MAUMEE, Ohio — The forecast looked questionable at best when players went to bed Sunday night wondering if they were going to be able to play outside Monday morning. Despite dark overcast skies Monday morning, the rain did not come and all of the matches were able to take place on the three-wall court.
Ashley Ruiz and Suzanne Entzeroth played the women’s final to begin the day. Ruiz played like she was on a mission and controlled the game from start to finish. Ruiz’s fly kills and power drives kept Entzeroth off balanced the whole match. Ruiz exclaimed “Finally!” moments after she scored the final point. This was her first singles title in Toledo after a few tough losses in the final. It was well deserved, as she played great all weekend.
Ruiz then teamed up with Mikaila Esser to defeat Entzeroth and Sandy Ng in the Women’s Open Doubles Final. With Ruiz’s fly kill ability in the front court and Esser’s power drives in the back they are a tough team to beat. They have now won the last two years.
Shortly after Ruiz and Esser won their match, their husbands, Shorty Ruiz and Sam Esser teamed up to take on Martin Mulkerrins and Sean Lenning in the Men’s Open Doubles finals. Ruiz and Esser were also looking to go back to back as they won the doubles title last year.
Mulkerrins and Lenning started fast, building a 15-5 lead. Ruiz caught fire after that, and brought his team back to the tie the game at 17-17. Mulkerrins and Lenning stopped the run there, and looked to be in control serving at 20-17 with both servers. A Ruiz kill sided out Mulkerrins, and then Lenning hit his serve into the floor which gave Ruiz and Esser the serve back. Ruiz and Esser closed out the final 4 points to take game one. They started out 11-0 game two and never looked back, and defended their title.
Last year, the Esser’s and Ruiz’s were the first engaged couples to team up and win a national open doubles title with each other. This year they were the first married couple to do so.
The Toledo Handball Club again put on an amazing tournament with incredible hospitality. Every year they seem to top the last. Thank you to all of their volunteers and to everyone who helps make the tournament what it is: the best in the world.
MAUMEE, Ohio — Rain Sunday morning forced all of the action to be moved to the four-wall courts. Players and fans made the short trip to Bowling Green State University where 7 indoor courts awaited them. This was the first time in two decades play had to be moved inside.
Sean Lenning and Leo Canales put on a thriller in the Men’s Open Final. Lenning jumped out to a fast start in game one, hitting absolute lasers for serves down both the left and right walls. He easily took the first game. Canales responded in game two, retrieving everything Lenning hit and wearing him out to claim the second game.
The tiebreaker started with more of the same, and Canales jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Lenning. From there, Lenning looked like a different player. He rattled off several unbelievable ace serves that no player in the world could retrieve. Canales battled but had no answer for Lenning’s power, as Lenning came back to win the match, and his twelfth Three-Wall National Open Singles title. This was his first on a four-wall court.
The Women’s Open semifinals played today, beginning with Suzanne Entzeroth and Mikaila Esser. Esser dominated game one and looked to be in control of the match. Entzeroth though looked to be shaking off the four-wall rust in game two, and was able to win the second game. The tiebreaker was back and forth, but Entzeroth’s touch in the front court made the difference as she won and advanced to the finals.
On the other side of the bracket, Ashley Ruiz defeated Sandy Ng in dominating fashion. Ng had trouble with the back-wall shot and Ruiz was able to exploit the weakness. She will take on Entzeroth in the finals Monday morning.
The Men’s Doubles final will be between Shorty Ruiz/Sam Esser and Martin Mulkerrins/Sean Lenning
The Women’s Doubles final will be between Ashley Ruiz/Mikaila Esser and Sandy Ng/Suzanne Entzeroth.
The Big Ball Doubles final will be Brian Medina/Leo Canales and Shorty Ruiz/Allan Sanchez.
While we’d love to stay outside, but the only way to restart the tournament TODAY is to play indoors on four-wall courts.
The backup site is the STUDENT REC CENTER at Bowling Green State University. (Approximately 20 miles from the hotel/courts…south, down I-75).
BGSU Rec Center address is: 1411 Ridge St, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403
ONLY USE THE REC CENTER ENTRANCE OFF RIDGE STREET
Please use the map as a guide to parking and where you can find the main entrance HERE.
All standard parking is free on Sunday and Labor Day.
Use any Red Lots (1, 10, 16 & 18) or Orange “X” (See the map).
10 a.m. matches should expect to check in around 1:30 p.m. or begin sooner if possible.
Lunch will still be available at Noon at the George D. Miller Handball Courts, if you want to catch a bite before coming down.
Handball Tournament: 71st USHA National Three-Wall Championships Dates: Sep 1-5, 2022 Location: Maumee, OH USA – Lucas County Rec Center Director: USHA Website Link:https://www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=39088
_____________________________________________________________MAUMEE, Ohio — Saturday and day three of the tournament brought the Men’s Open Singles semifinal matches and the Women’s Pro singles quarterfinal matches. Sean Lenning played Abe Montijo in the first semifinal, and controlled the match from start to finish. Lenning’s serve could be the best ever on the three-wall court, and nobody has shown an answer for it yet. Leo Canales defeated Shorty Ruiz in a tiebreaker after dropping game one of the match. Canales has now won two tiebreakers in a row and will have the tough task of taking down Lenning tomorrow. On the Women’s side, Mikaila Esser dispatched Leah Kirk in the first quarterfinal of the day. Esser and Kirk had many long rallies but Esser’s consistency made the difference. Ashley Ruiz defeated Kristen Hughes in two quick games, using her fly kill anytime she had the chance and putting it down routinely. Suz Entzeroth just edged out Jennifer Schmitt in her quarterfinal, surviving the first game 21-20 and then winning the second 21-15. In one of the best matches of the day, Sandy Ng defeated Megan Dorneker in a tiebreaker. Ng is a great one-wall player as well, and will be tough for any of her opponents to defeat as she brings a different type of game to the court. Near the end of the night, three awards were given out: Toledo Handball was recognized as the 2021 Organization of the Year, and it’s obvious why to anyone who attends the three-wall nationals. Anthony La Rocca was awarded the Volunteer of the year award for 2021. La Rocca has been vital in Indiana where he has really grown the one-wall scene. Thomas Valenzuela was awarded his Grand Master jacket, which goes out to players who have won 10 age division national title. Valenzuela will attempt to add another title in the 50 doubles this weekend. Follow along with all of the results HERE _______________________________________________________________________________MAUMEE, Ohio — Day two of the tournament brought beautiful weather and sunny skies all day. The action heated up on the court as the open quarterfinals took place in the Men’s Open division. The highlight of the day though was the ceremony held to dedicate the three-wall courts at the Lucas County Recreation Center to the late George D. Miller. Hundreds of players and spectators gathered to hear a presentation from Toledo Handball Club’s Jim Lowe, USHA Executive Director Matt Krueger, and Lucas County Administrators. Miller was the driving force behind the courts and did so much to make the Three-Wall Nationals a success. His legacy will live on for many many years. At the end of the ceremony, Miller’s wife Joyce was honored with a gift, and the proclamation stating that the Board of Directors of Lucas County have named the handball courts at the Lucas County Recreation Center in his honor. Sean Lenning continued to dazzle the crowd with his strong serves and power on the three-wall court. He defeated Bill Mehilos and will take on Abraham Montijo in the first semifinal tomorrow. Montijo took on Ireland’s Martin Mulkerrins, who is teaching handball at Texas A&M this year. Montijo got off to fast starts in both games, and was able to hold on a late Mulkerrins run in each game to win 21-18, 21-18. Leo Canales had a thrilling 11-9 victory over Sam Esser. Canales rallied back from a 6-0 deficit in the tiebreaker to take the match. He will take on Shorty Ruiz in the second semifinal tomorrow. Ruiz defeated long time three-wall star Dane Szatakowski in his quarterfinal match. Ruiz hit several ace serves down the left and right that helped propel him to victory. The semifinals will take place tomorrow, and the Women’s Open quarterfinals will also begin tomorrow. View all the results and follow along HERE _____________________________________________________________________________ MAUMEE, Ohio — Day one of the tournament brought perfect weather and great handball. The Toledo Handball Club welcomed all the players to the 2022 USHA Three-Wall Nationals with their tremendous hospitality. Players enjoyed catching up with their handball buddies who they had not seen since last year. The opening round of singles kicked off in most divisions. Long time three-wall stars Bill Mehilos and Dane Szatakowski played great in their impressive victories today. Mehilos defeated Max Langmack in his round of 16 match, and will take on Sean Lenning tomorrow. Szatakowski took out Brian Medina, and will face Shorty Ruiz tomorrow. One of the matches of the day was in the 60 singles, where Miguel Garcia Jardon defeated Dan Allen in a marathon match. Garcia Jardon routinely retrieved shots that were 10 feet behind the deep line, and was able to just outlast Allen in the tiebreaker. Matches kick off at 10am tomorrow. View all the results and follow along HERE_______________________________________________________________________________________MAUMEE, Ohio — The Toledo Handball Club and USHA welcome players and families back to the traditional Labor Day Weekend classic, the 71st USHA National Three-Wall Championships at the Lucas County Rec Center. The draws and start times are now available HERE.Please Note: Times and matches are tentative (things may change up to the day of the event). Double-check playing times and match up The Three-Wall National Tournament is everyone’s the favorite event of the year, and the Toledo Handball Club promises to offer another prime event. At this year’s tournament, in memory of longtime handball great, George Miller, the Toledo Handball Club will name the Lucas County Rec Center Three-Wall Courts the George Miller Three-Wall Handball Courts.
George Miller thanks the Three-Wall Nationals players and families during his acceptance speech for the R.W. Kendler Award in 2005.
George Miller’s Legacy to Toledo Handball and the National Three-Wall Championships
It was George Miller who spearheaded the effort to get eight regulation size three-wall courts with lights constructed in the mid-70s, bringing the Nationals to northern Ohio in 1975. Our Three-Wall Nationals have been held there ever since. For players who made the trip to the Lucas County Rec Center for the USHA Three-Wall Nationals each Labor Day Weekend, George didn’t just embody the event, he was it (he would be the last person to mention that fact). While establishing an amazing cadre of volunteers, George still did it all: running the grills, sweeping the courts and even picking up trash around the park.
His amazing work stretched nearly five decades and made the Three-Wall Nationals a top destination not only for handball players in the U.S., but extending to Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Australia and more. Handball players who knew George or played in Toledo will want to attend this year’s ceremony.
This is the best three-wall facility in the country, featuring eight regulation courts with lights. Paired with Toledo Handball Club’s amazing hospitality, the Three-Wall Nationals are a must! The complex has something for everyone, so bring the family! In case of rain, a local club is available.
ATTENTION: For players entering DOUBLES EVENTS WITHOUT A PARTNER. USHA staff can connect you with eligible players for your division, but the responsibility falls solely on the player to have a complete team by the entry deadline. Those who cannot find a partner by the deadline will be removed from doubles and the 2nd event fee will be refunded (or the player may be placed in another eligible singles division).
For your time off the court, the Toledo Area has plenty to offer. See the “Things to do in Toledo” HERE.
USHA & WPH Big Ball Doubles
The USHA and WPH have partnered again to offer Big Ball Doubles in Three-Wall and Wallball. A promotional entry fee and $2K Prize Money purse is guaranteed for these divisions.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Tyree Bastidas defeated his brother Jurell for the second straight year to claim his eighth one-wall pro singles title.
Tyree was dominant in game one, using his great serve and drive shots to win 21-7. Game two saw Jurell jump out to a fast start and early lead, but Tyree clawed his way back in the game. The brothers played even until the end. At 20-19, Tyree was serving for the match and hit a perfect ace just over the short line that Jurell didn’t even move for.
The victory gave Tyree the slam after winning the doubles with his brother. He continues to show that he is a force to be reckoned with one the one-wall court. You can watch the finals on our YouTube Channel HERE.
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BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Rain fell over the Coney Island Handball courts on Sunday and caused a long delay in play. Because of the rain and a few Saturday night matches needing to be pushed to Sunday morning due to the lack of daylight, the Pro Singles Final between Tyree and Jurell Bastidas had to be moved to Sunday, August 21st at Noon Eastern Time.
Despite the Men’s Pro singles not playing, championship Sunday was still filled with several great matches.
Eddie Perez kicked off the day with a strong victory over Milton Jones in the 50 singles finals. That was followed by William Polanco putting on a serve and shoot clinic to win the 40 singles final over Jai Ragoo. Ragoo later teamed with Joseph Kaplan to win the 40 doubles title.
