SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – The 2024 USHA National Masters and IHA State Doubles tournaments delivered a thrilling weekend of handball action, showcasing standout performances across multiple divisions. With many teams hailing from Chicago, the Central Region took home a number of national titles.
The defending 65+ Masters champions from California, Daniel Brennan and Matthew DeWeese, moved up to the Diamond Masters (70+) division and claimed another title. In a nail-biting final, they edged out Tom Martinez and Bob Lohmueller, winning both games by the narrowest of margins, 21-20, 21-20.
Chicagoland’s own Oscar Zamora and Nick Kerins captured the Golden Masters (50+) crown after a strong showing in the round-robin format. Heading into Sunday’s deciding match, they were tied with the powerhouse duo of John Henning and Leo Canales. In a hard-fought battle, Zamora and Kerins emerged victorious, overcoming an early deficit to win 16-21, 21-16, 11-2.
In the Seniors (35+) and Open Doubles categories, the team of Mike and David Munson stole the spotlight, delivering stellar performances in both divisions. In the Seniors final, the Munsons found themselves on the brink of a third game as Dane and Adam Szatkowski held a 20-17 lead. However, the Munsons dug deep, staging a comeback to take the second game 21-20. The Open Doubles final proved just as dramatic, with the Munsons winning a three-game thriller, 21-5, 12-21, 11-8.
The Veteran Diamond (75+) final saw the new pairing of Rob Nichols and Mike Stanley upset top seeds Merv Deckert and Rodney Fink. After dropping the first game 17-21, Nichols and Stanley regrouped to take the next two games, 21-12, 11-3, securing the title.
In the Super Masters (60+) final (finalists photo above), the seasoned duo of Dave Dohman and Scott Rosenthal proved too much for Tom Martinez and Bob Dyke, cruising to a 21-11, 21-8 victory.
The weekend’s results delivered our newest members to the USHA’s Grand Masters club: Dave and Mike Munson. Several others also moved closer to earning the prestigious Grand Masters title, an honor reserved for those who win 10 or more age-division championships.
A special thank you goes out to the Illinois Handball Association, Dave and Mike Munson, and the IHA Board for hosting a superb event. Thanks also to the event sponsors and everyone who contributed to making the 2024 Masters Doubles and State Doubles a resounding success. We look forward to returning to Chicago for more exceptional competition!
Watch replays of the exhibition court finals on the Illinois Handball Association’s YouTube Channel [HERE].
The 2025 USHA Masters Doubles will take place in Houston, Texas, February 7-9 at the Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – The USHA Masters Doubles and IHA State Doubles are in full swing at the Schaumburg Tennis Club with semifinal rounds played to determine Championship Sunday’s finals for each division. The courts were full of action, as top doubles from across the nation competed, as some late matches were decided by tiebreakers.
It will be an all-sibling contest for both the 35-plus Doubles and IHA Open Doubles, as brothers Dane and Adam Szatkowski face Dave and Mike Munson in each final on Sunday.
Going into the deciding match of the 50-plus (round robin) division, the teams of Leo Canales Sr. and John Henning are virtually tied with Oscar Zamora and Nick Kerins with two wins, no losses, 84 points scored, and 30 points scored against
In other IHA State doubles action, Lake Forest College players Audrey Peters and Jodie Keeling won the Women’s Open Doubles. Lane Feingold and Carlos Zamora won the A Doubles defeated James Cooke and Johnny Cooke.
After the conclusion of Saturday’s matches, players and their families were treated to a festive banquet held under a large tent on the club’s grounds. The unique twist this year came in the form of a food truck (BBQ Bad Boy), which provided a variety of delicious options for all attendees. Paired with the perfect fall temperatures, the relaxed atmosphere allowed participants to share stories, enjoy good food, and reflect on the tournament so far, further solidifying the sense of camaraderie among the handball community. The evening concluded with a raffle drawing of a 55″ TV.
With final matches lined up, Sunday’s matches promise to deliver even more outstanding handball.
75-plus: Merv Deckert/ Rodney Fink (MB/PA) v. Rob Nichols/ Mike Stanley (CA/TX) 70-plus: Tom Martinez/ Bob Lohmueller (CA/KY) v. Dan Brennan/ Matt DeWeese (CA/CA) 60-plus: Dave Dohman/ Scott Rosenthal (IL) v. Tom Martinez/ Bob Dyke (CA/FL) 50-plus: John Henning/ Leo Canales Sr. (AZ/TX) v. Oscar Zamora/ Nick Kerins (IL) 35-plus: Dave Munson/ Mike Munson (IL) v. Dane Szatkowski/ Adam Szatkowski (IL)
IHA Open Division: Dave Munson/ Mike Munson (IL) v. Dane Szatkowski/ Adam Szatkowski (IL) IHA B Division: Robert Sharp/ Jesse Valera Jr. (IL) v. Robert Gracia/ Jordan Gracia (IL)
See the draw updates, results and match schedules [HERE].
Watch the exhibition court matches live on the Illinois Handball Association’s YouTube Channel [HERE].
The Illinois Handball Association (IHA) and USHA are proud to host the highly anticipated IHA State Doubles & USHA Masters Doubles Tournament from Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Sept. 29, at Schaumburg Tennis Plus. This event will feature top handball players from across the nation, all vying for a prestigious national and state title.
This year’s tournament promises to be one of the most exciting yet, with fierce competition and top-tier talent. Athletes in both the National Masters Doubles and Illinois Handball Association State Doubles categories will compete for the ultimate glory on the handball court.
Player Check-In and Registration: Registration opens at 2 p.m. on Friday, with the first matches starting at 4 p.m. All National Masters Doubles participants must be current USHA members. Players can purchase memberships at the event or in advance online. Important Note: Please double-check your match times online leading up to your play. While changes are unlikely, they can still happen.
Saturday Evening Festivities: The excitement doesn’t end with the matches! On Saturday night, following the conclusion of play at 7 p.m., the Illinois Handball Association will host an evening of fun and camaraderie, featuring a food truck with BBQ from “BBQ Bad Boy,” and a raffle for a 55″ TV, which will be shipped directly to the winner’s home.
Sunday Finals: The final matches will take place Sunday morning, beginning at 9 a.m. Spectators are encouraged to attend and cheer on the finalists as they battle for the prestigious titles.
Spectators and participants alike can follow the tournament’s progress by viewing the draws and match schedules online [HERE] or at ushandball.org.
Good luck to all competitors as you compete for a National Masters Doubles title or an Illinois Handball Association State title!
About the Illinois Handball Association The Illinois Handball Association is dedicated to the promotion and growth of handball across the state. Through tournaments, outreach, and support of players at all levels, the IHA strives to keep the rich tradition of handball alive and well.
The mission of the Illinois Handball Association is to promote the Perfect Game, Handball. We organize tournaments in the Chicagoland area throughout the year.
The 2024 USHA Three-Wall Nationals brought together our handball family for another phenomenal week of handball and camaraderie at the George D. Miller Three-Wall Courts.
The Toledo Handball Club again went above and beyond by providing their unmatched tournament hospitality, keeping players and spectators well fed and happy throughout the week. The amount of work put in by the members of the Toledo Handball Club is tremendous and it is appreciated by all.
We had a pair of first time open champions in 2024, with Killian Carroll winning the Men’s Open title and Mikaila Esser winning the Women’s Open title.
With Sean Lenning hurt, Carroll was one of the favorites to win the tournament, but faced stiff competition from the likes of Luis Cordova, Tyree Bastidas, Shorty Ruiz, Sam Esser, Ivan Burgos and more.
Carroll left no doubt he was the best player in the tournament and cruised past Cordova in the finals by the scores of 21-4, 21-7. He was relentless in every rally and never let Cordova get comfortable. A laser serve earned him several free points, and he was able to push Cordova all around the court.
Killian Carroll had a successful first trip to the Three-Wall Nationals
Carroll earned his finals spot ousting Ray Ure in the quarterfinals in two competitive games. Burgos awaited Carroll in the semis but stood little chance. Carroll looked unbeatable, winning the match 21-3, 21-0 in the span of just 20 minutes.
Cordova had a shaky start to his tournament and needed a tiebreaker to overcome Abraham Montijo in his quarterfinal, but looked strong in his two game sweep in the semifinals against Sam Esser.
On the Women’s side, Mikaila Esser took down three-wall legend Megan Dorneker in a tiebreaker. After a strong game one and a commanding 14-7 lead in game two, Esser looked in control. Dornerker made a run though that was fueled by a strong serve and a right hand down the right kill shot. She came all the way back to force the tiebreaker. Esser was able to regroup, and started the tiebreaker fast and never looked back, winning the match 21-11, 15-21, 11-0.
Esser defeated Jennifer Schmitt in the semifinals in two games while Dornerker took down Irish star Clodagh Munroe in a tiebreaker.
Mikaila Esser slammed the Women’s Open divisions with the help of partner Jen Schmitt
In the doubles, Shorty Ruiz and Sam Esser returned to the top by winning their third open title together, taking down Killian Carroll and Tyree Bastidas in the finals.
In the Women’s Open, Mikaila Esser completed the slam by teaming with Jen Schmitt to defeat Kristen Hughes and Leah Kirk in the finals.
Shorty Ruiz and Sam Esser won their third three-wall open doubles title.
Thank you again to the Toledo Handball Club for their efforts in putting on the best event of the year and all of the tournament volunteers who make it possible.
Congratulations to all of our 2024 Three-Wall National Champions:
Open Singles: Killian Carroll
Women’s Open Singles: Mikaila Esser
Open Doubles: Shorty Ruiz and Sam Esser
Women’s Open Doubles: Mikaila Esser and Jennifer Schmitt
Big Ball Open Doubles: Ray Ure and John Bike
A singles: Matt Job
Women’s A singles: Audrey Peters
A doubles: Anthony Collado and Chandler Straw
B singles: Vincent Yam
B doubles: Cameron Lowe and Zach Dybal
C singles: Antonio Rivera
35 singles: Abe Montijo
Women’s 35 singles: Sabrina Zamora
35 doubles: Cary Dohman and Tony Clarke
40 singles: Tyler Stevens
40 doubles: Dave Munson and Mike Munson
45 singles: Carlos Chavez
45 doubles: Adam Szatkowski and Shane Conneely
50 singles: Dan Zimet
50 doubles: Dan Zimet and Alan Frank
55 singles: Rick Leonard
60 singles: Thomas Valenzuela
60B singles: Greg Burns
60 doubles: Thomas Valenzuela and Agustin Herrera
65 singles: Dave Dohman
65 doubles: Dave Dohman and Scott Rosenthal
70 singles: John Friedrich
70 doubles: Kevin Jarvis and Ray Estevez
75 doubles: Jim Smith and Rick Graham
80 singles: Rick Graham
MAUMEE, Ohio – HOLY TOLEDO, Three-Wall Nationals Week is here! The 73rd USHA Three-Wall National Championships will commence Thursday afternoon at the Lucas County Rec Center’s George D. Miller Handball Courts. This year’s event is particularly notable as it will see the crowning of a new Men’s Pro Singles champion for the first time in a decade. The last player to win not named “Sean Lenning” was Tyree Bastidas, who claimed the title in 2013. Bastidas returns to the competition, facing a field of determined contenders, including 2023 runner-up Luis Cordova Jr. and first-time entrant Killian Carroll.
In the Women’s Open Singles draw, nine-time champion Megan Dorneker is aiming to reclaim the title after falling short in last year’s final. Her path to victory will be challenging, with formidable opponents such as Mikaila Esser, Jen Schmitt, Clodagh Munroe, Kristen Hughes, and others standing in her way.
Follow all the action and check out the brackets HERE for the latest results from the Championships!
Marston shoots for championship point in the Men’s Open Wallball Final. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
LIMERICK, Ireland – The atmosphere at the University of Limerick Sports Arena was electric on the final day of the ONeills.com 2024 World Wallball Championships. Over 1,000 enthusiastic fans filled the venue, driven by the high stakes of the World Championship final and a palpable sense of national pride. The morning commenced with the Junior and Masters finals, setting the stage for the highly anticipated Open division showdown.
Excitement buzzed through the arena as fans eagerly awaited what promised to be a thrilling final. The two contenders, both hailing from Brooklyn, New York, did not disappoint. As play commenced, the crowd fell into a captivated silence, watching the world’s top Wallball athletes execute incredible shots from seemingly impossible angles, trading blistering serves and returns at point-blank range.
Gonzalez, a seasoned veteran accustomed to the pressures of high-stakes titles, faced Marston, who was making his first appearance in a World Championship final. The day before, Marston had triumphed over defending champion Conor McElduff, overcoming the pressure of playing against a hometown favorite. That victory bolstered his confidence, which he carried into the final.
The match began with the intensity of two fighters testing each other, reaching an even 10-10 tie. Both players delivered an extraordinary sequence of rallies, each point hard-earned. Despite using two timeouts, Gonzalez stayed level with Marston until the score reached 15-15. However, Marston then began to pull ahead, capitalizing on rally scoring to secure the first game, 21-17.
In the second game, Gonzalez, determined to force a tiebreaker, played with renewed purpose. Although he gained a slight advantage, the players once again found themselves deadlocked at 10-10. As the rallies continued, Gonzalez began to show signs of fatigue, yet he kept the score close. Marston, however, seized control, building a three-point lead. Gonzalez responded with two consecutive kills, narrowing the gap to 16-18 and prompting Marston to call a timeout.
When play resumed, Marston quickly regained his composure, overcoming a Gonzalez kill to gain the side out and a 19-17 lead. With a powerful left-handed shot, he secured the final two points, clinching the championship with identical scores of 21-17. Marston celebrated with the crowd, shared a respectful handshake with Gonzalez, and then sprinted to the cameras, basking in the applause that rained down.
While Gonzalez and the other top Wallballers remain formidable contenders for future titles, this moment belonged to Marston, whose star first rose at the USHA National Wallball final in 2023.
In the all-USA 50s final at the World Championships, Joe Kaplan emerged victorious over Jared Vale, winning in two straight games, 21-18 and 21-11. Earlier in the week, Kaplan narrowly missed capturing a second World Open Small Ball Singles title, but the Brooklyn native rebounded with a determined performance in the 50s division.
The first game was a tightly contested battle, with Vale pushing his fellow New Yorker to the limit. Kaplan, however, managed to power through the intense rallies, edging out Vale to take the opening game 21-18. In the second game, Kaplan took command, dictating the pace of play. Despite Vale’s valiant efforts to keep up, Kaplan maintained control, ultimately sealing the victory and the championship with a decisive 21-11 win.
USA’s William Polanco turned back the clock, winning the small ball Open Singles against fellow American Joe Kaplan. Both Masters eligible players played an exceptionally entertaining final, with Polanco edging out Kaplan, 11-21, 21-12 11-5.
Polanco would also win the Men’s 40-plus Singles over Ireland’s Dominick Lynch, 21-13, 21-14.
USA’s William Polanco had a tremendous World Championships, successfully defending his Open Small Ball titles and winning the 40-Plus Singles. Photo by Stephen Marken/SportsfileMcMahon gets low for a return against Tully in the Women’s Open final. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
The Women’s Open Singles final featured an all-Ireland showdown between defending World Champion Martina McMahon and Fiona Tully. Tully demonstrated the brilliance that carried her to the championship match, but McMahon’s two-handed power and control, honed over the past decade, proved decisive. Although both games were closely contested, McMahon secured a convincing victory, winning 21-10, 21-9.
Gonzalez digs an amazing return in front of Marston in the Open Wallball Doubles final. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
In the doubles competition, Marston teamed up with Tywan Cook to complete a remarkable slam, defeating Gonzalez and Allan Sanchez in a thrilling match, 18-21, 21-16, 11-4. Gonzalez and Sanchez, fresh off their small ball World title win, seemed poised to claim another World Doubles crown after taking the first game. However, Marston and Cook, undeterred by the early setback, elevated their game, going toe-to-toe with their opponents to clinch the final and achieve a rare World Championships Slam.
Matches of the ONeills.com 2024 World Wallball Championships are available at the TG4 YouTube ChannelHERE.
See how “Team USA” fared in the table below (scroll to the bottom of the page).
LIMERICK, Ireland — The semifinals are set for the Men’s and Women’s Open Divisions. Kicking things off at 10 AM (Eastern), defending Women’s Champion Martina McMahon (Ireland) will tussle with Cailiosa Ni Dhuill (Ireland). In the second all-Ireland semifinal, Elise McCrory faces Fiona Tully.
Three of four spots in the Men’s semifinals hail from Brooklyn, N.Y. Defending 2018 Men’s Champion Conor McElduff (Ireland) faces Nazir Marston (USA) at 11 AM Eastern. Timbo Gonzalez and Tywan Cook square off in an all-USA semifinal.
View the draws and follow real-time results at: knowmyscore.ie
Matches of the ONeills.com 2024 World Wallball Championships will be live-streamed on the TG4 YouTube ChannelHERE.
Follow along with all of our American Players in the table below, which shows which Americans are still in their division and when their next match will be. The table will update shortly after a match concludes, so check back often for updates! The streaming schedule is also below!
LIMERICK, Ireland — With the closing ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics now behind us, we eagerly anticipate the start of the World Wallball Championships, set to take place at the University of Limerick from August 18-24. We are proud to send some of our top one-wall competitors to represent Team USA in the Men’s and Ladies’ Open Singles and Doubles events.
In the Men’s Open Wallball Singles, five-time USHA National Wallball Champion Tywan Cook from Brooklyn, N.Y. He will also team up with Brooklyn’s Nazir Marston, who is making his World Championships debut, to compete in the Men’s Open Wallball Doubles.
Mel Sky from the Bronx, N.Y., will represent Team USA in the Ladies’ Open Wallball Singles while also competing in the Ladies’ Open Wallball Doubles alongside fellow Bronx player Sully Ruiz. We wish them the best of luck as they compete for Team USA in pursuit of World Wallball titles in Ireland!
The World Wallball Championships kick off a massive celebration of handball this year in Ireland, as 2024 marks 100 years of GAA Handball. Fittingly hosted in Ireland, this event is the first stand-alone Wallball/One-Wall World Championships. The action begins at the University of Limerick on August 18 and concludes on August 23. All draws, or “fixtures,” are now available. Check them out HERE.
The World Wallball Championships will be using the Official Irish Wallball Rules. Download the GAA Handball Combined Rulebook HERE, and watch a video explaining the rules being used at the tournament click HERE. Follow along and cheer on our Team USA players!
See how all the American Players performed in the table below. Congrats to the 12 champions!!
BROOKLYN — Through 63 years of USHA One-Wall Championships, nobody has won more Men’s Pro Singles titles than Tyree Bastidas. Showcasing unparalleled skill and relentless drive, Bastidas redefined one-wall greatness by winning his tenth title, defeating his brother Jurell in Sunday’s final, 21-7, 21-9. His tenth title breaks a 30-year record held by Hall of Famer Joe Durso.
The previous weekend, the brothers faced off in the Speaker’s Cup final, which was won by Tyree. Once again in the Nationals Pro draw, his brother Jurell posed the only real threat to his younger sibling’s record-breaking title hunt. Jurell held a small lead in the first game, but that threat was quashed by Tyree’s crushing serve-and-volley game. The two opponents battled fiercely, chasing every shot and providing a tremendously entertaining final for the Coney Island crowd and those watching the Facebook live stream. A blistering serve to Jurell’s left secured match point, along with Tyree’s place in handball history.
The weather played a significant role as the matches continued. When the sun was out, temperatures on the concrete soared. Rain clouds badgered players and tournament organizers the entire weekend, but all matches were completed by Sunday afternoon, just before the rain showers resumed. We extend our deepest gratitude to the players, referees, and volunteers for making this year’s One-Wall Nationals a great experience for everyone. Special thanks to Jared Vale, Tiffany Chiu, Laurence DuBois, Glenn Usher, TripOg Fyllth, Albert Apuzzi, William Rolon, and many others!
Men’s Pro Doubles finalists Jurell and Tyree Bastidas joined by Tournament Director Jared Vale and Champions Carlin Rosa and Allan Sanchez.
In the Men’s Pro Doubles action, the Bastidas brothers faced Carlin Rosa and Allan Sanchez. This championship final provided all the drama and excitement that the singles final may have lacked, going to three games. Sanchez and Rosa jumped on their opponents out of the gate, cruising to an impressive 21-6 win, but Team Bastidas forced a tiebreaker with a 21-16 game two win. In the third set, Rosa and Sanchez regained their game one dominance, storming to a 10-3 lead before the Bastidas brothers forced a side out. That service inning for Team Bastidas only yielded one point before Sanchez and Rosa regained the serve, subsequently calling a timeout to regroup. Once play resumed, Sanchez placed a high-arcing serve down the middle to clinch championship point.
In other divisions, several players who made the trip to New York will be taking hardware back home.
Kendall Lewis celebrated his Brooklyn homecoming by outlasting Jonathan Davila in the 35-plus final tiebreaker, winning 8-21, 21-13, 11-4.
William Polanco secured the 40-plus singles crown, defeating Alvaro Rebaza 21-15, 21-12.
Joe Kaplan won the 50-plus singles, defeating defending champion Tim Moeller 21-9, 21-10.
Southern California’s Tommy Valenzuela won the 60-plus singles by defeating Richard Mascia 21-16, 21-10.
In Men’s B Singles, Andrew Acosta held off Max Churbakov 21-7, 21-17.
Jai Ragoo and Alvaro Rebaza won the Men’s 40-plus Doubles, stopping Tony Roberts and David Rojas 21-4, 21-9.
In 50-plus Doubles, Oscar DeJesus and Robert Sostre stopped Milton Jones and Carlos Madera 21-12, 21-15.
See the draws and results of the 63rd USHA One-Wall National Championships HERE.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Gustavo Ruiz and Jenny Qu looked sharp as they successfully defended their titles at the 16th USHA Wallball Nationals.
In the Men’s Pro final, Ruiz faced off against five-time champion Tywan Cook. Throughout the tournament, Ruiz demonstrated his dominance by consistently delivering powerful serves that barely cleared the short line. These serves often forced weak returns from his opponents, which Ruiz capitalized on with powerful drives down the sidelines. Despite Cook’s impressive lateral movement and ability to chase down shots, Ruiz’s increasing strength and shot velocity as the match progressed allowed him to secure a decisive victory, winning his second title with a score of 25-13.
In the Women’s Pro final, Jenny Qu competed against Melanie Garate in a rematch of their 2023 encounter, where Qu had claimed a 25-11 victory. This year, Qu once again demonstrated her dominance in the Women’s division, securing another convincing win with a score of 25-12. Qu’s consistent performance reaffirms her status as one of the best wallball competitors, winning her fourth singles title in the past five Nationals.
Check out all of the results from the tournament HERE.
Congrats to all of our National Champions:
Men’s Pro: Gustavo Ruiz Women’s Pro: Jenny Qu Men’s Pro Doubles: Joshua Garcia/Carlin Rosa Women’s Pro Doubles: Jessenia Garate/Melanie Garate Men’s B: Julio Carlos Women’s B: Lily Ye Men’s B Doubles: Joshua Rosa/Abir Rahman Women’s B Doubles: Lily Ye/Kathryn Li Men’s 40: Alex Rivera Men’s 40 Doubles: William Polanco/Ray Lopez Men’s 50: George Figueroa Men’s 50 Doubles: George Figueroa/Ray Lopez Men’s 60: Romulo Pozo Boys 19-under: David Khatri
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The 16th USHA Wallball National Championships are set for June 21-23 (Friday – Sunday) at Seaside Handball Courts (Asser Levy Park) in Coney Island (on West 5th St & Surf Ave). Tentative draws and start times are now available at the tournament’s site HERE.
Please Note:Draws and times may change up to the day of the event. Please double-check times.
Play begins early Friday, June 21 and goes through June 23, Sunday afternoon.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The USHA Junior Nationals hosted by the Inner City Handball Association will be at the Seaside Courts at Coney Island West 5th St. & Surf Ave. This tournament kicks off the unofficial start of summer by showcasing the talents of the best junior one-wall handball players in the country. Who will be the next Junior One-Wall National Champions?
This event uses the USHA RED 21 and WHITE 21 small balls.
Who should play in this event?
Any teen player interested in exploring tournament handball for the first time.
Any teen player interested in understanding the rules of handball.
Any teen player interested in future scholarships in the sport of handball.
Any teen player interested in volunteering for a community charity.
Any teen player interested in learning competition strategies.
Any teen player interested in meeting other teen players and having a fun weekend of handball.
For proof of age, participants must have a valid school ID including a date of birth or a combination of a birth certificate and school ID.
Eye protection is mandatory. To promote our rules and emphasis on player safety, one pair of FREE lensed eyeguards will be provided to each player.
Teens entered into this event are eligible to apply for USHA & ICHA 2024 Scholarships on the ICHA website.
To encourage Girl participation, ALL GIRLS EVENTS ARE FREE THIS EVENT.
Any questions please call the IHCA at: 718-703-7699
TUCSON — It was a great weekend of handball at the 2024 Hall of Fame Handball Tournament that included the National Masters Singles and a WPH LTE Pro Stop. We saw amazing matches across the board from the 13 and under division all the way up to the 80 plus division! Martin Mulkerrins continued to show why he is one of the best players in the world as he defeated Luis Cordova in two games that came down to the wire to win the pro division. You can read the WPH recap HERE. For all the of the draws and results visit the link HERE. Saturday night players flocked to the Handball Hall of Fame building for a catered dinner and to catch up with good friends while enjoying the rich history of our sport. Scott Landis was awarded with the Marty Decatur Sportsmanship Award, an annual award given each year at the Hall of Fame tournament. Landis hails from Tennessee, and captures the spirit of handball when he plays, really enjoying himself. His love of the game is apparent when you have a conversation with him about handball.
Scott Landis was presented with the Marty Decatur Sportsmanship Award.
The finals on Sunday across the masters division were very exciting, as players and spectators packed the galleries to watch these competitors go at it. Continue scrolling to read a recap of each of our newly crowned 2024 Masters Singles champions! 35-plus Champion: Jeff Streibig
Jeff Streibig and Shorty Ruiz
Jeff Streibig won a loaded the 35-plus division that included four ranked pro’s on the WPH tour. Streibig defeated defending champion Abraham Montijo in the semifinals in two close games to clinch his spot in the finals. Awaiting him there was Shorty Ruiz, who outlasted top 10 pro Vic Perez in his semifinal match. In the final, Streibig was dominant from start to finish and never allowed Ruiz to get comfortable. He hit several ace serves and tracked down everything Ruiz hit to earn the title in two quick games.
40-plus Champion: Fausto Castro
The seventh time was the charm for 40-plus singles champion Fausto Castro. Castro had six second place USHA national tournament finishes between the A’s and the masters division but had never won a gold medal coming into this weekend. After dropping game one to Dan Mcnabney in the finals, it looked like he might take second again. Castro kept pushing though, and eventually wore down Mcnabney and won the match in a tiebreaker. He was greeted to cheers as he walked off the court as the crowd was aware that it was his first national title.
50 plus Champion: Chris Watkins
Chris Watkins was crowned the 50-plus singles champion by defeating New York’s Joe Kaplan in the finals. Watkins had a battle in his semifinal against Washington’s Roberto Herrera who pushed him in both games. Kaplan also narrowly escaped his semifinal match against Juan Flores as he won an 11-7 tiebreaker. In the finals, Kaplan seemed to track down all of Watkins’ kills to begin the match. Watkins adjusted to a more passive game and ran Kaplan all around the court with precise pass shots and corner kills which helped lead him to victory.
55-plus Champion: Leo Canales
Leo Canales and Chris Tico
The 55-plus singles division was one of the more intriguing divisions coming into the tournament. Leo Canales had a tough field of opponents to overcome if he was going to defend his title. With the likes of John Henning, Chris Tico, John Robles, John Bike, and Rick Leonard to name a few, the division felt wide open. Canales found a way and notched the title by defeating John Robles in the semifinal and Chris Tico in the finals. Tico trailed by a large margin in the second game of the finals, but clawed all the way back to 19-19 before Canales finished him off with a kill shot down the right.
60-plus Champion: Will Goldstein
Will Goldstein won his first national title in 31 years by defeating Joe Tierney in two competitive games in the 60-plus singles final. Goldstein last won a national title in 1993 when he won the four-wall B doubles division. He doesn’t compete in national events often, but when he does he’s always a threat to win thanks to a lethal left hand that can kill the ball from anywhere on the court. Tierney was right with Goldstein, but stalled at 17 points in each game while Goldstein finished strong. 65-plus Champion: Mike Linnik After losing in the finals last year, Mike Linnik won a thriller in the 65-plus singles final over Dave Streibig. Streibig started fast in game one and took down Linnik 21-13. The second game was a battle throughout, and with the players tied at 19-19 Linnik was able to hit two clutch shots to force the tiebreaker. Much like the first game, Streibig started fast and led 7-1 to begin the breaker. Linnik kept fighting and eventually caught Streibig at 9-9, and found himself serving for the match at 10-9. A nice pass shot down the right wall would finish the job for Linnik and complete his comeback, winning 11-9. 70-plus Champion: Dan Brennan Dan Brennan was eligible for the 70-plus singles for the first time and made the most of it by defeating Gary Eisenbooth in the finals. In the previous rounds before the finals, nobody was able to score more than 6 points of Brennan in a single game. Eisenbooth was able to muster 13 and 12 respectively, but ultimately could not push Brennan enough to win. Brennan admitted Eisenbooth’s agility is incredible for the 70 plus division, but he was able to control his shots in the match which helped him win. 70B Champion: Thomas Arredondo
Fresno’s Thomas Arredondo hadn’t ventured much outside California for handball tournaments; however, his first stop in Tucson proved to be a memorable one. Arredondo battled Colorado’s Mark Humphries in a tough 70B final, winning in two games, 21-18 and 21-20. Both finalists defeated the top seeded players to reach the championship match, playing virtually evenly against one another.
75 plus Champion: Ed Campbell Ed Campbell and Merv Deckert were fresh off winning the 75-plus doubles title at the three-wall masters in Tucson last month, and found themselves competing against each other for the singles title in the 75-plus division this weekend. Seemingly facing off at least once a year for a national title, these two know each other’s game well and it comes down to who can execute better. In the finals today it was Campbell who executed, as he made the most of nearly all the opportunities Deckert gave him and won in two games.
80 plus Champion: Jim Smith
80-plus finalist Jim Ward congratulates Champion Jim Smith.[/caption] Jim Smith was victorious in the 80-plus singles division after being knocked out in the semifinals last year. This year he defeated Jim Ward in the finals. Ward held Smith to just 13 points in game one, but Smith was able to win a tight second game 21-17 to force a tiebreaker. Smith kept the momentum rolling from there and held Ward to just five points to win the national title. For Ward, it was his second year in a row of losing in a tiebreaker in the 80 plus final. Thank you to all the players for competing in the tournament. There were so many tremendous matches over the weekend and the competition was incredible across all divisions. Thank you to the WPH for running the Pro Stop in conjunction with the tournament and showcasing the best players in handball to everyone at the tournament. If you haven’t made it to a Hall of Fame tournament yet, clear your calendar for next April as you don’t want to miss out any longer on this great event!
TUCSON — The World Players of Handball and the United States Handball Association will proudly collaborate on the 2024 Hall of Fame Tournament in the home city of both organizations. This year’s event brings the tradition of the annual Hall of Fame event in the spring with a National Masters Singles and WPH LTE R48Pro Stop.
There is no better place than Tucson in mid-April, so make your plans to watch the pros and play in the various amateur divisions along with the best age divisions singles players.
The Hall of Fame R48LTE singles will be the final regular season event of the 2023/24 season, as the Race 4 Eight’s best players will aim to position themselves for the Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship.
Last chance to enter is April 7. Enter online HERE.
TUCSON — Sunday morning saw a big drop in temperature, as players showed up for the first matches in 50 degree weather and cloudy skies. Rain sprinkled throughout the day but only caused a slight delay in the action.
Gary Eisenbooth and Robert Dyke successfully defended their 70 doubles title by defeating Lou Serrone and Tom Allen in the first final of the day. Eisenbooth and Dyke have superb chemistry on the court and kept Serrone and Allen on the run all match long.
70 Doubles finalists (left to right) Tom Allen, Lou Serrone, Bob Dyke, Gary Eisenbooth after their match.
Eisenbooth and Dyke were also in the final of the 65 doubles, where they faced off against Lloyd Garcia and Tom Martinez. Garcia and Martinez took the first game but found themselves trailing in game two. Garcia found a hard lob serve down the left that helped bring his team back into the match, and they came back to win game two and take the championship.
In the 55 doubles final, John Bike and John “Flash” Robles took down John Henning and Leo Canales in a competitive match. Bike and Robles are both powerful lefties, and they were able to score a lot of points off their serve. Henning and Canales tried to keep the ball in the back court, but Robles wasn’t having it. He had his fly kill game going which was the difference that propelled them victory.
Bike could hardly celebrate the win before he was right back on the court in the 45-plus final. He and David Vincent were taking on brothers Thomas and Steve Natale. Bike and Vincent started fast and remained in control, leading 20-17, before a rare double fault (screen, screen, short) by Vincent gave the serve back to the Natales, who took advantage and made an improbable comeback to steal game one, 21-20.
Riding their late-game run, the Natales jumped out to a commanding 9-0 lead in game two. With everything going wrong for Bike and Vincent, they won a crucial sideout, and that’s where the tide turned. Bike and Vincent controlled the action the rest of the way, scoring 19 unanswered points. Team Natale made some incredible shots, but they only scored one more point in game two and only four in the tiebreaker. Between Bike’s paddle kills and Vincent’s strong serve, they scored points in bunches to win the title.
It was a great weekend of handball with plenty of phenomenal matches. Thank you to the players who supported the tournament and the volunteers who helped make it successful–especially those who helped referee and kept matches moving along. Special Thanks to Dave Vincent and the WPH for providing blowers to help keep the courts dry on the final Sunday. You can check the results from all of the divisions HERE.
TUCSON — It was another gorgeous day at the Clark Park Three-Wall Courts on Saturday. Players and spectators enjoyed delicious Sonoran Hot Dogs for lunch as they took in the action on the courts.
Semifinals were taking place across all divisions and there were several thrilling matches as players battled for a spot in the finals.
Both semifinals in the 45 doubles needed a tiebreaker to determine the winner. In the first semifinal, brothers Thomas and Steve Natale edged out a 21-20 game one victory over John Henning and Leo Canales before dropping the second game. The Natale’s regrouped in the tiebreaker and held Henning and Canales to just one point.
On the other side of the bracket, John Bike and David Vincent were making their return to tournament play and had a tough matchup against Phoenix’s Francisco Esparza and Washington’s Andy Romanchock. Despite Esparza and Romanchock being a first time pairing, they pushed Bike and Vincent to a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker looked as if it could go either way but some timely serves from Bike and Vincent pushed them into the finals where they will face the Natale brothers.
A few finals were completed on Saturday evening and we saw our first national champions crowned of the weekend.
Merv Deckert and Ed Campbell added another title to their collection, but their first in the 75 age group, as they defeated Peter Anderson and David Ackerman to clinch the title.
The highly anticipated 35 doubles final was played, pitting Shorty Ruiz and Jeff Streibig against Abraham Montijo and Eric Hillgren. All four players continue to play at an incredible high level, but this was Ruiz and Streibig’s day. Ruiz kept his opponents in the back court by utilizing strong ceiling shots and deep drives. Streibig pounced on weak returns, as he and Ruiz cruised to a 21-11, 21-11 victory.
35 doubles finalists (from left to right) Shorty Ruiz, Jeff Streibig, Abraham Montijo, and Eric Hillgren.
In the last match of the day, Ruiz teamed with Sam Esser in the Pro doubles finale where they handled Ivan Burgos and Max Langmack to take home the title.
A reception was held Saturday night at the Hall of Fame building where players enjoyed checking out the game’s rich history and chatting about handball with new and old friends.
TUCSON — A beautiful spring day greeted three-wall handballers as they descended upon Clark Park for the 2024 USHA Three-Wall Masters Doubles Friday afternoon. New visitors marveled at the pristine courts, surrounded by the serene park in what is considered the Southwest’s premier 3-Wall facility.
Eric Hillgren delivers a return from the back court in Seniors (35-plus) action.
Players wasted little time getting accustomed to the courts while using the tournament’s official ONE handball, the first for any National 3-Wall event (ONE Handballs are the official handball for the One-Wall Nationals).
Two of Friday’s first matches went to tiebreakers. In the Diamond (70-plus), Tom Allen and Louis Serrone defeated three-wall newcomers Craig Trull and Steve Lippman, 21-7, 18-21, 11-9. In the Veteran Diamond (75-plus), Ed Campbell and Merv Deckert outlasted Dan Ho and Chris Dominico, 21-12, 19-21, 11-6.
Next round’s matches begin Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Start times and tournament brackets are now available on the tournament website HERE.
The competition will be strong across all divisions with many national title winners competing. Follow along at ushandball.org for daily updates and results!
DAY FIVE — Mark Doyle and Clodagh Munroe became the new collegiate champions on Sunday, each of them winning their first open collegiate singles title.
Doyle defeated Ivan Burgos in a sensational final between two of the best young players in our sport. The match included several ace serves and flat rollouts from both players. Burgos speed seemed to neutralize some of Doyle’s patented paddle kills, but some untimely errors haunted Burgos throughout the match. Doyle really served and shot the ball well when it mattered towards the end, and he won two close games, 21-18 and 21-17 to win the finals.
Doyle threw his hands up in joy after rolling out a back-wall setup to close out the match, which was a delight to his coaches, teammates, and parents on hand to watch him play.
Doyle the moment he won the 2024 Collegiate Nationals
In the Women’s Final, Munroe looked strong in her game one victory over Amy Brennan, jumping out to an early lead and controlling much of the action. The second game though was tight throughout, and both players traded rally ending shots.
After falling short last year in the finals, Munroe looked determined to win this year. That was surely on her mind as the second game was close to finishing with both players just a few shots away from winning it. Munroe kept her composure, and stopped Brennan at 18 points and got back in the box and closed it out. You could see the joy on her face when she scored the championship point.
You can view the winners from every division by viewing the draws on Bracket Ace HERE.
The Collegiates is a team competition, and the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks successfully defended their title as the collegiate national champions, winning the combined open division, the men’s open division, and the women’s open division!
They were lead of course by Doyle and Munroe in points, but also had so many players near the top of the bracket that they won comfortably. The top six players from each gender is counted towards each team’s points. You can view the breakdown of all the team and player points on Bracket Ace HERE.
The team is coached by Mike Wells and John Stoffel, who are building an incredible program in Mankato with no signs of slowing down. Congrats to all the Mavericks.
Combined Open Title:
Minnesota State Mankato
Missouri State University
Texas A&M University
Men’s Open Title:
Minnesota State Mankato
Missouri State University
University of Texas
Women’s Open Title:
Minnesota State Mankato
Texas A&M University
Missouri State University
The “A” titles are awarded to teams who don’t have enough potential points to compete in the “Open” division based on their original seeding. This group includes most of the teams and is an impressive and difficult title to win. The following programs finished in the top three in the “A” division.
Combined A Title:
Angelo State University
Utah State University
Pacific University
Men’s A Title:
Texas A&M University
Utah State University
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Women’s A Title:
Angelo State University
Utah State University
Pacific University
The tournament was a great success this year. A big thank you to Jeff Wall and Ben Van Arsdale for setting up the tournament website on Bracket Ace, which allowed players to easily view brackets, check in for matches, view live scores on each court, and much much, much more. If you are a tournament director, consider using bracket ace for your next tournament.
Another big thank you to all the tournament volunteers. With over 220 players this year it was the biggest collegiate nationals in years, and took a team to pull off.
