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40th Annual Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash: Esser and Munroe Bash in Springfield

Springfield, MO, WPH Press, 11/10/24

The Missouri State Handball Team was proud to present the 40th Annual Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash on the second weekend of November at the Thomas H. Burnett Handball Courts on the Missouri State University campus.

The 40th Annual Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash featured 121 players from Missouri, Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, Arizona, and Ireland.

The Men’s Open singles field featured former Race 4 Eight semifinalists Sam Esser, Mark Doyle, and Max Langmack, in addition to Race stars Jab Bike and Diarmuid Mulkerrins. Clodagh Munroe highlighted the Women’s Open singles field that also included former Race 4 Eight finalist Suz Entzeroth, Aoife Holden, and collegiate stars Taylor Bell, Taylor Rumping, and Leah Minogue.

Men’s Open Singles

Top-seeded Sam Esser was dominant on his way to the final, dropping October’s Handballesta champion Bryan Trejo (HERE) in the quarterfinals and come-backing Race 4 Eight NextGen star Jab Bike in the semifinals. “Sam was just killing everything,” Bike would say.

Mark Doyle was impressive in the bottom bracket, defeating tournament director Christian Madsen in the quarterfinals and routing Diarmuid Mulkerrins in the semifinals.

Doyle entered the Bash’s final having defeated Esser in their only meeting on the Race 4 Eight tour this season in Tucson, rallying from a one-game and 6-12 second game deficit to stun the Pride of Missouri State. Doyle parlayed his success in Tucson into his first semifinal appearance of his Race 4 Eight career in his next Race start in Portland, while Esser has suffered two razor-close round of 16 tiebreaker losses in his two Race starts this season.

Both Esser and Doyle were eliminated in forgettable performances in Ireland last week, with both keen to return to peak form at the Bash.

Esser started well in the first, executing a high percentage of kill shots to take the first game. Doyle bounced back in the second, forcing a tiebreaker with his unique blend of power drives and off-speed kills.

The tiebreaker was Esser time, as the two-handed offensive juggernaut dominated from the start to defend his home court.

“(I played) Pretty good,” Esser would later say. “Probably played my best in the tiebreaker. I found a good power serve down the right that earned me some points and setups that I executed. I needed that breakout win.”

Quarterfinals

Esser def Trejo 21-4, 21-10

Bike def Langmack 21-16, 17-21, 11-10

Mulkerrins def Colyer 21-17, 21-13

Doyle def Madsen 21-14, 21-13

Semifinals

Esser def Bike 21-6, 21-5

Doyle def D. Mulkerrins 21-6, 21-6

Final: Esser def Doyle 21-13, 15-21, 11-1

Men’s Open Doubles

Final: D. Mulkerrins/Colyer def M. Mulkerrins/C. Bacon 21-19, 10-21, 11-9

Women’s Open Singles

Clodagh Munroe continued her Midwest dominance, advancing to the finals of the Women’s Bash with a two-game sweep against former WR48 finalist Suz Entzeroth, while Aoife Holden eradicated the sting of her 11-10 loss in Ireland last week by ousting Leah Minogue to meet Munroe in the final.

Holden battled Munroe throughout the first game, serving for the first game but could not close, dropping the first game 21-20, eventually losing momentum and dropping a lopsided second game.

“I felt like I couldn’t get into the game at the start,” stated Munroe. “Aoife was 18-11 up then 20-12. I then began to get into the game and produce better serves and kill shots to finish the first out 21-20. In the second, I started a lot better and was serving better and either hitting good ceiling balls or kills shots when they were on. I always had a lead in this game and didn’t feel pressure like I did in the first.”

Semifinals

Munroe def Entzeroth 21-8, 21-12

Holden def Minogue 21-16, 21-9

Final: Munroe def Holden 21-20, 21-10

Women’s Open Doubles

Finals: Minogue/Holden def Munroe/Grace 21-15, 21-15

Thank you to tournament directors Christian Madsen and Ray Hall and the Missouri State Handball Team for an outstanding Bear Bash honoring Dr. Thomas H. Burnett on the courts that bear his name.

The Thomas H. Burnett Handball Courts on the Missouri State University campus will proudly host the 74th USHA National Four-Wall Championships May 22-26, 2025.

Follow all of the brackets from the 2024 40th Annual Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash HERE

David Fink

WPH Senior Writer

DV: David Vincent formed the World Players of Handball in 2005 and ushered live handball viewing into our living rooms for the first time. Since its inception, the World Players of Handball has broadcast over 1,500 matches live. Dave Vincent serves as the lead play-by-play announcer for virtually all matches, combining his unique perspective and personality with a lifetime of handball experience. DV brings 25 years of broadcast radio experience (in Oregon and California) to World Players of Handball & ESPN broadcasts and provides professionalism and wit to the amazing game of handball. DV also serves as the Executive Director of the World Player of Handball at the WPH headquarters in Tucson, AZ, working daily to grow the game of handball through innovation.
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