuals-two-teams-enter-hall-of-fame |title=Fourteen individuals, two teams enter Hall of Fame {{!}} Norwich Gazette |website=www.norwichgazette.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018221356/http://www.norwichgazette.com/2008/10/14/fourteen-individuals-two-teams-enter-hall-of-fame |archive-date=2016-10-18}} Ceresia was inducted into the [https://racquetballcanada.ca/ Racquetball Canada] Hall of Fame in May 2018.{{cite web |title=Racquetball Canada Hall of Fame - Mike Ceresia |url=https://racquetballcanada.ca/hall-of-fame-mike-ceresia/ |website=Racquetball Canada |publisher=Racquetball Canada |accessdate=22 November 2020}} In 2024, he was named to the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=Mike Ceresia |url=https://ontariosportshalloffame.com/mike-ceresia/ |website=Ontario Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=30 September 2024}}
Ceresia graduated from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario with a BA in 1987.{{cite book |title=The University of Western Ontario Alumni Directory 1991 |date=1991 |publisher=The University of Western Ontario |location=London, Ontario |page=102 |edition=1991 }} Ceresia and his wife Claudine have two children and live in Burlington, Ontario.
References
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Category:Canadian racquetball players
Category:Sportspeople from Burlington, Ontario
Category:Sportspeople from Sarnia
Category:Pan American Games medalists in racquetball
Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada