Day 3
St. Louis, MO, WPH Press, 2/1/26
Sunday in St. Louis produced one of the Race 4 Eight’s best matches in the 100-year history of the tour, a sensational JR WPH clinic, and a number of outstanding matches.
R48
Final: Lucho vs. Ure
Lucho Cordova was playing in his twenty-seventh final and seeking his fourteenth Race 4 Eight title, while Ray Ure was aiming for consecutive Race titles after clinching his first Race title at the 2025 Race 4 Eight Memorial.
Lucho started quickly in the final, capitalizing on a nervous Ure and taking an 8-1 lead. Ure started to find his range, quickly erasing Lucho’s lead with a 10-0 run to lead 11-8. Ure narrowly missed a setup with Lucho behind him and watched helplessly as his lead evaporated. Lucho took control, scoring the final seven points of the game to take a one-game lead.
Just as he had done in the round of 16 and semifinals after dropping the first game, Ure dominated game two, rarely allowing Lucho into the service box and decisively forcing a third game.
The third game produced electrifying handball in front of one of the largest galleries in the 100-event history of the tour. Ure fell behind early after missing several kill shots attempts by mere centimeters but gained control, eventually take an 11-8 lead. Ure failed to capitalize on several openings, as the pressure and anticipation from Lucho created wild shots.
Following a timeout at 11-8, Lucho hit a back-handed return of serve that Ure misplayed, two aces serves, and poured on several kills to serve for the match at 14-11. Ure was not done, forcing overtime with a side out and three consecutive points.
Ure would serve for the match at 15-14 but would be denied, as Lucho relied on his experience and 41 previous tiebreaker wins to become the first player to face match point in a final and come back to win, ending the match with a perfect left-handed kill from the midcourt.
“During the match just felt like any other match, but we were both tight at the end,” stated an emotional Lucho to ESPN’s Kara Mack. “When I came here, I didn’t think I’d do well at all. It feels great, unbelievable really just because of the way I was playing. Shoutout to my wife and kids and all my family. My kids are always excited when I win.”
Final: Lucho def Ure 15-12, 4-15, 17-15
R48 Playoffs
Fifth place final: Sean Lenning trailed Martin Mulkerrins 6-14 and had conceded the fifteenth point while standing behind Mulkerrins on a setup. Mulkerrins missed, Lenning raced into halftime with nine consecutive points and allowed Mulkerrins just one point in the second half to win fifth.
Final: Lenning def Mulkerrins 25-16
Ninth place final: Coleman McGrath continued his outstanding tournament in the ninth place playoffs, defeating Shorty Ruiz on Saturday and John Chapman in the ninth place final.
Final: McGrath def Chapman 25-13
R48 Finishes
1st: Lucho
2nd: Ure
3rd: Canales/Doyle
5th: Lenning
6th: M. Mulkerrins
7th: Burgos/Danos
9th: McGrath
10th: Chapman
11th: Streibig/Ruiz
13th: Esser/Langmack/D. Mulkerrins/A. Cordova
WR48
Final: Heffernan vs. Munroe
Niamh Heffernan rode a nine-match, two-tournament winning streak into Sunday’s St. Louis final with Mankato’s Clodagh Munroe and needed just 23 minutes to extend her streaks. Heffernan never allowed Munroe into the match, pushing her into the back court and keeping Munroe off-balance with her two-handed power attack.
“It’s a great feeling (to win), especially on this new court,” Heffernan told ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I’m delighted. It’s my third pro stop now. I tried to use the three-glass court to my advantage. Just give 110 percent intensity. I love coming over here in America. It’s really well run and I enjoy playing new players. My dad has a cabinet at home for my trophies. Shout out to everyone at home and thank you for the support… I’m looking forward to L.A.”
Final: Heffernan def Munroe 15-4, 15-3
WR48 Playoffs
Aoife Holden clinched third, while Ashley Ruiz overcame Taylor Rumping to win ninth.
WR48 Finishes
1st: Heffernan
2nd: Munroe
3rd: Holden
4th: Entzeroth
5th: Ruiz
JR WPH Clinic at the 2026 St. Louis Race 4 Eight
JR WPH was thrilled to present a junior handball clinic for more than a dozen Missouri youngsters on Sunday morning at the 2026 St. Louis Race 4 Eight. WPH Master Instructor David Fink led the youngsters through a demanding dynamic warmup, followed by sidearm stroke instruction with the strong and off hands. Each player had a chance to hit practice shots, learning their new skills. The youngsters incorporated their new techniques on the serve and back wall shots.
“The JR WPH clinic was certainly a highlight at the incredible first pro event at the U.S. National Handball Center,” stated the WPH’s Fink. “The kids have a lot of excellent coaches at the Center and throughout Missouri and we are excited to see the youngsters develop a passion for our lifetime sport.
Following the clinic, the youngsters played a junior tournament, showcasing the U.S. National Handball Center’s next generation.
Race 4 Eight Rankings Post 2026 St. Louis
St. Louis, MO, WPH Press, 2/1/26
R48 #2 Lucho Cordova’s fourteenth Race 4 Eight championship combined with a sixth-place finish from R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins has drawn Lucho within striking distance of the top spot. Leo Canales stayed at number three following a third-place showing in the STL, while Ray Ure’s near miss in Mound City enabled the marathoner to jump into the top four.
Mark Doyle earned his career-best Race ranking after his semifinal showing at the U.S. National Handball Center, moving him into the Race’s top five.
Ivan Burgos, Sean Lenning, and Danos Cordova round out the Elite 8.
Niamh Heffernan increased her lead in the WR48 top spot with her third consecutive WR48 title, while Aoife Holden and Clodagh Munroe retained their spots in the top three.
Suz Entzeroth was the WR48’s top mover, jumping into the WR48 top 8 after her fourth-place finish on her homecourt.
See all of the Race 4 Eight rankings post 2026 St. Louis below.
Thank you
Thank you to Jeff, Janaki, and Dave Streibig for their incredible generosity and hospitality in hosting the WPH and the Race 4 Eight pros. Thank you to the St. Louis handball community for their hard work. Thank you to Sam Esser for his tireless work before and during the event. Thank you to the WPH broadcast team for another outstanding weekend of coverage.
Follow the 2026 Race 4 Eight St. Louis brackets HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer