Austin, TX, WPH Press, 4/2/17- Austin, TX hosted the 2017 Southwest Regional Handball Championships at the University of Texas’ Gregory Gym, featuring nearly 100 players from Texas, Missouri, and Kansas. The Men’s Open singles field was highlighted by top 32 Race 4 Eight pros Adam Bernhard and Memo Pallares, while the Women’s Open singles field featured 2017 USHA Women’s Classic finalist Jennifer Schmitt, Missouri’s Mikaila Mitchell, Texas’ Amy Gross, and Texas’ Kara Edwards.
Men’s Open Singles
Top-seeded Adam Bernhard cruised to the final in the top bracket, disposing of Ryan Colyer, Jonathan Pollard, and Adam Berliner by a combined score of 126-40 in six games. “This was Adam’s (Berliner) first tournament in a while,” stated Bernhard. “The match started tight and was about 6-6 in the first game and I pulled away.”
Second-seeded Memo Pallares was also dominant in advancing to the final, dominating six of the seven games in the bottom bracket en route to the final, dropping his only game after holding match point in the semifinals against Kansas’ Max Langmack. “The semifinal between Memo and Langmack was played at a very high level, especially in the second game,” stated Bernhard. “Max came back from 7-17 to win the second game 21-20, but Memo came out strong in the tiebreaker with a 5-0 lead, then 10-1, and finally winning 11-3.”
Bernhard was seeking his third consecutive Southwest Regional title in his third finals match-up with Pallares in the past six months. Bernhard and Pallares split their previous two finals encounters and the Southwest Regional Handball Championships would serve as the rubber match between the Austinites. Bernhard was the aggressor throughout the final, emphatically winning his third consecutive regional title in two games. “It seems like Memo was a step slow today and I just felt in control the whole time,” stated Bernhard.
Semifinals:
Bernhard def Berliner 21-9, 21-1
Pallares def Langmack 21-6, 20-21, 11-3
Final: Bernhard def Pallares 21-12, 21-10
Women’s Open Singles
Top-seeded Jenny Schmitt used her experience to cruise to the final with decisive victories against Gretchen Gregory and Kara Edwards, while third-seeded Amy Gross stunned Missouri’s Mikaila Mitchell en route to the final in the bottom bracket.
Schmitt was able to control the action against Gross in the final, using her deadly left-handed fist passes and fist kills to keep Gross off-balance.
Semifinals:
Schmitt def Edwards 21-2, 21-7
Gross def Mitchell 21-12, 21-13
Final: Schmitt def Gross 21-14, 21-7
To follow the draw from the 2017 Southwest Regional Handball Championships, click here
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David Fink
WPH Senior Writer