42nd Annual Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash, R48/WR48 Pre Qualifiers, and USHA Women’s Classic
St. Louis, MO, WPH Press, 11/1/26
Tournament director Christian Madsen and the Missouri State Handball Team, alongside the USHA, proudly hosted the 2026 Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash, R48/WR48 Pre Qualifiers, and USHA Women’s Classic at the National Handball Center in St. Louis, MO on Halloween Weekend, featuring 104 men’s, women’s, collegiate, and junior players in the open, skill level, and age bracket singles and doubles.
Men’s Pre Qualifier Singles
Fifteen players entered the Men’s Pre Qualifier Singles, with each vying for a spot on the 2026/27 R48 Men’s tour.
Former SR48 ranked pro Kevin Pettus emerged from the upper bracket, overcoming Scottie Moler in a tiebreaker in the quarterfinals and upsetting top-seed Garrett Bacon in two games in the semifinals to advance to the final.
Former R48 pro Ross Colyer defeated Jake Pelech in two games in the quarterfinals and rising Midwest star Justin Buschjost in a tiebreaker in the semifinals to meet National Handball Center teammate Kevin Pettus in the final.
Colyer overwhelmed Pettus in the final, controlling the match with his two-handed power and offense. “Ross played well against Kevin and seemed in control the whole match,” stated former Elite 8 R48 pro Sam Esser. “Had a nice power serve going and kept Kevin moving around.”
Semifinals
Pettus def Bacon 21-12, 21-6
Colyer def Buschjost 21-12, 10-21, 11-3
Final: Pettus def Colyer 21-10, 21-11
Women’s Pre Qualifier Singles/Women’s Classic
23 players entered the Women’s Pre Qualifier Singles/Women’s Classic, making the Bear Bash’s WR48 Pre Qualifier/Women’s Classic singles the largest and deepest draw in WR48 Pre Qualifier history. Current and former WR48 pros Aoife Holden, Mikaila Esser, Mollie Dagg, Jennifer Schmidt, Hannah Grace, Caitlin Behne, Izzy Klicker, Leah Minogue, Rebecca Mulholland, and Ashleigh Sharkey were amongst the favorites in the loaded draw.
Fourth-seeded Leah Minogue faced a treacherous road to the final in the upper bracket, defeating Hannah Grace in the quarterfinals and overcoming former WR48 #1 and top-seeded Mikaila Esser in a thriller in the semifinals.
Second-seeded Mollie Dagg was clinical in the bottom half of the draw, defeating Taylor Bell in the quarterfinals and ousting WR48 #2 Aoife Holden in two games in the semifinals.
In a battle of 2026 WR48 Pre Qualifier champions, Dagg continued to dominate in the final, sweeping Leah Minogue in two games to claim the title and the Race 4 Eight stipend and entry.
“Mollie and Leah played even at the beginning of both games,” Sam Esser would later say. “Mollie hit a lot of fist ceiling shots to the left back corner and earned setups which she consistently put down. She also had a nice Z left corner.”
Semifinals
Minogue def Esser 19-21, 21-11, 11-8
Dagg def Holden 21-9, 21-17
Final: Dagg def Minogue 21-11, 21-9
The Men’s and Women’s Open Singles served as R48 and WR48 Pre Qualifiers for the 2026/27 Race 4 Eight season. “The WPH was thrilled to partner with the Missouri State Handball Team, tournament director Christian Madsen, and the USHA in hosting the 2026 R48 and WR48 Pre Qualifiers at the 2026 Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash,” stated the WPH’s David Fink. “The winner of men’s and women’s singles at the 2026 Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash Pre Qualifiers earned a travel stipend and entry to the 2026/27 Race 4 Eight event of his and her choice. The Missouri State Handball Team and the USHA hosted a tremendous event at the National Handball Center and the WPH was proud to be a part of the event.”
Follow all of the brackets from the 2026 Thomas H. Burnett Bear Bash HERE
Race 4 Eight Qualifier Explained HERE
2026/27 Race 4 Eight Schedule HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer