WPH Press, Mankato, MN, 1/26/25
The Minnesota State University, Mankato Handball Team were thrilled to present the 2025 Maverick Open & R48 Pre Qualifier at Pennington Hall on the campus of Minnesota State University and home to Race 4 Eight pros Ray Ure, Mark Doyle, Jab Bike, and Clodagh Munroe.
R48 Pre Qualifier
Top-seeded and R48 #6 Ray Ure cruised to the Maverick R48 Pre Qualifier final by sweeping Mankato teammate Luis Mendez in the quarterfinals and Dylan Schmitt in the semifinal. R48 #14 Jab Bike ousted two of Minnesota’s best on his march to the final, sweeping former Race 4 Eight pros Ryan Pesch and Luke Sandy to meet Mankato teammate Ray Ure in the final.
Very little separated Ure and Bike in the first game and a half, with the pair trading the lead throughout the second half of the first game. Bike served for the first game twice, narrowly missing a right-hand kill shot attempt on his second chance to win the game. Ure escaped the first game and scored the final eight points of the match in the second, stretching a 13-11 lead to a 21-11 victory.
“I thought the first game was as good as I have played,” Bike would later say. “I just couldn’t convert either of my two tries at 20, which stinks, but credit to Ray, he always puts so much pressure on you to execute your shots and be precise. He’s a tough player to beat.”
“I would say the difference at the end of the first game was just staying calm,” Ure would later say. “In the second game, I slowed it down a little bit and served lefty since my planting leg had been bothering me. I would say my play was subpar since I couldn’t step into the ball perfectly, and my focus wasn’t perfect either.”
Semifinals
Ure def D. Schmitt 21-2, 21-9
Bike def Sandy 21-13, 21-12
Final: Ure def Bike 21-20, 21-11
Watch the Ure vs. Bike Mankato Pre Qualifier final HERE
Women’s Open Singles
Clodagh Munroe was forced to dig deep in the Maverick final, battling from a one-game deficit to overcome Jodie Keeling on her home court to take the Maverick title. With the score tied late in the tiebreaker, Munroe relied on her big-match experience to cross the line.
“Jodie was playing great and placing her shots well and taking her kill shots when they were on,” stated Munroe. “I found it hard to get into the game but I stuck with my 3-Wall serves and ceiling shots in game two. It was together at seven (in the tiebreaker) and then I went up 10-7 and took a time out so I could settle myself and hit a good serve as Jodie had gotten me out numerous times in between.”
Semifinals
Munroe def Grace
Keeling def Kinane 21-19, 21-13
Final: Munroe def Keeling 20-21, 21-15, 11-8
Learn more about the Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier HERE
Follow all of the brackets from 2025 Mankato Maverick Open & R48 Pre Qualifier HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
