2023 MN State Singles and Doubles Championships
Minneapolis, MN, WPH Press, 11/19/23
The Minnesota State Handball Association proudly hosted the 2023 MN State Singles and Doubles Championships at the University of Minnesota Recreation and Wellness Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. The Minnesota State Championships featured more than sixty players from eight states and three countries.
The Men’s Open Singles field featured a number of Race 4 Eight stars, to include 2022/23 Race 4 Eight Rookie of the Year and defending MN state singles and doubles champion Mark Doyle, 2023 Icebreaker MVP Jab Bike, 2023 R48 Memorial MVP Luke Sandy, multi-sport sensation Ray Ure, Juarez’s newest sensation Andres Cordova and former Race 4 Eight pro Ryan “DePesch Mode” Pesch.
Race 4 Eight Pro Player bios HERE
Mark Doyle advanced to the final with a two-game sweep against Minnesota’s Mathias Longhorst in the quarterfinals and in a rematch of the first round of the 2023 World Championships won by Doyle in a tiebreaker, Doyle defeated North Dakota’s Luke Sandy to advance to the final.
Collegiate track and field star Ray Ure cruised to the final faster than he can run a mile in the bottom bracket with two-game sweeps against Andres Cordova and WPH Icebreaker MVP John Bike.
Mankato teammates Doyle and Ure met for the second time in a tournament to decide the MN state champion, with Ure winning their first encounter in an 11-10 tiebreaker. Doyle took the first game of the final on the heels of consistent kills, while Ure relied on his serve to force a third.
“First game I was serving and shooting well, I was pretty hot off the back wall and won 21-9,” stated Doyle. “Second game was pretty close to start but I pulled away for a 15-12 lead. Ray got a nice crack serve to the left going, he hit four crack aces in a row, then led 17-15. He finished off that game 21-17.”
Doyle seized the momentum in the third, dictating the points with a strong serve to the left.
“I took control early in the third,” stated Doyle. “I relocated my drive serve to the left and done what I needed to finish the rallies from there. It was a great game, lots of long rallies, we know each other’s game very well, so it’s a battle. We have only met twice in a tournament and it’s been 11-10 to him and today 11-4 to me so never much between us.”
Semifinals
Doyle def Sandy 21-11, 21-15
Ure def Bike 21-11, 21-3
Final: Doyle def Ure 21-9. 17-21, 11-4
Third place final: MVP vs. MVP
The two most recent WPH MVPs met for third, with Jab Bike (WPH Clarbreaker) and Luke Sandy (WPH Memorial) meeting for the first time. Not unexpectedly, the two MVPs battled for nearly two hours, as the two rising stars split the first two games in the first of what promises to be a very exciting rivalry.
“The first game was a really close one with a lot of long rallies,” stated Bike. “Luke grabbed the lead early but I was able to get it to 19-17. I had a few chances to serve and convert points to win the game but I was unable to. He played good though. He was hitting the ball hard and taking advantage of my mistakes. I slowed it down a bit in the second with a different serve and was able to pull away and win it. Luke grabbed an early lead in the third and I was unable to mount a comeback. At 4-10 I scored two more points but he would win, 11-6. It was a long match, one hour and forty-five minutes. Tough battle.”
Third place final: Sandy def Bike 21-19, 10-21, 11-6
Men’s Open Doubles Final: Doyle/Bike def Mendez/Ure 21-16, 12-21, 11-7
Photos courtesy of Mark Doyle
Follow all of the draws from the 2023 MN State Singles and Doubles Championships HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer