Through 64 events on the Race 4 Eight tour from 2011-2020, the Race 4 Eight has produced sensational tournaments, memorable matches, dominant champions and inspiring stories, all broadcast live on WPH Patreon, race4eight.com or the WatchESPN App. Read below for fun facts and trends from the first eight+ years on the most exciting indoor pro handball tour in the sport.
In 64 Men’s Race 4 Eight Pro events, there have been 11 different champions and 17 different finalists. Of the 17 different finalists, 10 have been from the U.S., six from Ireland, and one from Mexico
10 U.S. finalists: Moreno, Ortiz, Nett, Lenning, Alvarado, Al. Garner, Fink, Peixoto, D. Cordova, Perez
5 Irish finalists: McCarthy, Brady, Nash, Shanks, Carroll, Mulkerrins
1 Mexican finalist: L. Cordova
In 64 R48 Men’s Pro finals since 2011, 20 finals have gone to a tiebreaker (31%)
Combining R48, WR48, and SR48, the Race 4 Eight tour has hosted 110 events (not including R48 Pre Qualifiers)
Top 8 2021 Tucson Memorial Point Differentials, Points Scored vs. Lost, Percentage of Points Won, Match Record
1st: Carroll: +82, 150-68 (69%), 5-0
2nd: Lucho: +37, 103-66 (61%), 3-1
3rd: Danos: +32, 82-50 (62%), 2-1
3rd: Lenning: +31, 79-48 (62%), 2-1
5th: Fink: +48, 118-70 (63%), 4-1
6th: Cooney: +7, 109-102 (52%), 3-2
7th: Esser: -9, 78-87 (47%), 2-2
7th: Canales: -11, 97-108 (47%). 2-2
The 2021 Tucson Memorial R48 Top 8 were born in three different countries: U.S. (5), Ireland (2), Mexico (1)
The 2021 Tucson Memorial R48 Top 8 all reside in the U.S. in five different states: MA (Carroll), Lucho (TX), Danos (TX), Lenning (WA), Fink (AZ), Cooney (CA), Canales (TX), Esser (AZ)
2011 Plummer Bash R48 Elite 8 (October 2011, First Race 4 Eight Event)
Sean Lenning
Naty Alvarado, Jr.
Luis Moreno
Allan Garner
David Fink
Armando Ortiz
Tommy Little
Andy Nett
2021 Tucson Memorial R48 Elite 8 (November 2011, 64th Race 4 Eight Event)
Killian Carroll
Lucho Cordova
Danos Cordova
Sean Lenning
David Fink
Stephen Cooney
Leo Canales, Jr.
Sam Esser
Of the 15 matches played from the Round of 16 to the final at the 2021 Tucson Memorial, 2 of 15 went to a tiebreaker (13%) – Canales vs. Iglesias, Cooney vs. Ruiz (both Round of 16 matches)
The Race 4 Eight Men’s Pro has featured 64 events in nine seasons from the first Race 4 Eight event in Coeur d’Alene, ID at the Plummer Family Bash in October of 2011 through the 2021R48 Tucson Memorial. Let’s examine the number of different finalists in those 64 R48 events.
- 2011-2012 R48 I: six new finalists: Moreno, Alvarado, Lenning, Al. Garner, McCarthy, Shanks
- 2012-2013 R48 II: one new finalist: Brady
- 2013-2014 R48 III: three new finalists: Ortiz, Peixoto, Nash
- 2014-2015 R48 IV: one new finalist: Nett
- 2015-2016 R48 V: one new finalist: Carroll
- 2016-2017 R48 VI: two new finalists: Fink, L. Cordova
- 2017-2018 R48 VII: one new finalist: D. Cordova
- 2018-2019 R48 VIII: one new finalist: Perez
- 2019-2020 R48 IX: one new finalist: Mulkerrins
- 2021-2022 R48 X: no new finalists
Most winning players in R48 Men’s Pro History (2011-current: main draw and playoff match wins)
Lenning: 121-58
Fink: 117-75
Carroll 104-16
Moreno: 98-36
Lucho: 89-54
Peixoto: 88-70
Danos: 85-52
Perez: 71-66
Brady: 67-4
Ortiz: 66-42
R48 Men’s Pro Tiebreaker Records (2011-current, minimum 14 tiebreakers)
Lenning: 18-15
Lucho: 17-7
Carroll: 15-4
Moreno: 13-6
Ortiz: 13-10
Chavez: 12-9
Perez 10-6
Danos: 9-10
Fink: 8-18
Peixoto: 3-11
Race 4 Eight Player’s Cup Champions (ranked #1 at season’s end)
R48 Men’s Pro
2012: Luis Moreno
2013: Charly Shanks
2014: Luis Moreno
2015: Paul Brady
2016: Paul Brady
2017: Killian Carroll
2018: Killian Carroll
2019: Killian Carroll
WR48
2014: Catriona Casey
2015: Catriona Casey
2016: Catriona Casey
2017: Catriona Casey
2018: Catriona Casey
2019: Catriona Casey
SR48
2013: John Bike, Jr.
2014: Marcos Chavez
2015: Marcos Chavez
2016: Marcos Chavez
2017: Marcos Chavez
2018: David Fink
2019: David Fink
Most R48 events started: Fink (62), Lenning (58), Emmett Peixoto (54)
Most R48 Men’s Pro 5th place playoff titles:
- Fink: 13
- Peixoto: 8
- Perez: 8
The 64 events held on the Race 4 Eight tour since 2011 have been held in 15 different states
Idaho (3)
California (10)
Arizona (9)
Georgia (4)
Utah (8)
Washington (2)
Texas (6)
Alaska (1)
Colorado (2)
New York (6)
Louisiana (4)
Oregon (3)
Minnesota (1)
Montana (3)
Nevada (1)
Pennsylvania (1)
30 of the last 40 Race 4 Eight events have appeared on ESPN3, starting with the 2014 Simple Green U.S. Open
In 64 Men’s R48Pro events from 2011-present, 11 different players have won a Race title
- Carroll: 16
- Brady: 15
- Moreno: 10
- Lenning: 7
- L. Cordova: 4
- D. Cordova: 3
- McCarthy: 3
- Ortiz: 2
- Shanks: 2
- Al. Garner: 1
- Mulkerrins: 1
Top five winning percentages on the Men’s Pro Race 4 Eight Tour:
- Killian Carroll has won 16 of 31 R48 events he has entered: 52%
- Paul Brady has won 15 of 20 R48 events he has entered: 75%
- Robbie McCarthy has won 3 of 10 R48 events he has entered: 30%
- Luis Moreno has won 10 of 42 R48 events he has entered: 24%
- Sean Lenning has won 7 of 58 R48 events he has entered: 12%
- Charly Shanks has won 2 of 16 R48 events he has entered: 13%
In 64 official Men’s Pro R48 events, 1,946 players have entered, including the invited pros, qualifiers, and U.S. Open (open draw)
Allan “The Blonde Bombshell” Garner is the only R48 Champion to have only one R48 title. The other R48 champions have won between 2-15 titles
R48 Men’s R48 Pro Finals Records:
- Carroll: 16-4
- Brady: 15-0
- Moreno: 10-6
- Lenning: 7-14
- D. Cordova 3-4
- L. Cordova: 4-3
- McCarthy: 3-3
- Ortiz: 2-7
- Shanks: 2-4
- Mulkerrins: 1-1
- Al. Garner: 1-2
- Alvarado: 0-5
- Fink: 0-4
- Peixoto: 0-2
- Nett 0-1
- Nash: 0-1
- Perez: 0-1
Post 2021 Tucson Memorial Fun Facts: Killian Carroll
- With his title at the 2021 Tucson Memorial, Killian Carroll surpassed Paul Brady with the most R48 Men’s Pro titles (16)
- Carroll’s winning percentage in his Race 4 Eight career is now 52% (16/31)
- Killian Carroll won all nine of his games in his five matches at the 2021 Tucson Memorial (the round of 32 was one game to 25)
- Killian Carroll faced game point once at the 2021 Tucson Memorial, trailing 14-13 against Sean Lenning in the semifinals before winning the game in overtime (16-14)
- After seeing his lead cut to 11-10 in the 2021 Tucson Memorial final against Luis Cordova, Carroll ended his Memorial on a 19-3 run (15-11, 15-2)
- In Carroll’s last R48 win at the 2020 RFC, Carroll outscored Daniel Cordova in the final 22-1 after being tied at eight in the first game (15-8, 15-1)
- In Carroll’s last Icebreaker win at the August 2021 Ice Bowl, Carroll scored the final 20 points of the match against Daniel Cordova (21-9, 21-11)
- Killian Carroll outscored his five opponents 150-68 (69%) in his five matches at the 2021 Tucson Memorial
- Killian Carroll ended his 2021 Tucson Memorial +82 in points scored vs. lost
- Killian outscored his 2021 Tucson Memorial opponents by an average of 16.4 points per match
- Killian Carroll defeated the #32, #17, #9, #4, and #2 seeds at the 2021 Tucson Memorial – average seed Killian faced was 12.8
- By contrast, Stephen Cooney was seeded 10th and also played five matches – Cooney faced the #23, #7, #2, #6, and #5 seeds, making the average seed he played in five matches 8.6
- Killian Carroll traveled 2,641 miles from Boston, MA to Tucson, AZ to compete in the Tucson Memorial, the furthest distance traveled in the pro division by 988 miles (Minneapolis, MN)
- Four players in the Men’s R48 draw traveled lass than 10 miles each to compete in the 2021 Tucson Memorial
- Sean Lenning scored the most points against Carroll (19) in Carroll’s five matches at the 2021 Tucson Memorial
- Including the three WPH Icebreaker events Carroll won in the summer of 2021, Carroll has now won his last six WPH Pro starts (Red Death 2020, RFC 2020, Three Icebreakers 2021, 2021 Tucson Memorial)
- As of November 9, 2021, Carroll has not lost a WPH pro singles match in 738 days
- Carroll’s last loss in a WPH Pro match came on November 2, 2019 in the semifinals of the 2019 Tucson Memorial against Sean Lenning
- Since Carroll’s loss to Sean Lenning at the 2019 Tucson Memorial, Carroll has not lost a game (25-0) in three consecutive R48 wins: 13-0, titles at the 2020 Red Death, 2020 RFC, 2021 Tucson Memorial
- Combining Carroll’s three 2021 WPH Icebreaker wins with his three R48 Pro wins since January of 2020, Carroll has a 23-match winning streak (10-0 in Icebreakers, 13-0 on the R48)
- During his 23-match winning streak (current), Carroll has lost two games (both in Icebreakers)
- Carroll is 45-2 in games won/lost during the 23-match winning streak (96%)
Sean Lenning has played in the most R48 finals (21)
The WR48 has held 22 events since the inception of the tour in 2013
WR48 Finals Records:
- Casey: 20-2
- Reilly 1-6
- Gawley: 0-1
- Ni Churraoin: 0-5
- McMahon: 1-4
- Peixoto de Melo: 0-1
- Davis: 0-1
- Koehler 0-1
- Tuohey: 0-1
In 22 Women’s R48 starts, Catriona Casey owns a 67-2 match record (97%)
In the 20 WR48 events Catriona Casey has won, Casey won 127 out of 131 games played (97%)
Naty Alvarado (5), Emmett Peixoto (2), Diarmaid Nash (1), David Fink (4), Andy Nett (1), and Vic Perez (1) are the only players to have advanced to a R48 final and not won a title
Of the 128 R48 finalists in 64 R48 events, eight have been qualifiers, two qualifiers have won a title (Brady, Mulkerrins)
R48 Men’s Pro Qualifier Statistics:
- 103 players attempted to qualify during the R48 I season (21 qualified)
- 86 players attempted to qualify during the R48 II season (30 qualified)
- 91 players attempted to qualify during the R48 III season (25 qualified)
- 152 players attempted to qualify during the R48 IV season (26 qualified)
- 168 players attempted to qualify during the R48 V season (40 qualified, thus far) (per Luis Cordova, Sr.)
- 125 players attempted to qualify during the R48 6 season (40 qualified)
- 190 players attempted to qualify during the R48 7 season (33 qualified)
- 200 players attempted to qualify during the R48 8 season (48 qualified)
- 123 players attempted to qualify during the R48 9 season (25 qualified)
2017/18 R48 Match Analytics
Game averages tallied in games to 15. Game to 25 were included by dividing the totals by 1.7
Player: Killian Carroll
Kills/game: 8.8
Aces/game: 2.5
Passes/game: 2
Errors/game: 4.8
Player: Sean Lenning
Kills/game: 9.1
Aces/game: 2.3
Passes/game: 3.3
Errors/game: 6.1
Player: Mando Ortiz
Kills/game: 7.5
Aces/game: 1.4
Passes/game: 2.7
Errors/game: 6.5
Player: Daniel Cordova
Kills/game: 7
Aces/game: 1.8
Passes/game: 4.4
Errors/game: 5.2
Player: David Fink
Kills/game: 10.8
Aces/game: 0.8
Passes/game: 2.3
Errors/game: 5
Player: Luis Cordova
Kills/game: 5.3
Aces/game: 0.7
Passes/game: 2
Errors/game: 6.3
Player: Emmett Peixoto
Kills/game: 6.3
Aces/game: 0.3
Passes/game: 5
Errors/game: 6
Player: Vic Perez
Kills/game: 8.3
Aces/game: 1.2
Passes/game: 2
Errors/game: 5.2
Inside the Numbers
Elite 8 Men’s Pro Kill average/game to 15: 7.9
Elite 8 Men’s Pro Ace Serve average/game to 15: 1.4
Elite 8 Men’s Pro Pass Shot average/game to 15: 3
Elite 8 Men’s Pro Error average/game to 15: 5.6
Most average kill shots per game: Fink (10.8)
Most average ace serves per game: Carroll (2.5)
Most average pass shots per game: Peixoto (5)
Most average errors per game: Ortiz (6.5)
Most kill shots in one game: Fink (19) vs. Perez
Most ace serves in one game: Carroll (6) vs. Ortiz
Most pass shots in one game: D. Cordova (7) vs. Ruiz
Most errors in one game: M. Ortiz (14) vs. D. Cordova
R48 number’s 1-4 ranked pros average ace serves per game: 2
R48 number’s 5-8 ranked pros average ace serves per game: 0.95
2017/18 WR48 Match Analytics
Player: Catriona Casey
(match vs. Martina McMahon at ’17 WR48 Memorial)
Kills/game: 4.7
Aces/game: 0.3
Passes/game: 2.3
Errors/game: 10.3
Player: Martina McMahon
(match vs. Catriona Casey at the ’17 WR48 Memorial)
Kills/game: 6.7
Aces/game: 1.3
Passes/game: 2.7
Errors/game: 9.7
Player: Aimee Tuohey
(averages vs. Courtney Peixoto de Melo at the ’18 WR48 Player’s Championship and vs. Ashley Moler at the ’18 WR48 Las Vegas)
Kills/game: 7.7
Aces/game: 0.7
Passes/game: 4
Errors/game: 6.3
Player: Courtney Peixoto
(averages vs. Tracy Davis at the ’18 WR48 Las Vegas and vs. Aimee Tuohey at the ’18 WR48 Player’s Championship)
Kills/game: 2
Aces/game: 0.5
Passes/game: 6
Errors/game: 8.6
Player: Tracy Davis
(vs. Courtney Peixoto de Melo at the ’18 WR48 Las Vegas)
Kills/game: 2.5
Aces/game: 1
Passes/game: 7.5
Errors/game: 9
Player: Ashley Moler
(vs. Aimee Tuohey at the ’18 WR48 Las Vegas)
Kills/game: 4
Aces/game: 0
Passes/game: 2
Errors/game: 15
Kills=ball bounces twice in front of returner before he/she touches the ball
Aces= returner does not get his/her hand on the ball before the ball bounces twice
Passes: ball goes behind the returner and he/she does not touch the ball before the ball bounces twice
Errors: any ball that hits a player’s hand that does not make the front wall (diving, on the run not included)
Catriona Casey leads the WR48 with 20 titles in 22 starts. The only other players with a WR48 title are Aisling Reilly (1) and Martina McMahon (1)
Catriona Casey is the only player in Race 4 Eight history to have started a Race 4 Eight event and never lost before the finals. Catriona Casey has appeared in every WR48 final ever held (20-2 in 20 WR48 finals). Every R48 Men’s pro has lost before the semifinals in R48 events
Catriona Casey became the first women’s player in the history of handball to defeat a current men’s pro in tournament play at the NYAC ‘18. Casey defeated then R48 #22 Loren Collado 25-19 in the 17th place playoffs
Juan Canales Sr. and Juan Canales, Jr. (MEX) are the first (and only) father and son to qualify on the R48 tour
Luis Cordova is the youngest R48 pro to finish the season in the Elite age: 21 years old in 2012
Colin Crehan was the youngest qualifier in R48 history at the 2015 R48 NYAC (19)
The largest age gap in a Race 4 Eight final: Killian Carroll vs. David Fink (16 years)
The smallest age gap in a Race 4 Eight final: Sean Lenning vs. Allan Garner (4 days)
Sean Lenning played in the most consecutive R48 events to start a R48 career before missing New Orleans ’17 (37)
David Fink made the most career Race starts before making his first final (34)
Catriona Casey is the only WR48 pro to have started every WR48 event (22)
The Race 4 Eight averages 14 hours of coverage per weekend on ESPN3, not including ESPN3 replays
Gavin Buggy is the only player to have appeared on ESPN and never lost (Portland SR48 ’16)
Counting only round of 16 and Playoff matches, Tommy Little owns the worst record in R48 history (0-9)
John Bike, Jr. was the oldest qualifier in R48 history at the 2013 R48 II Houston (47 years, 11 months). Leo Canales Sr. broke Bike’s record by qualifying at 52 years, 10 months for the Tucson Memorial ‘18
Tyler Hamel (4), Dan Armijo (1), Dave Vincent (1), Matt Mclaughlin (1), John Bike (1), Tom Sheridan (1), and Chris Watkins (1) have all advanced to SR48 finals but not won a title
Race 4 Eight #1 Pros: History
David Chapman (2011: 2 months)
Sean Lenning (2012: one month)
Luis Moreno (2012-2014, 2017-current: 2 years, 3 months)
Charly Shanks (2013: 8 months)
Paul Brady: (2014-2016: 2 years, 0 months)
Mando Ortiz (2016-2017: five months)
Killian Carroll (2017: 2 years, 9 months-current)
David Fink (2017: one month)
David Fink is the only player to be ranked #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, and #8 on the Race 4 Eight Tour
R48 Men’s Pro Champions have ranged in age from (22) Luis Moreno at the Plummer R48 I Stop #1 and Killian Carroll (22) at the R48 V Player’s Championship to (39) Paul Brady at the R48 8 NYAC
The only player to have been ranked inside the Men’s Pro R48 Elite 8 since the inception of the R48 tour in 2011 (63 events) is David Fink
The youngest Race 4 Eight Champion in history was Catriona Casey at the WR48 I Stop #1 Simple Green U.S. Open (20)
In 20 R48 Men’s Pro starts, Paul Brady has a match record of 67-4 (94%)
January ’19 marked the first time in R48 history that two 40-somethings have held R48 Elite 8 rankings simultaneously (Fink, Chavez)
David Fink and Marcos Chavez are the only players to play one another twice in the same event: Las Vegas ’18 R48 quarterfinals and Las Vegas ’18 SR48 finals
No teenager has ever been ranked in the R48 Elite 8, three 40-somethings have been ranked in the R48 Elite 8 (Alvarado, Fink, Chavez)
Emmett and Courtney Peixoto de Melo and Robbie and Aoife McCarthy are the only brothers/sisters to have been ranked on the Race 4 Eight
Daniel Cordova became the first player to win the 5th place playoffs without dropping one point at the ’17 Tucson Memorial (consecutive forfeits)
Dalton Beall holds the record with six consecutive R48 playoff forfeits (October 2016-Feb 2018)
Allan Garner/Aaron Garner, Luis Cordova/Daniel Cordova, and Peter Funchion/Paddy Funchion (Bash Brothers) are the only brothers to have held R48 rankings
Martina McMahon became the first left-handed player to win a R48 or WR48 stop at the 2017 Tucson Memorial
David Fink (0-4) and Diarmaid Nash (0-1) are the only left-handed R48 Men’s pro players have appeared in R48 Men’s Pro finals
Every player who has entered a R48 Men’s Pro has lost in the round of 16
The only R48 pros to have never entered a qualifier are Sean Lenning and David Fink
The only players to face a match point and win a main draw Men’s Pro R48 match are:
- Alvarado vs. Shanks Plummer 2011 (Alvarado 12-21, 21-17, 11-10
- Alvarado vs. Al. Garner Plummer 2011 (Alvarado 16-21, 21-20, 11-7)
- Fink vs. Iglesias Tucson 2013 (Fink 27-25)
- Fink vs. Cooney Simple Green U.S. Open (2013) 17-21, 21-19, 11-10
- Shanks vs. Peixoto 2013 Denver 2013 (Shanks 28-26)
- Perez vs. Ortiz Tucson 2014 (Perez 10-15, 16-14, 15-8)
- Crehan vs. Fink NYAC 2015 (Crehan, 1-15, 17-15, 15-13)
- Ortiz vs. L. Cordova Salt Lake City 2016 (Ortiz 11-14, 16-14, 15-2)
- Ortiz vs. Peixoto Atlanta 2017 (Ortiz 7-15, 17-15, 15-1)
- McCarthy vs. Lenning Tucson 2017 (McCarthy 3-15, 16-14, 15-2)
- Lenning vs. Nash Montana 2018 (Lenning 8-15, 15-13, 19-17)
- Chavez vs. Ruiz Las Vegas 2018 (Chavez 17-15, 11-14, 17-15)
- D. Munson vs. Chavez 2018 Houston (Munson 3-15, 17-15, 15-13)
- Ortiz vs. Pet. Funchion NYAC 2018 (Ortiz 6-15, 16-14, 15-9)
- Perez vs. Chavez NYAC 2018 (Perez 15-10, 11-15, 17-15)
- Perez vs. Chavez 2019 New Orleans R48LTE (13-15, 17-15, 15-11)
- Canales Jr. vs. Ortiz 2019 Tucson R48LTE Hall of Fame (16-14, 12-15, 16-14)
- Ruiz vs. Peixoto 2019 San Francisco (7-15, 15-6, 16-14)
- Iglesias vs. Peixoto 2019 Salt Lake City (5-15, 16-14, 15-2)
- Perez vs. Fink 2020 Red Death (15-12, 3-15, 16-14)
Two-time defending world champion Aisling Reilly (2012, 2015) is 1-6 in WR48 finals, with her lone victory coming in the 2015 Simple Green U.S. Open
Catriona Casey leads Aisling Reilly 6-1 head-to-head in WR48 play with 20 WR48 titles for Casey to one for Reilly
Max Langmack (6”9) became the tallest pro in R48 and pro handball history when he qualified at the 2018 R48 7 Houston (finished 10th)
The largest height disparity in a R48 match is 16 inches (Langmack vs. Ortiz Montana ‘19)
Max Langmack and Pete Svennungsen combined to create the tallest match in R48 qualifier history (155 inches)
Tyler Hamel is the only player to have played in a R48 qualifier and never lost one point (Houston ’14)
Mando Ortiz became the first R48 pro to defeat four former or current WPH #1 pros in his maiden R48 title in Houston 2016: Emmett Peixoto (2008), Allan Garner (2009), Paul Brady (2016), Sean Lenning (2012)
Two members of the original Elite 8 from the first Race event at the 2011 Plummer Bash are in the current Elite 8 (Lenning, Fink)
Paul Brady held the longest winning streak on the R48 Men’s tour: 20 matches and five tournaments (2014-2015)
Catriona Casey held the longest winning streak on the WR48 tour: 24 matches (2013-2015), 24 matches (2018-2020, currently)
David Fink holds the longest winning streak on the SR48 tour: 15 matches (2018-current)
Marcos Chavez became the first player in Race 4 Eight history to defeat doctors in consecutive matches at the 2016 SR48 Houston (Dr. Dan Zimet and Dr. Tyler Hamel)
Mando Ortiz became the first player to defeat Paul Brady in international singles play and win the tournament since 2004 (Chapman) at the 2016 Houston R48 V Stop #4 (Killian Carroll became the second at the R48 V Player’s Championship)
Paul Brady has lost twice in the semifinals in a R48 event (15-2)
Mando Ortiz became the first R48 champion to win back-to-back tiebreakers by the minimum margin of two points in the semifinals and finals of a R48 event (Houston 2016: 15-13 x 2)
Shorty Ruiz became the first player in R48 history to lose back to back round of 16 matches by two points in the third game (Montana ’18, Las Vegas ’18)
Of the 11 R48 champions, six have been ranked #1 on the Race 4 Eight: Moreno, Lenning, Shanks, Brady, Ortiz, Carroll
Marcos Chavez (45 years, 11 months) is the oldest player to ever finish a R48 event in the top three (RFC ‘20)
Catriona Casey won her sixth consecutive WR48 Player’s Championship at the ’19 Aces Player’s Championship
Ryan Bowler was the highest ranked Canadian R48 pro in history (#26 in 2018)
Catriona Casey pitched the only perfect game in the history of a Race 4 Eight final in not allowing a point or a side out in the final of the San Francisco Olympic Club Del Grande Dealer Group ’15
The five tallest players ever ranked on the R48 tour are Max Langmack (6’9), Andy Nett (6’3), Charly Shanks (6’3), Adam Bernhard (6’3), Sean Lenning (6’2), Loren Collado (6’2)
The LAAC won the inaugural Manning Cup by defeating Team Tucson at the Tucson Memorial ’17, earning the title of best handball club in the world. Mando Ortiz, Marcos Chavez, and Vic Perez represented the LAAC in the ’17 Manning Cup. The Manning Cup was named for WPH film crew superstar Ben Manning
184-186 Courtesy of WPH ambassador, lifetime member, and R48 referee Nick Flores:
- On the Men’s R48, from Season 1 through Season 7, in 150 tiebreakers:
– the player who won the 2nd game won the tiebreaker 57% of the time
– the player who served first in the tiebreaker won 61% of the time
- On the Women’s R48, from Season 1 through Season 5, in 31 tiebreakers:
– the player who won the 2nd game won the tiebreaker 71% of the time
– the player who served first in the tiebreaker won 67% of the time
- On the Senior R48, from Season 1 through Season 6, in 9 tiebreakers:
– the player who won the 2nd game won the tiebreaker 56% of the time
– the player who served first in the tiebreaker won 67% of the time
Nick Flores: “For the Men and the Seniors, serving first in the tiebreaker is more of a factor than winning the 2nd game. However for the Women, winning the 2nd game has a higher win % than serving first, indicating momentum may be a bigger factor for Women.”
To view the Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios, go here
To view even more Race 4 Eight Fun Facts, go HERE
Race 4 Eight Results: 2011-2019
Race 4 Eight Season I: 2011-12
R48 Men’s Pro
Plummer Bash (ID): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 21-7, 21-17
U.S. Open (CA): Robbie McCarthy (IRE) def Charly Shanks (IRE) 21-15, 18-21, 11-9
Tucson (AZ): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Sean Lenning (WA) 21-19, 21-4
Fresno (CA): Sean Lenning (WA) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 25-8, 25-23
Atlanta (GA): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 25-22, 23-25, 25-18
Salt Lake City (UT): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Sean Lenning (WA) 25-5, 25-8
LAAC (CA): Sean Lenning (WA) def Allan Garner (TX) 15-25, 25-14, 25-23
WAC Player’s Championship (WA): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Sean Lenning (WA) 15-11, 15-11
Race 4 Eight Season II: 2012-13
R48 Men’s Pro
U.S. Open (CA): Paul Brady (IRE) def Charly Shanks (IRE) 21-15, 21-12
Tucson (AZ): Sean Lenning (WA) def Allan Garner (TX) 15-13, 15-10
Houston (TX): Charly Shanks (IRE) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 15-11, 20-18 (overtime)
Anchorage (AK): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Charly Shanks (IRE) 15-6, 15-3
Denver (CO): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Sean Lenning (WA) 15-5, 15-13
Salt Lake City (UT): Charly Shanks (IRE) def Luis Moreno (AZ) 25-8
Seattle (WA): Paul Brady (IRE) def Charly Shanks (IRE) 15-5, 15-7
SR48
Houston (TX): Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) def Tyler Hamel (TX)
Denver (CO): Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) def Matt Mclaughlin (MO) 15-3, 15-1
Salt Lake City (UT): Naty Alvarado, Jr. def John Bike, Jr. 25-12
Seattle (WA): Andy Schad (D.C.) def John Bike, Jr. (CA) 15-10, 15-12
Race 4 Eight Season III: 2013-14
R48 Men’s Pro
Plummer Bash (ID): Allan Garner (TX) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 21-5, 21-10
U.S. Open (CA): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 21-6, 21-20
Houston (TX): Luis Moreno (AZ) def Diarmaid Nash (IRE) 21-12, 21-15
NYAC (NY): Paul Brady (IRE) def Robbie McCarthy (IRE) 21-12, 17-21, 11-6
Denver (CO): Paul Brady (IRE) def Emmett Peixoto (CA) 21-13, 21-13
Salt Lake City (UT): Robbie McCarthy (IRE) def Luis Moreno (AZ) 14-21, 21-16, 11-5
SR48
Houston (TX): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Tyler Hamel (TX) 25-23
Denver (CO): Bear Meiring (CO) def Dave Vincent (AZ) 25-20
Salt Lake City (UT): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Bear Meiring (CO) 25-13
WR48
U.S. Open (CA): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Aisling Reilly (IRE) 21-17, 21-12
NYAC (NY): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Tracy Davis (NY) 21-12, 21-3
Salt Lake City (UT): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Aisling Reilly (IRE) 21-14, 21-6
Race 4 Eight Season IV: 2014-15
R48 Men’s Pro
U.S. Open (CA): Paul Brady (IRE) def Luis Moreno (AZ) 21-8, 21-4
Tucson (AZ): Paul Brady (IRE) def Luis Moreno (AZ) 15-13, 15-11
Houston (TX): Paul Brady (IRE) def Sean Lenning (AZ) 15-5, 15-7
San Francisco (CA): Paul Brady (IRE) def Emmett Peixoto (CA) 15-7, 15-10
NYAC (NY): Paul Brady (IRE) def Andy Nett (MN) 15-3, 15-0
Salt Lake City (UT): Sean Lenning (AZ) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 3-15, 15-8, 15-9
SR48
Tucson (AZ): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 25-16
Houston (TX): Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) def Tyler Hamel (TX) 25-20
NYAC (NY): Andy Schad (D.C) def Dan Armijo (AZ) 25-2
Salt Lake City (UT): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Tom Sheridan (IRE) 25-15
WR48
U.S. Open (CA): Catriona Casey def Aisling Reilly (IRE) 21-10, 21-16
San Francisco (CA): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Jessica Gawley (CAN) 15-0, 15-0
NYAC (NY): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Ciana Ni Churraion (IRE) 15-1, 12-15, 15-8
Salt Lake City (UT): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Aisling Reilly (IRE) 15-2, 12-15, 15-9
Race 4 Eight Season V: 2015-16
R48 Men’s Pro
U.S. Open (CA): Paul Brady (IRE) def Luis Moreno (AZ) 21-15, 21-14
Tucson (AZ): Sean Lenning (AZ) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 15-10, 15-7
New Orleans (LA): Paul Brady (IRE) def Killian Carroll (IRE) 15-11, 15-7
Houston (TX): Mando Ortiz (CA) def Sean Lenning (AZ) 15-0, 7-15, 15-13
NYAC (NY): Paul Brady (IRE) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 15-11, 15-6
Salt Lake City (UT): Paul Brady (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 15-5, 4-15, 15-5
Portland (OR): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 15-6, 12-15, 15-11
SR48
U.S. Open (CA): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 16-21, 21-12, 11-7
Houston (TX): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Tyler Hamel (TX) 25-14
Portland (OR): Gavin Buggy (IRE) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 21-17, 21-17
WR48
U.S. Open (CA): Aisling Reilly (IRE) def Catriona Casey (IRE) 6-21, 21-11, 11-9
NYAC (NY): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Martina McMahon (IRE) 21-11, 21-2
Portland (OR): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Aisling Reilly (IRE) 15-4, 15-6
Race 4 Eight Season VI: 2016-17
R48 Men’s Pro
U.S. Open (CA): Robbie McCarthy (IRE) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 21-5, 21-17
Minneapolis (MN): Mando Ortiz (CA) def David Fink (AZ) 15-4, 8-15, 15-9
Plummer Bash (ID): Luis Moreno (AZ) def David Fink (AZ) 15-4, 15-5
New Orleans (LA): Killian Carroll (IRE) def David Fink (AZ) 2-15, 15-12, 15-8
Houston (TX): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Luis Moreno (AZ) 15-7, 15-4
NYAC (NY): Paul Brady (IRE) def Killian Carroll (IRE) 15-12, 15-5
Salt Lake City (UT): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Luis Cordova (MEX) 12-15, 15-0, 15-6
SR48
U.S. Open (CA): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Naty Alvarado, Jr. (CA) 7-21, 21-10, 11-10
Minneapolis (MN): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Naty Alvarado (CA) 15-12, 15-9
Salt Lake City (UT): Marcos Chavez (CA) def Chris Watkins (CA) 25-13
WR48
U.S. Open (CA): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Aisling Reilly (IRE) 21-3, 21-14
NYAC (NY): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Martina McMahon (IRE) 15-5, 15-4
Salt Lake City (UT): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Martina McMahon (IRE)
Race 4 Eight Season VII: 2017-18
R48 Men’s Pro
Atlanta (GA): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 17-15, 15-4
Tucson (AZ): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Robbie McCarthy (IRE) 15-9, 15-1
Missoula (MT): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Mando Ortiz (CA) 12-15, 15-3, 15-11
Las Vegas (NV): Sean Lenning (WA) def Killian Carroll (IRE) 7-15, 15-10, 15-12
Houston (TX): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 15-1, 16-14
NYAC (NY): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Daniel Cordova (GA) 15-3, 15-9
Salt Lake City (UT): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 17-15, 5-15, 15-7
SR48
Las Vegas (NV): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 25-10
Houston (TX): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 25-3
Salt Lake City (UT): Marcos Chavez (CA) def David Fink (AZ) 25-22
WR48
Tucson (AZ): Martina McMahon (IRE) def Catriona Casey (IRE) 14-16, 15-9, 15-3
Las Vegas (NV): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Courtney Peixoto de Melo 15-0, 15-3
NYAC (NY): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Suz Koehler (MO) 15-1, 15-3
Salt Lake City (UT): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Aimee Tuohey (GA) 15-9, 15-0
Race 4 Eight Season VIII: 2018-19
R48 Men’s Pro
Atlanta (GA): Luis Cordova (MEX) def Daniel Cordova (MEX) 15-12, 9-15, 15-12
Tucson (AZ): Sean Lenning (WA) def Killian Carroll (IRE) 15-10, 15-7
Portland (OR): Daniel Cordova (GA) def Killian Carroll (IRE) 15-6, 15-6
Missoula (MT): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 13-15, 15-2, 15-6
New Orleans (LA): Luis Cordova (MEX) def Vic Perez (CA) 15-9, 15-7
Tucson (AZ): Daniel Cordova (MEX) def David Fink (AZ) 15-9, 15-6
San Francisco (CA): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 9-15, 15-6, 15-9
NYAC (NY): Paul Brady (IRE) def Robbie McCarthy (IRE) 15-13, 15-2
Salt Lake City (UT): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Daniel Cordova (MEX) 15-12, 15-3
SR48
Tucson (AZ): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 15-2, 15-11
New Orleans (LA): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 15-3, 15-4
Salt Lake City (UT): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 17-15, 15-9
WR48
Tucson (AZ): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Ciana Ni Churraoin (IRE) 15-7, 16-14
San Francisco (CA): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Ciana Ni Churraoin (IRE) 15-12, 15-6
Salt Lake City (UT): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Martina McMahon (IRE) 15-13, 15-12
Race 4 Eight Season IX: 2019-20
R48 Men’s Pro
Atlanta (GA): Daniel Cordova (MEX) def Luis Cordova (MEX) 15-7, 15-8
Portland (OR): Luis Cordova (MEX) def Sean Lenning (WA) 13-15, 15-4, 15-1
Tucson (AZ): Martin Mulkerrins (IRE) def Sean Lenning (WA) 15-9, 15-6
Missoula (MT): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Martin Mulkerrins (IRE) 16-14, 15-5
New Orleans (LA): Lucho Cordova (MEX) def Danos Cordova (GA) 11-15, 15-13, 15-9
Pittsburgh (PA): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Danos Cordova (TX) 15-8, 15-1
SR48
Tucson (AZ): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 10-15, 15-10, 15-8
Pittsburgh (PA): David Fink (AZ) def Marcos Chavez (CA) 15-11, 15-1
WR48
Tucson (AZ): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Ciana Ni Churraoin (IRE) 15-2, 15-4
New Orleans (LA): Catriona Casey (IRE) def Ciana Ni Churraoin (IRE) 15-3, 15-10
Race 4 Eight Season X: 2021-22
Tucson (AZ): Killian Carroll (IRE) def Lucho Cordova (MEX) 15-11, 15-2
Handball History, Origins, and Games
Handball History
- According to Tom O’Connor in the History of Handball on the USHA website HERE, the first record of ball games with the hand is 2000 B.C. in Egypt. In 450 B.C. Alexander the Great was credited with spreading the game to Greek colonies in Italy, where the game was then spread to Spain, France, and other parts of the Roman Empire.
- Mentions of handball became more numerous as Europe emerged from the Dark Ages in 1000 A.D., as Jeux de Paume (palm play) gained popularity with the nobility in their enclosed courts and the ordinary people who played longe-paume on common land.
- Jeux de Paume, or Jeu de Paume as it is also known, originated in France, and is a former Olympic Sport with the oldest ongoing amateur world championship in sport, starting in 1740.
- Jeu de Paume became known as tennis and eventually “real tennis.” The outdoor version of Jeux de Paume is known as longue paume. Jeux de Paume was a medal event at the 1908 Summer Olympics.
- Today France’s Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume is a museum of contemporary art, but when the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume museum was constructed at the behest of Napoleon III in 1861, a space with a length of 80m and a width of 13m was used for Jeux de Paume.
(Information gathered HERE and HERE)
Basque Pelota
- Basque Pelota is one of the most popular sports in Basque Country (autonomous community in Spain) and is played by hitting a ball against a wall, called a fronton. Basque Pelota can be played using a racquet, your hands, or a wooden bat. The main types of Pelota include Hand, Zesta Punta, Pala, and Remonte. The Basques claim that zesta punta, in which a rubber ball is caught inside a basket and hurled into the wall, is the fastest game on earth.
- Hand pelota most closely resembles the form of handball in which North American and Irish handballers are most familiar, in which players try to hit the ball with their hands out of their opponent’s reach.
- Much like Jeu de Palme, the origins of Basque Pelota are thought to have originated in Ancient Greece, and is played today in Spain, France, North America, South America, and the Philippines. Also like Jeu de Palme, Basque Pelota was an official Olympic Sport in the 1900 Olympic Games, contested between France and Spain
Information gathered HERE
Australian 3-Wall Handball
Australian 3-Wall started formally in 1923, with earlier versions of the game starting in the 19th century. The Australian Handball Council was formed in 1928, which runs the various Australian 3-Wall championships.
Comparing Australian 3-Wall handball to U.S. 3-Wall handball
- Australian 3-Wall is the supersized version of American 3-Wall – the dimensions of an American 3-Wall court are 40×20, whereas the dimensions of the Australian court are 60×30
- In American 3-Wall, the long line (40 feet) serves as the backline – if the ball does not land on or before the backline, the ball is “out.” In Australian 3-Wall, the ball can travel past the long line, as long as the ball stays within the confines of the side walls, meaning the ball could travel 40 feet (or more) beyond the long line and still be in play
- The Australian 3-Wall ball is roughly the same size as the U.S. small ball handball, but considerably softer, making the ball play slower
- In traditional U.S. 3-Wall, players must stand inside the service box, not allowing either foot to exit the confines of the service box until the serve has crossed the service line. In Australian 3-Wall, the server can stand inches from the front wall when serving, with some players almost hitting their serving hand against the front wall on their service follow through
Some information from this Sunday Stats obtained HERE
60×30 Court Dimensions, Balls, Rules
- The Irish 60×30 court dimensions: 30 feet wide, front wall is 27 feet high, the length is 60 feet with a recommended back wall height of 10 feet
- The short line is 32.5 feet from the front wall.
- 60×30 can be played with a Hardball or Softball all at the Senior (Open) Level, in addition to junior balls.
- The Softball is made of rubber, red, and is between 2.2inches to 2.25 inches in diameter and weights between 58-60 grams.
- The Hardball is made of rubber and yarn covered with goatskin or other suitable hide with a center of lancewood or cork
- The Hardball size is between 1.8-1.95 inches, and weighs between 42.5-49.6 grams.
- Timeouts are not permitted in 60×30 handball, with two minutes allowed between the first and second game and five minutes allowed between the second and third games
- 60×30 matches at the championship level are best two of three games, all games to 21, win by one point.
Information for this Sunday Stats found HERE
60×30 Handball History, Championships, Courts, & Participation
- The first organized handball matches in Ireland in the 20th century were played on a 60×30 court
- 60×30 Handball is referred to as the “Big Alley”
- 60×30 was originally an outdoor game, only moving indoors as the old courts (alleys) were roofed and new indoor alleys were constructed
- Hardball 60×30 is the most ancient handball game in Ireland, and also considered the most severe due to the ball moving at a higher speed than any other ball and the hardness of the ball
- The first 60×30 Softball and Hardball Championships were held in 1923, sponsored by the GAA
- The first All Ireland 60×30 Softball and Hardball Championships were held in 1925
- The first modern 60×30 court was built in Croke Park for the World Championships in 1970 – the third handball World Championships (The first 40×20 court was built in Ireland in 1969)
- The underhand stroke is considered to be more effective, as the underhand stroke provides more power to move the ball around the 60×30 alley
- Participation in 60×30 Hardball declined with the burgeoning popularity of 40×20 and 1-Wall, but interest in the game has been revived in recent years with the staging of an International Rules match on an annual basis between the Basque Country and the top Hardball players from Ireland – Basque Handball explained on the WPH Sunday Stats HERE
- 2016 All Ireland GAA Men’s 60×30 Singles Final HERE
Information gathered from HERE and HERE
Race 4 Eight Achievements
- Combining R48, WR48, and SR48, the Race 4 Eight tour has hosted 110 events (not including R48 Pre Qualifiers)
- The R48 Men’s Pro has held 64 events since the first event in October of 2011
- The Race 4 Eight kicked off at the Plummer Family Bash in Coeur d’Alene, ID in October of 2011
- 15 states have held Race 4 Eight events (California has held the most stops: 10)
- 30 of the last 40 Race 4 Eight events have appeared on ESPN3, starting with the 2014 Simple Green U.S. Open
- The Race 4 Eight averages 14 hours of coverage per weekend on ESPN3, not including ESPN3 replays
1-Wall History
According to Britannica HERE, 1-Wall Handball was developed in New York City in 1913, and was eventually played by men and women in the eastern U.S. 1-Wallis considered to be a forerunner of the 3-Wall game, as some of the 1-Wall courts were built with a hinged triangular wing, which swung out and locked into position along the two sidelines, forming a partial 3-Wall court.
TIMELINE HERE states that the single wall style (1-Wall) was first developed by Coney Island beach-goers who used their bare hands to slap old tennis balls against wooden jetties lining the shore. In the 1930’s FDR’s Works Progress Administration built hundreds of 1-Wall courts across New York City, with more than 2,000 1-Wall courts standing across the five boroughs in New York City.
David Fink
WPH Senior Statistician