The final thank you is to the coaches, who continue to promote the game of Handball to new players who will be the future of our sport.
If you missed any of the results from the tournament, you can find them on Bracket Ace HERE.
DAY FOUR- Semifinal Saturday started off with a bang when Ivan Burgos defeated defending champion and number one seed Shane Dunne in two games, 21-11, 21-11. Burgos retrieved nearly all of Dunne’s kill attempts and brought an incredible intensity to the match.
Burgos will be facing Mark Doyle in the Men’s final tomorrow. Doyle defeated his Minnesota State Mankato teammate Ray Ure by the scores of 21-11, 21-16 to earn his spot. Doyle has looked strong all weekend, and it’s sure to be a thrilling final against Burgos tomorrow.
Clodagh Munroe dominated Emma Kinane in the first semifinal of the Women’s Open division, never allowing Kinane to look comfortable.
On the bottom half of the bracket, Amy Brennan smoked Leah Minogue in two games, a surprising result given the players just played a tiebreaker a few weeks ago in the Irish collegiate final.
Munroe and Brennan will face off Sunday morning at 9am Central time. Follow along with results from all divisions HERE.
Clodagh Munroe and Amy Brennan will battle for the Women’s Final tomorrow.
The banquet was held Saturday night at the Graduate Hotel, which saw several players awarded for scholarships and awards.
This year, more than $40,000 dollars were given out in scholarship dollars to collegiate student handball players!
The Most improved Award goes to the men’s and women’s player who improved the most spots from the prior collegiate nationals to this year’s collegiate nationals. The winners this year:
Men’s Most Improved Award: Carson Kendrick, Utah State University, who improved 29 spots!
Women’s Most Improved Award: Kiaya Hoffner, Minnesota State Mankato, who improved 16 spots!
The Spirit of Handball Award goes to one men and women’s player who play the game with sportsmanship and capture the spirit of handball in the way they play and approach the game. The winners this year:
Men’s Spirit of Handball Award: Max Johnson, Colorado School of Mines
Women’s Spirit of Handball Award: Rachel Haas, Pacific University.
DAY THREE- Bracket play started early Friday morning at 8am and didn’t conclude until after midnight! After playing their way into their final bracket, players were more evenly matched and that showed on the court.
School spirit continued to be on display throughout the day, as players roared their teammates on and packed the courts to watch the close matches.
The Collegiate Nationals always bring an energy unlike any other tournament.
The top four seeds in the men’s advanced to the semifinals. Shane Dunne survived a close tiebreaker to defeat Irish phenom Kyle Jordan. Ivan Burgos outlasted John Bike in a tiebreaker. Mark Doyle and Ray Ure both prevailed in their matches in two straight games.
Those results set the table for the semifinals on Saturday:
Ray Ure vs Mark Doyle and Ivan Burgos vs Shane Dunne
On the Women’s side of the open bracket, we also saw two tiebreakers. Emma Kinane overcame Jodie Keeling after dropping game one. She cruised in the second game and tiebreaker. Leah Minogue had a similar result, losing her first game to Noelle Dowling then prevailing in the next two. The match finished around 12:30am Saturday morning.
Clodagh Munroe and Amy Brennan won their quarterfinals without a problem, setting up the Women’s semifinal matches Saturday:
Clodagh Munroe vs Emma Kinane and Amy Brennan vs Leah Minogue.
Matches start at 9am Central time Saturday morning. Follow along HERE.
DAY TWO– After an exhilarating fourteen-hour day of handball on Thursday, the seeds have been determined, and the final brackets are officially live. Check them out HERE.
As the women’s division commenced this morning, the top seeds upheld their dominance through a series of thrilling matches. School spirit has soared, with students passionately supporting their teammates. Many courts throughout the day were packed with players cheering each other on, and giving their teammates advice.
The night closed out with several exciting men’s open doubles matches. The higher seeds in doubles proved why they were at the top, with all three higher seeds winning the late matches. The winning teams will be playing in the quarterfinals on Saturday morning. Other men’s singles matches throughout the day also set the final brackets for Friday.
After today, both men and women will play in single-elimination matches, and winners will play their quarterfinals by the end of the night Friday. More exciting action continues tomorrow, and everyone is looking forward to another action packed day of the greatest game here in Minnesota.
DAY ONE — The first day of the tournament was electric. Players, coaches and fans packed the courts at the University of Minnesota Recreation and Wellness Center for one of the biggest collegiate tournaments in recent history.
The tournament was again ran with Bracket Ace, which allowed players to view live scores of matches on all of the courts on a big-screen tv. Players names were also associated with their school’s logo. Bracket Ace and its innovative features have been a big hit at the tournament.
The top seeds in the Men’s Open division held true, and the top players looked dominant in their matches. The rest of the men will battle for seeding positioning tomorrow to determine their final bracket.
The women’s division will kick off tomorrow morning.
Follow along with all the draws on Bracket Ace HERE.
MINNEAPOLIS — The 2024 USHA Collegiate Nationals will kick off Wednesday, February 21 at the University of Minnesota!
Over 220 students will be attending the tournament this year as numbers continue to rise post-pandemic.
Minnesota State University will be looking to win their third consecutive team title, and will have a good chance to do so. Around 40 other Universities will be represented in the tournament, and will do their best to challenge them.
On the Men’s side, defending champion Shane Dunne will try to win his third collegiate national singles title. This is Dunne’s final year, and he will face stiff competition from the likes of Mark Doyle, Ray Ure, Ivan Burgos and many more strong competitors.
Clodagh Munroe headlines the Women’s Open division. The current Minnesota State student finished as the runner-up last year, but has been looking strong in recent tournaments. Several strong players will try to take her down, including current Irish Collegiate Champion Amy Brennan.
Make sure to follow along the tournament website HERE for updated draws.
