Minneapolis, MN, WPH Press, 2/25/24
The USHA proudly presented the 71st USHA National Collegiate Championships on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, featuring 220 collegiate players in the biggest and most prestigious collegiate tournament in the U.S.
Men’s Open Singles
The Men’s Open singles featured an impressive draw, headlined by defending champion Shane Dunne (MNSU), Race 4 Eight pros Ivan Burgos (PCC), Mark Doyle (MNSU), Jab Bike (MNSU), Ray Ure (MNSU), as well as Irish collegiate stars Eoghan McGinnity (TUD) and Rory Grace (UL).
Ivan Burgos advanced to the final of the upper bracket with a three-game win against Jab Bike, winning the first 21-20, dropping the second and scorching Bike in the third. Burgos ended Shane Dunne’s reign as the USHA collegiate national champion with an emphatic two-game sweep en route to the final.
Mark Doyle cruised to the final in the bottom bracket, dominating Ireland’s Rory Grace in the quarterfinals and Mankato teammate Ray Ure in the semifinals.
The final marked the first time that both finalists were currently ranked in the Race 4 Eight top twelve in a USHA collegiate final, as R48 #10 Ivan Burgos faced R48 #12 Mark Doyle. Burgos and Doyle had only met once before in tournament play, with Burgos defeating Doyle in two games in the December 2023 R48 3-Wall Icebreaker.
Very little separated the top twelve Race 4 Eight stars in either game of the final, as Doyle’s power and paddle kills and passes were met with Burgos’s speed and agility. Doyle executed clutch shots late in both games, while several untimely errors late in both games cost Burgos.
“I felt both of us played well,” stated Doyle. “A lot of long rallies. Ivan is so quick and he was reading my paddles well he kind of took away one of my best shots in that. We both served well, there were a lot of ace serves early. Definitely a great final, it’s the first time we met in 4-Wall and I think it was a match up a lot of people wanted to see and I suppose with two close games it lived up to its hype. I think I got a couple of good kills late in the game and an ace reverse down the left at 19 to make 20 was a good help in finishing it out.”
“Ivan played pretty good (in the final),” stated finals referee and Mankato star Jab Bike. “Some costly misses in bad spots but overall, he played great. Mark has just been so good for the last two months. I didn’t see how he could lose this tourney.”
Quarterfinals
Dunne (defending champion) def Jordan 18-21, 21-10, 11-6
Burgos def Bike 21-20, 16-21, 11-0
Ure def McGinnity 21-20, 21-8
Doyle def Grace 21-3, 21-7
Semifinals
Burgos def Dunne 21-11, 21-11
Doyle def Ure 21-11, 21-15
Final: Doyle def Burgos 21-18, 21-17
Men’s Doubles Final: Dunne/Doyle def Ure/Mendez 21-8, 21-6
“It was great to win the doubles,” stated Doyle. “Shane, in fairness, did a lot of the hard work. He was super.”
Men’s Team Champion: Minnesota State University, Mankato
Watch Sunday’s finals from the 2024 USHA Collegiate Nationals HERE
Watch John Bike vs. Ivan Burgos HERE
Watch Mark Doyle vs. Ray Ure HERE
Women’s Open Singles
Clodagh Munroe (MNSU) entered the 2024 USHA collegiate nationals as the top seed and in the middle of a sensational WR48 season that has seen the Irish/Mankato star rise to number three on the WR48 rankings. Munroe advanced to the final without dropping a game, defeating Amber Nolan (UL) in the quarterfinals and Emma Kinane (LFC) in the semifinals. Amy Brennan (DCU) met Munroe in the finals, defeating Emer Barron (UL) in the quarterfinals and Leah Minogue (UL) in the semifinals.
Munroe was pushed to the limit in the final, narrowly escaping a tiebreaker with a second-game win to clinch the title.
“I think I utilized my z serve when I had the chance and I took my kill shots and pass shots when they were set up for me,” stated WR48 #3 Clodagh Munroe. “I felt exhausted, so I took my timeouts when I needed and refocused so I could get a few points ahead again. Overall, I think Amy played great and it was definitely a dog fight of who was going to come out on top!”
Quarterfinals
Munroe def Nolan 21-7, 21-5
Kinane def Keeling 17-21, 21-12, 11-1
Minogue def Dowling 17-21, 21-10, 11-2
Brennan def Barron 21-7, 21-12
Semifinals
Munroe def Kinane 21-4, 21-13
Brennan def Mingue 21-9, 21-2
Final: Munroe def Brennan 21-12, 21-18
Women’s Doubles Final: Peters/Kinane def Munroe/Klicker 21-15, 21-17
Women’s Team Champion: Minnesota State University, Mankato
Combined Men’s and Women’s Team Champion: Minnesota State University, Mankato
Thank you to the USHA’s Matt Krueger and Sam Esser, as well as the dozens of dedicated coaches and volunteers for an outstanding event in Minneapolis.
Photos courtesy of the USHA and Mark Doyle
Follow all of the draws from the 2024 USHA Collegiate Nationals HERE
For more on the 2024 USHA Collegiate Nationals and the USHA, go to ushandball.org
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer