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Ortiz wins WPH R48Pro V Houston Stop

MOMCBy David Fink
 
HOUSTON — Sunday featured the R48 and SR48 finals, R48 Playoff finals and the conclusion of the Texas State Doubles Championships.

Sean Lenning and Mando Ortiz met in the final for the third time in the last five Race 4 Eight events, with Lenning winning the previous two finals in Salt Lake City (2015) and Tucson (2015). Lenning cruised to the final with ease, winning all six games he played and never allowing any of his three opponents to score more than 10 points in any game. Ortiz entered Houston’s final in search of his first R48 title after losing in his first three trips to the finals. Ortiz defeated Paul Brady in Saturday’s semifinal in what instantly became recognized as the best match in the history of the R48 tour.

Mando Ortiz picked up where he left off in his semifinal win in the final, crushing Lenning 15-0 in just nine minutes to take a one-game lead. “Sean was just asleep in the first game and not making his serves or his shots,” Ortiz would later say. Lenning came to life in game two, finding his rhythm and his explosiveness to even the match at one game apiece.

The tiebreaker produced several dramatic momentum changes between two of the greatest offensive players in the history of the sport. Lenning raced to a 6-1 lead before Mando scored 11 of the next 12 points to seize control of the third frame. Ortiz would eventually lead 13-9, just two point from his first R48 title. Several long exchanges and multiple dives, floor timeouts, glove changes, and incredible shot making by Sean Lenning saw the score tied at 13, with Lenning two points from his sixth R48 title. A furious rally at 13-all revealed both player’s desperation to win the title, as each lunged and dove for multiple balls. Ortiz earned the side out and scored consecutive points to win his first R48 title.

“This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” revealed at emotional Ortiz on ESPN. “I know of all of the great mentors and champions that have come before me paved the way and I’m just so happy to be part of the club (of champions). Both my grandparents passed away this year and this is for them.”

epEmmett Peixoto rebounded from his quarterfinal loss to Mando Ortiz to defeat Killian Carroll for the first time in the first round of the 5th place playoffs and clinched fifth by defeating Jonathan Iglesias. Luis Cordova dominated the 9th place playoffs, cruising past Daniel Cordova, David Fink, and Allan Garner. Tyler Stevens earned a R48 ranking for the first time by winning the 17th place playoffs, defeating Chicago’s Carlos Lemus in the final.

R48 Houston Finishes:

1st:Ortiz

2nd: Lenning

3rd: Moreno/Brady

5th: Peixoto

6th: Iglesias

7th: Carroll/Selestow

9th: L. Cordova

10th: Al. Garner

11th: Fink/Pallares

13th: Munson/D. Cordova/Bernhard/Hamel

17th: Stevens

Marcos Chavez and Tyler Hamel met for the third straight year in the SR48 Houston, with the pair splitting their previous two Houston encounters. Chavez defeated Hamel in the 2014 SR48 Houston final and Hamel defeating Chavez in the 2015 SR48 Houston semifinal. Chavez was in search of his sixth SR48 title, while Hamel was aiming fir his first.

Chavez quickly took control of the final, building a 15-5 halftime lead with a remarkable display of all-around handball. The Chavez express continued to roll in the second half, as Chavez applied pressure to cruise to his sixth SR48 title and retain his #1 SR48 ranking.

SR48 Houston Finishes:

1st: Chavez

2nd: Hamel

3rd: Schad

4th:  Zimet

5th: Armijo

6th: Swoboda

To watch replays of the R48 and SR48 action from Houston, go to the Watch ESPN App (here).

See the draws and results HERE.

 
Questions?  Email [email protected]

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64th USHA National Collegiate Championships

MINNEAPOLIS — Peter Funchion and Ciana NiChurraoin will be taking the men’s and women’s titles back to Ireland (on the shoulders of their teammates).  Ni Churraoin slammed in the women’s with Niamh Dunne .  Funchion turned back Minnesota favorite Tyler Stoffel in a great final to a great tournament. In one of the most competitive Collegiates ever, University of Limerick won its first Men’s Title and the University of Texas grabbed the Women’s.  Lake Forest held the Overall Championships with second-place finishes in both men’s and women’s.

See the Final Team Standings:  COMBINED SCORES     MEN’S SCORES     WOMEN’S SCORES

See the Final Individual Player Results:

Men by Name
Men by School
Men by Points
Women by Name
Women by School
Women by Points

The photo below features the Univ. of West Florida Argonauts striking a pose–very Argonaut-like! See the BRACKET ROUND draws at the bottom for most up to date scores and match times.  #NATLCOLLEGIATEHANDBALL16.  

BRACKET ROUNDS

MEN’S SINGLES

WOMEN’S SINGLES

DOUBLES

Men

Women

Draws

MEN
Men’s Seeds

FIRST ROUND (Brackets and times available)


SECOND ROUND (Brackets and times available)

WOMEN
Women’s seeds

FIRST ROUND (Brackets and times available)

SECOND ROUND (Brackets and times available)

Contact Information

University of Minnesota
VINH CHUNG
(612) 626-7591
(612) 626-7708

USHA
MATT KRUEGER
(520) 795-0434

 

Time lines

  • February 22-Draws posted
  • February 24 12 noon-registration opens
  • February 24 1:30 pm-coaches meeting
  • February 24 3:00 pm-play begins
  • February 25 8:00 am-play continues
  • February 26 8:00 am-play continues
  • February 27 9:00 am-semifinals
  • February 27 3:30 pm-coaches meeting
  • February 27 7:00 pm-banquet
  • February 28 9:00 am-finals

 

Hotels

  • Days Inn. Call (612-623-3999) by Jan. 24 of $99/night. Mention US Handball. Parking and continental breakfast is included. U.S. Handball
  • Commons  Call (612-379-8888) or reserve online by Feb. 3 to for $129/night,

 

Transportation 

Metro Transit website

  • Light rail to and from airport-The train runs from both airport terminals. Take the Blue Line north (towards Target Field) to Downtown East station. Transfer to the Green Line east (towards St Paul). Exit at Eastbank station for the Commons and the UM Recreation Center. Exit at Stadium Village for Days Inn.
  • Walking from Commons to Rec Center Right on Harvard, 2 minutes walk
  • Walking from Days Inn to Rec Center-Southeast on Washington, to Harvard, turn right. 10 minutes walk.
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Simple Green 2015 US Open of Handball

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. —  The Simple Green 2015 US Open of Handball and 25th Naty Alvarado Classic featured the game’s best in a festival of handball in one=wall, three-wall and four-wall on Sunday.  In a first, players were allowed to enter more than one pro event.  The brackets were filled with star power but slams were hard to come by, even for Paul Brady.  The only Open slam came in the Women’s one-wall with Sandy Ng taking two titles on Sunday.   

After Brady (taking one off the back wall in the final), rallied to defeat Luis Moreno in the singles final, he ran into a buzz saw in Armando Ortiz in the doubles.  Brady and Emmett Peixoto looked unbeatable en route to the final but that was before Ortiz caught fire and Vic Perez’ stellar right-side play proved too much for the singles stars.  

Samzon Hernandez (setting to blast one outdoors), overcame fatigue to take the three-wall singles over Victor Duran. 

Timbo Gonzalez beat Tywan Cook for the one-wall singles but also came up just short in the three-wall doubles with Braulio Ruiz in the final against Gilbert Rosales and Manuel Arreola. 

The Festival featured great play in all versions and all age groups.

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Sheila Maroshick Inducted to Hall of Fame

By Dan Flickstein

On November 22, 2015 Sheila Maroshick, brilliant one-wall singles star from 1949-1964, was officially inducted into the USHA Hall of Fame in Brooklyn at Chadwick’s Restaurant at 89thStreet and Third Avenue, not far from where she lives with her sister, Eileen.  Eileen was the celebration’s gracious hostess.

Sheila kicked off the festivities with a beautiful prayer she had written many years ago for an assembly program she directed at the junior high school where she taught.  That long ago special program welcomed guest speaker Eleanor Roosevelt, who praised Sheila for her elegant words.  After the prayer Sheila spoke briefly of her handball glory days and of her gratitude for being accepted to the National Hall of Fame.

During the evening attention was called to Sheila’s latest book, The Inquisitive Children, from which all proceeds will be donated to the Make a Wish Foundation.

City Councilman Vincent Gentile presented Sheila with on official citation for her Hall of Fame career, indicating her contribution to the City of New York as an athlete.

Top (clockwise): Dan Flickstein with host Eileen Maroshick and Hall of Fame Inductee Sheila Maroshick. Maroshick blasts a shot in the Inaugural USHA One-Wall Nationals. Flickstein presents Maroshick with her Handball Hall of Fame jacket.
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2015 Milwaukee Handball Classic

WEST ALLIS, Wisc. — “Luis Moreno OWNS the Milwaukee Classic,” declared tournament director Charlie Keller.  Nobody could get the best of Moreno at the Wisconsin Athletic Club as he slammed for the second year in a row, defeating Sean Lenning (16), 4, 6, in singles and winning the doubles with Emmett Peixoto, 12, 17, over Lenning and Nik Nahorniak.

(more…)

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Latest News: USHA Hall of Fame Tourney & Masters Doubles POSTPONED

USHA Hall of Fame and 2020 Masters Doubles Postponed
Dear Handball Family,

As I mentioned in my last message, the COVID-19 response is fluid and things are changing rapidly. As a result of care and concern for our members and families, as well as current restrictions on facilities, businesses, and gatherings, we are postponing the following events at this time:

Hall of Fame Tournament, Tucson, Arizona, April 3-5; and National Masters Doubles Championships scheduled for Schaumburg Tennis Plus in Schaumburg, Illinois, April 16-19.

Of course, we do this with heavy hearts and we sincerely apologize to those who may be inconvenienced. The USHA will give full refunds for entry fees. We are also pleased that most businesses associated with travel (e.g., airlines, hotels) are accommodating cancellations, as well. But, concern for our handball family and friends necessitates these postponements. We encourage you to contact your tournament directors regarding upcoming local, state, and regional events as they may be postponed or cancelled. We are already aware of some of these situations.

We are committed to doing what we can to reschedule the important USHA events identified above. And, of course, we look forward to a time when we can go back to “business as usual.” In the meantime, we hope you stay safe and take care.

Yours in Handball,

LeaAnn Martin
USHA President

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