Catching up with the Race 4 Eight Pros Between Stops
WPH Press, 3/28/23
The Race 4 Eight pros are enjoying a forty-day break between the 2023 Race 4 Eight Houston in February and the March 31 WPH R48LTE Juarez Alfredo Urias before kicking off a torrid four-event stretch in thirty-seven days that includes events in Juarez, Tucson, Pittsburgh, and Salt Lake City.
What have the Elite 8 been up to since Houston?
Top-ranked Lucho Cordova traveled to former WPH #1 and Race legend Allan Bombshell Garner’s home in San Antonio for some sparring and to spend time with one of the Race 4 Eight’s most popular stars, nearly breaking the handball internet with a selfie from TBB’s kitchen. Lucho even convinced TBB and Aaron to play in Juarez! #successfultrip
Three-time Race 4 Eight champion Danos Cordova has been living with his girlfriend Norma southern Mexico, but made the long trip to Tucson to the Pro Icebreaker doubles in mid-March, defending his Icebreaker pro doubles title with his brother Read about the title defense HERE
Lucho and Danos spent time on the driving range and putting green in between matches at the Icebreaker pro doubles, bashing 300-yard drives and sinking 20-footers. Danos clinched the three-man putting skins game with an eight-foot putt in extra holes #clutch
Lucho and Danos have also been bust promoting the sold out Juarez R48LTE, doing tv and print segments in Juarez media. Read the Full Juarez R48LTE HERE
Second-ranked Martin Mulkerrins took his Texas A&M University handball team to the USHA Collegiate Nationals in Tucson, while also refining his game with daily practice sessions. “I’ve been working on all aspects of my game and we had spring break the week after the collegiates, which was nice to get some time off,” stated the R48 #2. The R48 #2’s girlfriend Eilish and he visited Austin for a few days on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, taking in the sites of “Bat City.” The four-time R48 champion and current R48 Player’s Champion was also featured in the Texas A&M Battalion HERE
Mulkerrins returned to his winning ways in Austin last weekend, taking the 2023 Southwest Regional Championships HERE
21-time Race 4 Eight champion Killian Carroll tuned up his game at the 41st Long Island Open HERE, slamming by defeating Tyree Bastidas in the Open Singles final and teaming with New York handball ambassador Jared Vale to win the doubles.
Fourth-ranked David Fink traveled to Phoenix to watch NASCAR and WWE Raw, while also watching the PGA Tour Champions ColoGuard Classic and Chase Rice concert in Tucson with fellow Race 4 Eight pros Shorty and Ashley Ruiz and Mikaila Esser
Fifth-ranked Leo Canales, Jr. hit the World Baseball Classic with his family and K3 Vidas, the Whiskey Meyers concert in Phoenix, in addition to passing the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, leaving just the Professional Engineering Exam to become a licensed professional engineer.
After dropping a Tucson title match, Shorty Ruiz teamed with his wife Ashley Moler and nearly won the 35+ Three Wall Nationals doubles, surrendering a 10-3 lead in the tiebreaker to lose to Team Montijo/Schiller 11-10.
Eighth-ranked Max Langmack may have made the biggest splash during the 40-day break, declaring his intention to move to Tucson in October. TGG’s girlfriend Jasmine celebrated TGG’s announcement by hitting the Taylor Swift concert in Phoenix with multiple-time Icebreaker champion Mikaila Esser.
Now the Race 4 Eight pros will have to brace for four events in 37 days to finish the 2022/23 Race 4 Eight season
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer