Springfield, MO, WPH Press, 11/9/25
Tournament director and one of the Midwest’s top handball players Christian Madsen and the Missouri State Handball Team proudly hosted the 2025 Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash and R48/WR48 Pre Qualifiers on the Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Handball Courts at Missouri State University on the second weekend in November.
“The WPH was thrilled to partner with the Missouri State Handball Team and tournament director Christian Madsen in hosting R48 and WR48 Pre Qualifiers at the 2025 Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash,” stated the WPH’s David Fink. “The winner of the Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash Pre Qualifiers will earn a $300 travel stipend to the 2025/26 Race 4 Eight event of his and her choice. The Missouri State Handball Team always hosts tremendous events with great fields and adding the Race 4 Eight qualifiers only added to the excitement.”
Men’s Bear Bash R48 Pre Qualifier
Garrett Bacon and Christian Madsen navigated a deep Bear Bash R48 Pre Qualifier field to meet in the final, with Bacon upsetting top-seed and 2025 Tallcorn R48 Pre Qualifier champion Bryan Trejo in the upper bracket semifinals and Madsen advancing through the bottom bracket with a two-game sweep against Zack Wells in the semifinals.
Very little separated Bacon and Madsen in their tight two-game final, with Bacon’s serve making the difference.
“The match was great,” Bacon would later say. “The power serve was working well today as well as the right hand pass down the left.”
“Garrett played lights out all weekend,” stated Madsen. “He’s a former collegiate All-American for Missouri State who doesn’t travel much but is a dangerous player. He came back from down 16-19 in game two against Trejo to win 21-19. This weekend was some of the best I’ve seen him play. Really cool to see him win this tournament and be rewarded for all the work he’s put in as a player and now assistant coach for Missouri State Handball.”
Quarterfinals
Trejo def J. Buschjost 21-10, 21-10
Bacon def N. Stoffel 21-4, 21-6
Madsen def S. Moler 17-21, 21-3, 21-4
Wells def R. Colyer 21-16, 9-21, 11-5
Semifinals
Bacon def B. Trejo 21-8, 21-19
Maden def Z. Wells 21-3, 21-9
Final: G. Bacon def C. Madsen 21-17, 21-18
WR48 Bear Bash WR48 Pre Qualifier
Ireland’s Hannah Grace, who earned All-American honors playing for Minnesota State earlier this year, entered the 2025 Bear Bash WR48 Pre Qualifier as the top seed and advanced to the final in the upper bracket after losing the first game of her semifinal match to Ashleigh Sharkey and rebounding to allow Sharkey just one combined point in the next two games.
Izzy Klicker survived two close games in the bottom bracket semifinal against former collegiate All-American Christina Pecaut in a rematch of the USHA Four Wall National Championship Women’s A final.
Grace would win another tiebreaker in the final, winning the first game and dropping the second before dominating the third.
“I didn’t watch the ball in the first,” Grace would later say.
Semifinals
Grace def Sharkey 20-21, 21-1, 11-0
Klicker def C. Pecaut 21-18, 21-16
Final: H. Grace def I. Klicker 21-13, 14-21, 11-1
“Congratulations to Garrett Bacon and Hannah Grace for booking their ticket to the Big Show,” stated the WPH’s David Fink. “We look forward to seeing both on tour this season.”
“We had a strong turnout of regional players as well as collegiate representation from Missouri State University, Minnesota State Mankato, San Angelo State University, Texas A&M University, and Western Governor’s University,” added Madsen. “17 participants played in their first ever tournament and it was exciting to see a large group of young people battling it out on the court. 22 women participated as well, which is exciting to see a good turnout from that demographic. This tournament honors Coach Burnett and he would be so proud of the growth, development, and spirited competition demonstrated this weekend.”
Thank you to tournament director Christian Madsen and the Missouri State Handball Team for an outstanding event.
Thank you to Christian Madsen for the info, quotes, and pictures from the 2025 Bear Bash Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifiers.
Race 4 Eight Qualifier Explained HERE
2025/26 Race 4 Eight Schedule HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer