USHA PNW Regional Handball Championships partner with WPH, date & venue set
Portland, Oregon, January 25th, 2017 – This season, tournament organizers will be partnering with the World Players of Handball with hopes of expanding and growing the PNW Regional Championships, set for May 5th-7th, 2017, at Sunset Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon. “We’re very excited to have the WPH on board for this year’s tournament,” announced tournament director Nick Flores. “In addition to promoting the event and providing daily reporting during the tournament, the WPH has generously offered to provide the popular WPH Player’s Card Membership to all participants.” This will be the second year in a row that the Sunset Athletic Club hosts the PNW Regional and bolstered participation is expected due to the added exposure.
“Participants in last year’s PNW Regional raved about the venue and the hospitality,” Flores claims. “We quickly reached out to the facilities director at Sunset Athletic Club with the hopes of repeating a good thing, and they were all for it.” The facilities at Sunset Athletic Club are pristine and their nine handball courts play fast and bounce true, with a club layout that provides for optimal spectating. “We’ll be having a Cinco de Mayo themed dinner on Friday night to kick off the tournament, as well as locally sourced meals on Saturday,” stated hospitality chairman Ed Fredenburgh. “In addition, we’ll be looking to our friends at Snoqualmie Falls Brewery to provide their excellent craft brews again.”
Two-time defending champion, Cody Townsend (pictured, right above) is looking to make it three-in-a-row in the Open Singles. Townsend defeated longtime friend and rival, Dalton Beall (pictured, left above) in both 2015 and 2016 to win the singles crown. However, Beall has earned his own PNW Regional hardware, partnering with Townsend in both years to win the Open Doubles division, and is no stranger to big matches. Beall defeated WPH Pro Stephen Cooney during the 2016 WPH Player’s Championship (at the MAC just down the road last May) to qualify as a WPH Pro – a feat that Townsend has yet to match.
The Alten Handball Foundation, tournament organizers, and Junior WPH want to make this upcoming event a memorable one for the attending young players. For yet another year, the Alten Handball Foundation will be covering the entry fees for juniors and students to enter the USHA PNW Regional. Meanwhile, the WPH will sponsor a clinic with the junior players on site. A big ‘thank you’ to Steve Grow of the Alten Handball Foundation, local supporters and tournament officials, plus guidance from the WPH for making the PNW Regional Championships a rewarding experience for students and junior players.
To enter the tournament, please use either the R2sports tournament link (http://r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=19008) or fill out the tournament entry form (PDF Version HERE). If you have any questions or comments about the tournament, or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact tournament director Nick Flores at nickflores21@outlook.com.