Tony Roberts and George Figueroa continued their dominant run in Coney Island, knocking off Thomas Valenzuela and Oscar Dejesus in a close match in the 50 doubles.
The Pro Doubles saw Tyree and Jurell Bastidas square off against Allan Sanchez and William Polanco. The first game came down to the wire. Sanchez and Polanco lead 20-17, but despite having several serves to put the game away couldn’t convert and the Bastidas brothers squeaked out a 21-20 victory. Their momentum carried into the second game, and they were dominant from start to finish, defeating Sanchez and Polanco 21-2 to earn the Pro Doubles title.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Day two of the One-Wall Nationals was a hot one from start to finish. Players battled through the heat and played sensational Handball.
The Women’s Finals concluded Saturday morning with Danielle Daskalakis claiming victory over Sandy Ng 21-20, 21-14 in a thrilling match. At 20-20 in game one, Ng held serve to close out the game and just barely missed an ace serve down the left. The ball was just over the side line, giving Daskalakis the serve back where she closed it out.
Daskalakis and Ng later teamed up to win the Pro Women’s Doubles final over Tracy Davis and Melissa Sky, where they played flawlessly.
The Pro Men’s division played their quarterfinals and semifinals Saturday. Four-wall star Killian Carroll played a sensation match against Wallball champion Tywan Cook in what was the match of the day.
Cook crushed Carroll in game one, but Carroll found a serve that Cook had no answer for in game two, and forced a tiebreaker. It looked like Cook was going to win when he jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but Carroll rediscovered his serve and won the next 9 points of the match.
Tyree Bastidas cruised past PeeWee Castro in his quarterfinal, showing why he is the defending champion.
Tyree’s brother, Jurell Bastidas, played a nearly 3 hour match against Alvaro Rebaza that saw a plentitude of momentum swings. Bastidas was able to find the bottom board in the tiebreaker to take victory.
Saul Gonzales won the last quarterfinal, defeating Joshua Garcia. Gonzales just narrowly escaped game one 21-20, and looked to be in trouble after losing game two 21-6. He rediscovered his form in the tiebreaker to win 11-1.
The first semifinal was between Tyree Bastidas and Killian Carroll. Bastidas ran Carroll all over the court, and Carroll tracked down many tough balls, but Bastidas had too much power and easily advanced to the finals.
Jurell Bastidas looked equally as dominant against a tough Saul Gonzales in his semifinal. This game featured a lot of strong serves and power drives. The two played evenly in both games but Bastidas was able to close them both out 21-17.
The Men’s Pro Final between Tyree and Jurell Bastidas will take place tomorrow at 11:00am eastern time. It’s a rematch of the Speaker’s Cup final, which went to Jurell.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Day one of the tournament was met with overcast skies and sporadic sprinkles in the early part of the day, a welcomed addition to the New York heat. Afternoon came with sunny skies and high temperatures which the players battled through.
The first two rounds of the Men’s Pro division were played today, with most of the top seeds holding true. Brothers Tyree and Jurell Bastidas entered the tournament as the top two seeds and both looked great on the court today. The quarterfinals and semifinals of the Men’s Pro will be played tomorrow.
The quarterfinals and semifinals of the Women’s Pro division were also played today. Danielle Daskalakis looked dominant against Mikaila Esser in the first semifinal of the day, dazzling the crowd with one inch high kill shots and hop serves that Esser could not get a hand on. Daskalakis advanced 21-1, 21-4.
Sandy Ng and Tracy Davis squared off in the second semifinal, with Ng prevailing 21-4 and 21-6. Ng’s serves were impressive, and Davis could never get a feel for a strong return. Tomorrow’s final between Ng and Daskalakis looks to be an exciting one as both players are on top of their game.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — For the second consecutive year, the 61st USHA National One-Wall Championships has grown, adding more players and competitive divisions! The Women’s Pro divisions and a Women’s B singles division are a welcomed addition. Good luck to all the players competing in Coney Island this weekend!
Play begins Friday morning at the Seaside Courts, located at Surf Avenue and West 5th Street. Draws and start times are now available HERE.
Please note: start times and draws are subject to change up to the day of the first match. Remember to double check players’ times the day of the event.eight
