Day 1: Friday
Portland, OR, WPH Press, 10/10/25
The 2025 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic marks the ninety-eighth event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, with the tour spanning seventeen states and two countries in the Race 4 Eight’s first fourteen seasons.
The 2025 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic will feature three-time defending Portland Classic champion and fourteen-time Race 4 Eight champion Martin Mulkerrins aiming to four-peat in the City of Roses. Martin will have to contend with Race 4 Eight Elite pros Lucho Cordova, Leo Canales, Mark Doyle, Ivan Burgos, Danos Cordova, and many of the tour’s top names to defend his title at the famed Multnomah Athletic Club.
Round of 16
The top three seeds dominated on Friday, with top-seeded and R48 #1 Lucho Cordova ousting John Chapman, 14-time R48 champion Martin Mulkerrins defeating first-time R48 qualifier Dylan Schmitt, and Leo Canales overwhelming first-time R48 qualifier Bryan Trejo.
Fourth-seeded Ivan Burgos dropped the first game against Diarmuid Mulkerrins but rallied to dominate the next two, outscoring Diarmuid by a combined 30-11 to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Mark Doyle was flawless in his first game of the season, blitzing Jeff Striebig 15-2. “His serves were so low and hard and I just couldn’t get into the game,” Streibig would later say. Streibig built a 12-7 lead in game two and appeared poised to force a third. A missed overhand kill led to a seven-point Doyle streak. Doyle served for the match at 14-12 and 15-14 but could not score the final point, eventually losing in overtime and never recovering. Streibig controlled the action in the third, while Doyle overhit and committed several uncharacteristic errors, sending the fifth-seed into the ninth place playoffs.
Danos Cordova exacted revenge on Max Langmack after losing to Langmack in their last main draw matchup at the 2025 Red, dropping Langmack in two games.
Jab Bike built an 8-0 lead in game one against David Fink but stalled, dropping game one 15-11. Bike surged ahead in game two and kept the pressure on, finding his range with his power serve and back wall kill to force a third. Bike was in control in the third, overpowering Fink to advance.
Sean Lenning entered his matchup with Sam Esser having lost their last two encounters (Juarez, 2025 and LAAC, 2025). Lenning played the best handball of the day, striking fourteen ace serves and killing the ball from every spot on the floor. “I didn’t feel like I played badly,” shrugged Esser.
Round of 16 Scores
Lucho def Chapman 15-5, 15-5
Mulkerrins def D. Schmitt 15-6, 15-4
Canales def Trejo 15-5, 15-4
Burgos def D. Mulkerrins 12-15, 15-4, 15-7
Streibig def Doyle 2-15, 17-15, 15-9
Danos def Langmack 15-8, 15-5
Bike def Fink 11-15, 15-9, 15-1
Lenning def Esser 15-6, 15-8
Round of 8 (Friday, all times PST)
Lucho vs. Lenning 9:30 am
Burgos vs. Streibig 10:15 am
Mulkerrins vs. Bike 11 am
Canales vs. Danos 11:45 am
JR WPH Clinic at the 2025 Portland Classic
WPH Master Instructor David Fink hosted a JR WPH clinic with Pacific University’s coach Karissa Komo, several Pacific University players, and three aspiring juniors from Oregon. Fink taught the fundamentals of the sidearm stroke, teaching the sidearm kill and the sidearm serve. The students were then briefed on the overhand to the ceiling and fist to the ceiling, followed by the back wall technique. Following the instructional, the youngsters played King of the Court, putting their new knowledge in play.
“I learned so much in the clinic and it is going to be very helpful when I am working with my players,” Komo would say. “We have players that I don’t really know how to coach and now I know what I can teach them. I really appreciate (the WPH) taking the time.”
2025 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic Press Release HERE
Follow the draws and results from the 2025 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic HERE
WPH Destination Series Portland HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Race 4 Eight Power Rankings and Rankings Methodology HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends + Race 4 Eight History of Champions HERE
2025/26 Race 4 Eight Schedule HERE
WPH Coaching Center Instructional Videos HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2025/26 Race 4 Eight Tour 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
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2025 WPH R48Pro #1 Portland Classic
Portland, Oregon – October 11 & 12, 2025
ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule
(Pacific Time)
Saturday, October 11th – All Times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
1000 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Lucho Cordova (MEX) vs Sean Lenning (WA)
1045 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Jeff Streibig (MO) vs Ivan Burgos (AZ)
1130 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – John A. Bike (CA) vs Martin Mulkerrins (IRE)
1215 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Leo Canales (AZ) vs Daniel Cordova (TX)
1300 Men’s Pro 9th Place Semifinal – TBD
1345 Men’s Pro 9th Place Semifinal – TBD
1430 Men’s Pro 5th Place Semifinal – TBD
1515 Men’s Pro 5th Place Semifinal – TBD
1600 Men’s Pro Semifinal – TBD
1700 Men’s Pro Semifinal – TBD
Sunday, October 12th – All Times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
1000 Men’s Pro 9th Place Final – TBD
1045 Men’s Pro 5th Place Final – TBD
1130 Men’s Pro Final – TBD
Watch LIVE on ESPN+ beginning Saturday morning, October 11th, 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.