Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 3/10/19-
Final: D. Cordova vs. Fink
Danos and Fink entered Sunday’s Hall of Fame final with a 3-3 lifetime record against one another–the final would give Cordova his second R48 title and Fink his first.
Fink scored four points in the first inning in the final, surging to a 4-0 lead. Danos quickly tied the match at five, scoring with fly kills and blistering two-wall passes. Danos continued to outplay Fink, building a 13-5 lead and firmly in control of the match. Fink managed to rally to 9-14, but a Danos right-corner kill ended the game. Danos played even better in game two, giving Fink very few opportunities and executing his opportunities with both hands. The match was just a formality with Danos leading 12-5, and Danos wrapped up his second R48 title of the season with three more kills.
“Daniel just didn’t give me many opportunities, he neutralized my serve, he kept the pressure on, he moved well, he overpowered me, and he was just a lot better than me,” stated Fink.
Danos won five matches in Tucson without dropping one game and not surrendering more than 11 points in any game, a truly dominant performance for the Mexican star.
Final: D. Cordova def Fink 15-9, 15-6
Playoffs
Future R48 pro Jeff Streibig won four matches in the 9th place playoffs, including defeating ranked R48 pros Max Langmack and Abraham Montijo en route to the final and defeating his weekly sparring partner Mike Benkelman in the final.
Vic Perez won fifth for the third time this season, defeating Emmett Peixoto for the third time this season.
5th Place Final: Perez def Peixoto 25-16
9th Place Final: Streibig def Benkelman 25-8
2019 R48LTE Hall of Fame Finishes
1st: D. Cordova
2nd: Fink
5th: Perez
6th: Peixoto
tied 7th: Chavez/Canales, Jr.
9th: Streibig
Women’s Classic
Ashley Moler ousted Tracy Davis in the Women’s Classic final, playing some of the best ball of her career en route to one of the best wins of her career. Moler played masterfully in the final, moving the living legend from corner to corner, using her power fist shots, ceiling balls, and roll outs to win in two games.
“I was playing well but I was really choking at the end,” chuckled Moler. “I was up 20-13 and Tracy got to 16. Luckily, I was able to finish it off.”
“Ashley and I have been training together and she’s been playing great and she played even better in today’s final,” stated WPH ED David Vincent. “This is a big win for her and I know the locals are thrilled for her.”
Hall of Fame
35+ Emmett Peixoto
40+ David Fink
50+ Chris Tico
55+ Sunny Roberts
60+ Phil Kirk
65+ Glenn Carden
70+ Merv Deckert
75+ James Ward
80+ Norm Young
Ashley Moler
Women’s 5th:
Rebecca Mulholland
Men’s Open Doubles:
Langmack/Canales
Men’s A:
David Sanchez II
Andres Cordova
Men’s B Dubs:
Garcia Jr/E. Cordova
Men’s C:
Andres Sandoval
Men’s C Doubles:
Brule/Peyton
Legends of Handball:
Stan Chapman/James Caton
Thank you!
Thank you to Vern Roberts, Matt Krueger, Kena Byrd-Jackson, Vince San Angelo, Charlie Wicker, Dave Vincent, Lolita de Vincent, and all of the volunteers who made the 2019 25th anniversary Hall of Fame tournament such a huge success. “We loved having the WPH join us and we loved having the top women’s and master’s players here,” stated Vern Roberts.
More info and brackets from the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame HERE
For more coverage from the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame go to ushandball.org
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 3/9/19-
Saturday
Seven of the R48’s top eight and the R48’s young superstar Leo Canales, Jr. filled out Saturday’s quarterfinals, with the R48LTE Hall of Fame field whittled to two by day’s end.
In the first quarterfinal of the day, top-seeded and R48 #2 Sean Lenning dropped game one for the second consecutive day, this time to Canales. Lenning bounced back in the next two games, yielding just 10 combined points against the Juarez star to advance to the semifinals.
R48 #5 Vic Perez and R48 #6 David Fink met for the first time this season for a spot in the semifinals. Perez entered Tucson on the heels of his first R48 final appearance in New Orleans in mid February and started well against Fink, building a 10-6 first game lead with deep court right-handed kills. Fink settled down, locating his serve and offense to score the final nine points of the game. Fink grabbed a 6-0 lead in game two and once again ended the game with a nine-point streak to book his third R48 semifinal trip of the 2018/19 season.
Danos Cordova continued his mastery of PhD student Emmett Peixoto after an 11-match losing streak against the 2017 Olympian of the Year, defeating “The Rock” in two games for his third consecutive win against Peixoto this season. “Daniel’s serve gave him a big advantage and he was hitting the ball hard and with a lot of hop during the rallies,” stated Peixoto.
Luis Cordova held match point at 14-11 in game two against the ageless wonder Marcos Chavez, but could not close out the SR48 #2. Chavez played his best ball of the season, striking three aces and two kills win in overtime and extend the match. Chavez trailed Cordova 5-9 in game three before hitting another hot streak, trying the game at nine. An egregious avoidable call gave Lucho a side out and halted Chavez’s momentum. Lucho took advantage, ending the match with a six-point streak. “I was nervous in there, I don’t know why,” stated Lucho. “I wasn’t able to put the ball down but I hit some good kills at the end of the third game.”
Lenning and Fink met for the first time this season, as Lenning was seeking his third final of the season and Fink his first. Fink played flawlessly in the first, holding Lenning to just one point. Lenning turned the tables in game two, starting the game with six straight ace serves to take command. Fink scored just six in game two, setting the stage for a third game.
Lenning took a 9-5 lead in the third game but was caught at nine. Lenning edged in front to 11-9, but Fink rallied, scoring the final six points of the match, including the final two on diving left-handed re kills. “It feels great to make my first final in almost two years,” stated Fink. “I’m feeling good and excited for tomorrow.”
Danos and Lucho became the first brothers to meet in a R48 semifinal in the bottom bracket. The Juarez warriors started the match with a 50-shot rally, a sign of what was to come in the grueling affair. Danos was able to play more offense than Lucho, ousting his brother for the first time in the main draw to advance to his third final of the season.
Lenning def Canales 11-15, 15-5, 15-5
Fink def Perez 15-10, 15-4
Cordova def Peixoto 15-9, 15-4
Cordova def Chavez 15-12, 14-16, 15-9
Semifinals
Fink def Lenning 15-1, 6-15, 15-11
Cordova def L. Cordova 15-11, 15-11
Final: Fink vs. D. Cordova (11 am MST)
5th Place Final: Peixoto vs. Perez (10 am MST)
Women’s Classic Final: Davis vs. Moler (10 am MST)
Hall of Fame Banquet
The USHA hosted all of the Hall of Fame players and guest at the sensational USHA headquarters and remodeled Hall of Fame. Players enjoyed tours of the Hall of Fame, outstanding food, and a chance to stock up on handball gear during the perfect Tucson evening. “We love working with the WPH and we’re so happy that the R48 pros joined this great event,” stated USHA Development Director Matt Krueger at the banquet.
“On behalf of all of the pros and the WPH, we want to thank the USHA for hosting us and including us in this mega event,” added David Fink. “We love being a part of this event and we hope to make this a tradition every March.”
Watch Sunday’s matches live on Patreon HERE
More info and brackets from the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame HERE
For more coverage from the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame go to ushandball.org
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
2019 USHA/WPH R48LTE Hall of Fame Daily Recaps
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 3/8/19-
Friday
The 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame marked the 54th event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour and second R48LTE event in Race 4 Eight history, with the tour spanning 16 states in the R48’s first eight seasons.
The 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame featured eight of the top 10 R48 Men’s Pros, headlined by R48 #2 Sean Lenning and the “Flying Cordovas.” Joining Lenning and the Flying Cordovas in Tucson were Elite 8 rivals Vic Perez, David Fink, Emmett Peixoto, and Marcos Chavez. The R48 stars are competing for critical R48 ranking points just past the 2018/19 season’s midway point.
The 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame also features the USHA Women’s Classic, highlighted by WR48 top three pros Tracy Davis and Ashley Moler, the Master’s Singles, with R48 Elite 8 pros Emmett Peixoto, David Fink, and Marcos Chavez playing in the 35+, 40+, and 45+ singles, respectively, as well as skill level and junior brackets in Tucson’s first mega event of 2019.
The R48LTE kicked off on a beautiful Tucson Friday afternoon, with 30 players from seven states and two countries battling in round of 32 and round of 16 action. The stellar field featured the current USHA 3-Wall pro singles champion (Lenning), the current USHA 15-and-under 4-Wall singles champion (David Sanchez iii), the current SR48 Player’s Champion (Chavez), the current SR48 #1 (Fink), two-time 2018/19 R48 champion (L. Cordova), 2018/19 R48 Portland champion (D. Cordova), former WPH #1’s (Ortiz, Peixoto), and newly-minted R48 top five star (Perez).
Round of 16
Top-seeded Sean Lenning survived a round of 16 scare against little-known but uber-talented Jeff Streibig, dropping the first game and standing just five points from elimination in game two before outscoring the St. Louis phenom 20-5 in the last 25 points of the match.
Second-seeded and two-time 2018/19 R48 8 champion Lucho Cordova had little difficulty ousting the LAAC’s Ricardo Palma, despite driving across the country earlier in the week in his relocation to El Paso/Juarez. With his two-game sweep against Palma, Lucho maintained his perfect record in R48LTE events (5-0).
Third-seeded Danos Cordova overcame local favorite Abraham Montijo in two games, dominating game one and holding off a determined Montijo rally late in game two. “The ball is playing really fast,” stated Danos after his victory, a sentiment echoed by nearly every R48 pro on Friday.
Fourth-seeded and New Orleans R48LTE finalist Vic Perez chopped down 6’9 Max Langmack, ending the Missouri State All-American’s quest for his first R48 quarterfinal in a two-game sweep.
Fifth-seeded David Fink defeated 15-and-under USHA 1-Wall, 3-Wall, and 4-Wall singles and doubles national champion David Sanchez iii in the round of 32 to setup a clash with another Northern California star in the round of 16. Fink led the Olympic Club’s Loren Collado 8-0 before Collado served in game one and continued to apply pressure throughout the two-game match. Collado found his groove in the middle of the second game, pulling to within two at 8-10 before Fink closed out the match by scoring five of the final six points of the second game. “Loren makes very good shots and plays smart,” stated Fink. “He’s one of the young guys on the tour that is on the verge of a big breakthrough.”
Sixth-seeded Emmett Peixoto faced his Olympic Club teammate Erik Torres for a spot in Saturday morning’s quarterfinals. Torres started well, taking a 7-2 lead before Peixoto tied the game at nine. Peixoto closed out game one with six consecutive points and continued his great play in game two, taking a 13-6 lead. Torres grinded, scoring seven straight points to tie “El Rock” at 13 but saw his comeback bid halted at 13, losing the next two points. “I just couldn’t get my wind and got stuck on nine in the first game,” lamented Torres. “I started to acclimate late in the second game but it was too late. I’m happy with how I played though.”
Seventh-seeded ageless wonder Marcos Chavez continued to defy Father Time in the evening’s final match, toppling Tucson’s Shorty Ruiz on Ruiz’s home court. Chavez was the beneficiary of 13 Ruiz errors in game one, but both elevated their games in game two. Chavez and Ruiz traded the lead four times until a Chavez spurt brought the SR48 #2 to match point at 14-10. A left-handed Chavez error opened the door for Ruiz, who scored two quick points to pull within two. A timeout from Chavez cooled off Ruiz, who served the SR48 #2 a back wall setup into Chavez’s wheelhouse. Chavez would capitalize on his second match point, advancing to Saturday’s quarterfinals. “I just made too many errors, especially in that first game,” declared Ruiz.
The match of the day pitted the R48 breakthrough/comeback star of the 2018/19 season Leo Canales, Jr. against two-time R48 champion and former R48 #1 Mando Ortiz. Canales won game one in overtime, but Ortiz rallied to force a third game. Canales seized a 10-4 lead in the third and was seemingly on the verge of his biggest R48 win. Ortiz scored 10 consecutive points in two innings and three minutes to serve for the match at 14-10. “No one hits the ball lower than Mando,” shouted WPH ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Vincent.
Ortiz had his favorite setup at 14-10, a back wall plum with his right hand at the short line but skipped it, setting the stage for Canales’ third sensational comeback win of the season. Despite hitting himself with the ball at 13-14, Canales survived a second Ortiz match point and won his second overtime game of the match. “I don’t know what it is,” laughed Canales. “It seems like I need to get way behind before I start to play well.”
Round of 16
Lenning def Streibig 10-15,15-10, 15-5
Cordova def Palma 15-8, 15-6
Cordova def Montijo 15-6, 15-12
Perez def Langmack 15-10, 15-9
Fink def Collado 15-4, 15-9
Peixoto def Torres 15-9, 15-13
Chavez def Ruiz 15-10, 15-12
Canales def Ortiz 16-14, 12-15, 16-14
Round of 8 (Saturday)
Lenning vs. Canales (9 am MST)
Perez vs. Fink (10 am MST)
Cordova vs. Peixoto (11 am MST)
Cordova vs. Chavez (12 pm MST)
IMPORTANT CLICKS:
Watch Saturday’s matches live or on demand on Patreon HERE
More info and brackets from the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame HERE
For more coverage from the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame go to ushandball.org
2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame press release HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Elite Stats HERE
R48LTE explained HERE
Lucho Cordova on the Rise HERE
The Flying Cordovas: From Juarez Bros to R48 Pros HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Preview HERE
2017/18 R48 and WR48 Match Analytics HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Power Rankings HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019. 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, 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
Support the WPH and inspiring the next generation of players by becoming a WPH Patreon. Enjoy never before seen videos, pro commentary, special awards, Sports Casts archives and new episodes, live broadcasts, and much more. Become a WPH Patreon HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 3/4/19-
The 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame marks the 54th event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour and second R48LTE event in Race 4 Eight history, with the tour spanning 16 states in the R48’s first eight seasons.
The event will feature nine of the top 10 R48 Men’s Pros, headlined by R48 #2 Sean Lenning and the “Flying Cordovas.” Joining Lenning and the Flying Cordovas will be Elite 8 rivals Vic Perez, David Fink, Emmett Peixoto, and Marcos Chavez. The R48 stars will be competing for critical R48 ranking points just past the 2018/19 season’s midway point.
In addition to this super-event, the USHA Women’s Classic, highlighted by WR48 top three pros Tracy Davis and Ashley Moler, the Master’s Singles, featuring R48 Elite 8 pros Emmett Peixoto, David Fink, and Marcos Chavez playing in the 35+, 40+, and 45+ singles, respectively, as well as skill level and junior brackets in Tucson’s first mega event of 2019.
Check out all of the important 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame tournament information below.
2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame Info
- Date: March 8-10, 2019
- Site: Tucson Racquet Club, 4001 N. Country Club Rd. Tucson, AZ 85716
- Tournament director: WPH & USHA
- Tournament sponsor: USHA & JR WPH
- Pro Events: R48LTE
- List of R48LTE Tucson R48 Men’s pro champions: n/a
- Defending 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame R48 champion: n/a
- Number of ranked R48 pros entered: 14
- Current or former R48 #1’s entered: 3 (Lenning, Fink, Ortiz)
For more info on the 2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame, including starting times and to follow the brackets go HERE
2019 R48LTE USHA Hall of Fame press release HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Elite Stats HERE
R48LTE explained HERE
Lucho Cordova on the Rise HERE
The Flying Cordovas: From Juarez Bros to R48 Pros HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Preview HERE
2017/18 R48 and WR48 Match Analytics HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Power Rankings HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019. 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, 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
Support the WPH and inspiring the next generation of players by becoming a WPH Patreon. Enjoy never before seen videos, pro commentary, special awards, Sports Casts archives and new episodes, live broadcasts, and much more. Become a WPH Patreon HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer