Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 11/5/26
R48
Martin Mulkerrins overcame a slow start in his second quarterfinal matchup of the season against Dylan Hernandez, trailing 0-5 in the first game before dominating the remainder of the match. Mulkerrins raced to a 14-6 lead after trailing 0-5, eventually closing out the game 15-8 and needed just twelve minutes to win the second, tallying 34 rally-ending shots against just eight errors in the two-game sweep.
Leo Canales blitzed Lucho Cordova in the first game of the second quarterfinal of the day, erasing a 2-5 deficit to win 15-6. Canales continued his streak in the second, building a 5-2 lead before being tied at ten. Lucho gained control of the match, seizing a 14-10 lead and serving to force a tiebreaker. Canales forced a side out and ended the game on a 6-0 run, advancing to his third semifinal of the 2026/27 Race 4 Eight season.
“I wanted to get it done in two,” Canales would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I tried to stay aggressive, that was my mentality coming in. I just kept shooting. Once I scored 12, I knew I was two points from forcing overtime. I was feeling good and hitting the ball well. You know you’re never really out of it. Lucho is one of the best players in the world, so anytime you can beat someone like that it feels great.”
Coleman McGrath tackled Ray Ure in the first game in their second quarterfinal matchup of the season, dictating play and dominating the R48 #2, punctuating the game with a fist-pump. McGrath’s second fist-pump of the match would be his last and his undoing, as McGrath fist-pumped after taking a 4-2 lead in the second game. The bear was poked and proceeded to score 28 of the final 36 points of the match to send a message to the Northern California upstart.
“He was playing really well in the first game,” Ure would later say. “Be patient, get my legs under me. Coleman did not do himself much of a favor fist-pumping early in the second. It motivated me. Tucson has been great to me, first junior nationals, first pro stop, and first nationals were all here.”
Mark Doyle entered his second quarterfinal matchup of the season against Sean Lenning with a 0-5 lifetime record against Lenning. Doyle started well in the first, building an 11-4 lead. Lenning caught fire, quickly reaching game point with a dazzling display to serve at 14-10. Doyle survived and scored four consecutive points to force overtime. Lenning would serve three times to win the first game but came up short each time. Doyle grabbed the first game and dominated the second to earn his first win against Lenning to advance to his third Race semifinal of the season.
“I’m delighted to beat Sean for the first time,” Doyle would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “Sean is do or die. He didn’t make any of his left-hand cross-corner kills. Don’t let him in it, keep the pressure on. Those are the guys who I grew up and looked up to all the time. Those guys are legends of the game. It’s unbelievable what Sean can do at his age. Everything is different playing Sean. There is no anticipation.”
Round of 8
Mulkerrins def Hernandez 15-8, 15-3
Ure def McGrath 8-15, 15-7, 15-3
Doyle def Lenning 18-16, 15-3
Canales def Lucho 15-6, 16-14
R48 Semifinals
Martin Mulkerrins played a nearly perfect first game against Leo Canales in the first semifinal of the evening, never allowing Canales into the game. Canales charged in game two, playing even with Mulkerrins, as the pair were tied at eight, ten, and eleven. Mulkerrins stepped on the gas to end the match, scoring the final four points of the match to advance to his third final of the season.
“I just want to get back to this final,” Mulkerrins told ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I love this event and the prestige. I played as good as I could have in the first game, but that can be dangerous then. It was a war in the second game. He started playing a bit better. It’s next point every time. The timeouts helped me get back into it. All the pressure was on him in the second game. I found a few kills towards the end. I have the height of respect for Leo. I admire the grind and the commitment to the sport we all love. It’s a privilege to have these opportunities.”
Ray Ure completely dominated his former Mankato teammate in the second semifinal of the evening, starting the match with three consecutive aces and tallying seven aces in his first eleven points. Doyle never threatened Ure at any stage of the two-game match, as Ure overpowered and dominated all facets of the match.
“I focused on something during the warm-up to get low and drive with my legs,” Ure told ESPN’s Kara Mack. “No mental lapses, I was focused the entire match. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses but I just try to play my own game. The quarterfinals helped me know what I needed to focus on.”
Mulkerrins def Mulkerrins 15-2, 15-11
Ure def Doyle 15-4, 15-3
Final: Mulkerrins vs. Ure (Sunday, 11:30 am MST)
WR48
Niamh Heffernan extended her WR48 win streak to seventeen matches with a two-game sweep against Mollie Dagg. Dagg had taken Heffernan to two tiebreakers during Heffernan’s five-tournament WR48 winning streak, but Heffernan closed out Dagg in two games to advance to her sixth consecutive WR final. After winning the first game 15-2, Heffernan trailed Dagg 3-9 in the second. The pair arrived at a 13-13 tie, with Heffernan forcing a side out and scoring two consecutive points to win.
“I knew Mollie was going to come back firing at me,” Heffernan would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I just focused on my game and my serve. Just setting my feet and getting myself in the right position to hit the next shot. I’m looking forward to the final tomorrow. I’m playing good, and I think my left hand is good right now.”
Ciana Ni Churraoin overwhelmed the current national champion and WR48 #2 Aoife Holden, dominating the three-time 2025/26 WR48 finalist in two games. Ni Churraoin outscored Holden 11-1 to end the first game and 14-2 to end the second game as she aims for her second WR48 title.
“I always want to come to the Memorial,” Ni Churraoin told ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I just decided this year to get to as many stops as I can. 24 hours travel to get here. The first time I hit the ball on Wednesday I realized how much hard and faster the ball is. The ceiling shots come off much faster. I’m just trying to find my groove and focusing on my game. I’ve been focusing a lot on my serve and this ball suits my serve. The other part is the mental side. Last season I was expecting too much from myself all the time. I am trying to be more compassionate to myself.”
Semifinals
Heffernan def Dagg 15-2, 15-13
Ni Churraoin def Holden 15-4, 15-6
Final: Heffernan vs. Ni Churraoin (Sunday, 10:45 am MST)
SR48
Top-seeded Sean Lenning cruised to the final in the upper bracket semifinal, ousting Tucson’s Dan Mcnabney in two games.
Dual R48 and SR48 Race stars Jeff Streibig and Boxer Rosales battled in the bottom bracket SR semifinal, with the National Handball Center Captain defeating the Big Ball and Small Ball star in two games to advance to his second SR final.
SR48 Semifinals
Lenning def Mcnabney 15-2, 15-5
Streibig def Rosales 15-5, 15-12
SR48 Final: Lenning vs. Streibig (10 am MST)
JR WPH at the 2026 Memorial
JR WPH proudly presented a JR WPH 1-Wall clinic on Friday, playing 1-Wall King of the Court singles with junior and collegiate players. “With no courts open, we took to the tennis wall on a beautiful afternoon in Tucson,” stated the WPH’s David Fink. “The players had a great time playing and meeting one another. We love seeing juniors and collegiate players meeting and enjoying this great game together.
JR WPH Singles at the 2026 Memorial
Nine juniors traveled from Tucson, New Mexico, and Mexico to compete in the JR WPH Singles at the 2026 Memorial. Each of the juniors played multiple matches during the Saturday morning tournament. Huge thanks to the Fred Lewis Foundation’s Abraham Montijo and Carl Hayden High School Handball Coach Chris Hogan for running the outstanding event.
2026 Memorial Presentation
The Tucson handball community gathered on the TRC show court in between the first and second R48 Men’s semifinal to honor those friends and family that our community has lost. Thank you to Scott Cleveland for hosting the ceremony to celebrate our cherished handball community members.
Watch Sunday’s matches on the ESPN App starting at 10 am MST
Follow the draws and results from the 2026 Race 4 Eight Tucson Memorial HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
Sunday, November 8 | ESPN+
- 10:00 a.m. – Senior 40+ Final – Sean Lenning (WA) vs Jeff Streibig (MO)
- 10:45 a.m. – Women’s Pro Final – Ciana Ni Churraoin (IRE) vs Niamh Heffernan (IRE)
- 11:30 a.m. – Men’s Pro Final – Ray Ure (IL) vs Martin Mulkerrins (IRE)