Day 1
Los Angeles, CA WPH Press, 3/21/25
The Race 4 Eight returned to the LAAC for the second time in the Race’s ninety-fourth event since the tour’s inception in 2011 and the sixth stop of the 2024/25 Race 4 Eight season.
R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins entered the 2025 R48 Men’s Pro LAAC as the overwhelming favorite, having won six of his last seven Race 4 Eight starts and thirty-one of his last thirty-two matches. Eleven-time Race 4 Eight champion and R48 #2 Lucho Cordova is the only player to defeat Mulkerrins in Race play in 412 days (Red ’25) and would be aiming for his second Race title of the season in his bid to win his second Player’s Cup in three years.
Third-ranked Ray Ure and fourth-ranked Leo Canales were both aiming for their elusive first Race 4 Eight titles, seeking to join the “Race Dozen,” the twelve players to have won a Race title. R48 #9 pro and tournament director Vic Perez proudly waved the LAAC flag in pursuit if his first Race title.
The WR48 featured a battle for the top spot at the LAAC, with current WR48 #1 Mikaila Esser seeking to retain her number one spot against a strong field that included 2024/25 WR48 champions Ciana Ni Churraoin (Memorial ’24) and Martina McMahon (Red ’25).
Sean Lenning entered his first SR48 start three weeks prior to his fortieth birthday at the 2025 LAAC and was joined in the SR48 LAAC draw by SR48 #1 David Fink, ten-time SR48 champion Marcos Chavez, former SR48 finalist Bill Mehilos, and Hall of Famer John Bike.
R48 Men’s Pro Friday
Martin Mulkerrins was steady against Shorty Ruiz in their round of 16 matchup, winning comfortably in two games. “I just made too many errors and missed too many setups,” lamented Ruiz.
Lucho Cordova started slowly against crowd favorite and LAAC frequent guest Jab Bike, as Bike raced to a 12-3 lead. Lucho would stage a comeback but would not threaten, as Bike seized a one-game advantage. “It just looked like Lucho was asleep at the wheel in that first game,” top 12 Race 4 Eight pro Max Langmack would later say. Lucho returned for game two a different player, hitting the ball with power and playing assertively. Bike was only able to score ten points in the second and third games, as Lucho moved into his sixth quarterfinal of the season.
Ray Ure faced his Midwest rival Jeff Streibig for a spot in Saturday’s Elite 8, debuting a left-handed power serve after hurting his right shoulder last week. Ure would eventually turn to right-handed power serving midway through the first game, sweeping Streibig in two games. “My shoulder held up, it wasn’t too bad,” the 4:16 miler would later say.
Leo Canales faced Coleman McGrath in a rematch of their ninth place final from Juarez three weeks ago in what became one of the best matches of the day. The pair split lopsided games to setup a tiebreaker, with McGrath seeking his first quarterfinal on the tour. Leo led 14-9 in the third but McGrath started rowing his way back into the match, eventually serving at 13-14. Leo’s big-match experience served him well, earning a side out and a point to avoid the upset.
Diarmaid Nash and Daniel Cordova met for the third time, with the pair splitting their first two encounters. Nash’s command of the court was evident in the first, as the Irishman read Danos’s shots en route to a one-game lead. Danos was in control on game two, leading 12-6 and 14-8. The never-say-die Nash rallied, diving and scoring points to cut the deficit to two. Danos was able to close out the game to force a third. Nash built a 4-3 lead in the tiebreaker, but Danos found his power hop serve, crushing three aces and a first-strike kill to take a three-point lead. Unfazed, Nash caught Danos at seven and took a commanding 14-7 lead. Two uncharacteristic Nash errors and several highlight reel Danos kills pulled Danos within two, but Nash calmly served out the match, advancing to the final eight for the second consecutive event.
Race 4 Eight #Nextgen stars Ivan Burgos and Mark Doyle met for a spot in Saturday morning’s semifinals. Doyle slowed down the game against the fast-pace minded Burgos, hitting an underhand lob serve to the left that spun into the side wall and starting the rally on his terms. Doyle won a close first-game and pulled away in the second to advance to his second quarterfinal of the season.
Sean Lenning was too strong for sixth-seeded David Fink in their round of 16 match, overwhelming Fink with his serves and first-strike kills to advance to the quarterfinals in his second consecutive event.
Sam Esser met LAAC tournament director Vic Perez for the first time and started well, building an 8-0 lead in the first. Vic battled back, eventually catching Esser at thirteen and winning the game. Esser raced to a big lead in the second and did not open the door for a comeback, setting up a third game. The tiebreaker was close throughout, with neither player holding more than a three-point lead. Perez served for the match at 15-14 after fighting off a match point at 14-13, striking a back wall kill that Esser re killed with a dive. Esser ended the match with three straight points, erasing his 0-4 tiebreaker curse this season. “I was definitely thinking about the curse,” Esser would later say. “I had to get a dive in there (when I was down match point).”
Round of 16
Mulkerrins def Ruiz 15-7, 15-3
Lucho def Bike 9-15, 15-7, 15-3
Ure def Streibig 15-9, 15-9
Canales def McGrath 15-4, 9-15, 15-13
Nash def Danos 15-10, 12-15, 15-12
Lenning def Fink 15-10, 15-7
Doyle def Burgos 15-12, 15-8
Esser def Perez 13-15, 15-1, 17-15
2025 WPH R48Pro #6 LAAC Open
Los Angeles, CA – March 22 & 23, 2025
ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule
(Pacific Time)
Saturday, March 22nd – All Times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
0900 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Mulkerrins vs Esser
0945 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Nash vs Canales
1030 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Doyle vs L. Cordova
1115 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Ure vs Lenning
1200 Women’s Pro Semi – Esser or Dagg vs Holden or Ni Churraoin
1245 Women’s Pro Semi – Daskalakis or McMahon vs McCrory or Munroe
1330 Senior 40+ Semi Fink or Garcia vs Mehilos or Martinez
1415 Senior 40+ Semi – Watkins or Chavez vs Lenning or Ojeda
1500 Men’s Pro Semifinal (TBD)
1600 Men’s Pro Semifinal (TBD)
Sunday, March 23rd – All Times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
0900 Senior 40+ Final (TBD)
0945 Women’s Pro Final (TBD)
1030 Men’s Pro 5th or 9th (TBD)
1115 Men’s Pro Final (TBD)
1200 110+ Doubles if time permits (TBD)
Watch LIVE on ESPN+ beginning Saturday morning, March 22nd, 2025. All times Pacific. Gather rare player interviews, video clips, backcourt games and some streaming action LIVE via Patreon at: patreon.com/wphlive. WPH active members that CANNOT receive the feed, please contact the WPH Saturday morning before the first match at info@wphlive.tv. Follow the draws once they are activated (Friday morning) on R2sports: HERE.
The WPH Race 4 Eight Pros Player’s Choice Awards
2024 Race 4 Eight Match of the Year
The Race 4 Eight Pros overwhelmingly voted the 2024 Juarez Race 4 Eight quarterfinal clash between Leo Canales and Ray Ure as the 2024 Race 4 Eight Match of the Year. Canales and Ure split the first two games in front of a frenzied crowd, with Canales dominating the first game and Ure dominating the second. The tiebreaker was close throughout, with both players holding match point in overtime. Canales ended the match of the year on his fourth attempt, passing Ure to the left and instantly erupting with emotion with his home crowd chanting “Leo,” “Leo,” “Leo.”
“I have never experienced anything like that and I probably never will again,” Canales would later say.
Canales would make the final at Juarez, while Ure used the loss to fuel a torrid Race 4 Eight run that saw him move from outside the Race 4 Eight top twenty to inside the Race 4 Eight top three within a year.
2024 Race 4 Eight Player of the Year
The Race 4 Eight pros were nearly unanimous in naming Race 4 Eight #1 Martin Mulkerrins as the 2024 Race 4 Eight Player of the Year. Mulkerrins started 2024 with two heartbreaking losses, the first to Killian Carroll at the St. Louis Chapman (January) after holding a 14-9 lead in the tiebreaker and the second to Danos Cordova in a close tiebreaker at the 2024 Red (February). Mulkerrins entered the 2024 Juarez on a mission to close out matches, winning Juarez (March), Tucson (April), and Salt Lake (May) to end the 2023/24 season and winning the first two events of the 2024/24 at the Tucson Memorial (September) and Portland Classic (October). Mulkerrins ended 2024 on a five-tournament, twenty-three match winning streak and seizing a nearly insurmountable rankings lead.
Mulkerrins was visibly moved in the presentation, as handball’s greatest champion Naty Alvarado, Sr. handed him his award. “This means your peers really respect you and like playing you, but they also want to beat you,” warned El Gato.
2024 Race 4 Eight Breakthrough Player of the Year
The Race 4 Eight pros voted Ray Ure as the 2024 Breakthrough Player of the Year. Ure played sporadically on the tour before 2024, flashing signs of his immense potential, while focusing mostly on his flourishing collegiate track career that sees him regularly running sub 4:20 miles at Mankato. Ure began to fulfill that potential as a full-time tour pro in 2024, defeating Max Langmack, David Fink, Sean Lenning, Lucho Cordova, Sam Esser, Danos Cordova, and virtually all of the game’s best in a statement breakthrough season that saw Ure make his first Race final at October’s Portland Classic and end 2024 in the Race 4 Eight top six.
2024 Race 4 Eight Tournament of the Year
The Race 4 Eight pros voted the 2024 Race 4 Eight Juarez the 2024 Race 4 Eight event of the year. Tournament director Luis Cordova Sr. proudly accepted the award from the WPH, the culmination of a dream to bring pro handball to Juarez. Luis Sr. not only brought pro handball to Juarez, he built and ran what the players considered to be the tournament of the year. “My dad is pretty much the main guy (putting on the event),” stated Lucho Cordova. “He has a lot of help from locals but it was his idea. He put the idea forward, he’s always wanted to have one in Juarez and with the help of the locals and with Daniel and I to recruit players, I think he was able to have an awesome tournament that many look forward to each year. This year I think will be the most fun out of all. Every year they get more sponsors and more interest from the locals and even from the city.”
WPH Race 4 Eight Leadership and Bravery Award
The WPH proudly honored Vic Perez for and his incredible passion for growing the game for the next generation of players. Vic hosts numerous tournaments at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, including the incredibly successful 2025 LAAC Race 4 Eight. When not organizing tournaments, coaching junior clinics, and competing against the world’s best, Vic works on the Los Angeles Fire Department, fighting fires and helping people in their most vulnerable circumstances, sometimes working 90 hours shifts, as he did during the recent L.A. Fires. Vic is a hero to his Race 4 Eight peers and Race 4 Eight fans for his poise under pressure, sacrifices to his community, and selflessness in growing the game.
2025 LAAC Race 4 Eight Info
2025 LAAC starting times and to follow the brackets HERE
2025 LAAC Race 4 Eight Press Release HERE
WPH on YouTube HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
Race 4 Eight Fun Facts HERE
Current Race 4 Eight Pro Rankings HERE
Race 4 Eight pro player bios HERE
WPH Coaching Centers HERE
WPH Workout Central HERE
2024/25 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2024/25 Race 4 Eight XIV Powered by ESPN features Race 4 Eight stops from California to Mexico, all culminating with The Player’s Championship. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight title sponsor opportunity, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer