Des Moines, IA, WPH Press, 9/17/23
The Des Moines Wellmark YMCA, tournament host Jed Mengel and tournament sponsor Owen Gloves proudly hosted the 74th Tallcorn Tournament, featuring seventy-three players from eight states, in addition to the Irish contingent currently attending college at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
The Men’s Open Singles showcased Race 4 Eight pros Max Langmack, Mark Doyle and Jab Bike in the twenty-one player field.
Langmack advanced to the final in the upper bracket with a two-game sweep against Dylan Schmitt and an impressive two-game sweep against North Dakota’s rising star Luke Sandy. “We were expecting Max and Luke to be closer, based on how well Luke played yesterday against Ross (Colyer),” stated WPH correspondent Jab Bike.
Mark Doyle received a default in the quarterfinals and faced 2023 Clarkbreaker MVP Jab Bike for a spot in the final in the bottom bracket. The 2023 WPH Breakthrough Player of the Year was too strong for his now Minnesota Mankato teammate, dropping the power-hitting lefty in two games to advance to the final.
The Tallcorn final was a rematch of the 2023 Race 4 Eight Red Death Montana in January, with Doyle coming back from 12-15, 8-12 to win in three games.
Appearing in his first final since the 2023 WPH RFC R48LTE in April, Langmack started hot against Doyle in the first, building a 9-6 lead. Doyle methodically worked his way into the match, patiently picking his spots and finding the right opportunities to convert his lethal Paddle Kill (Mark Doyle Paddle Kill instructional HERE). Doyle outscored Langmack 15-8 to clinch the first game 21-17 and continued his momentum into game two, building leads of 13-7, 19-14, and 20-16.
“There were a lot of side outs, very close match,” reported Bike. Watch Langmack and Doyle explain and demonstrate the Return Plus One HERE
Doyle would need seven match points to close out the match, ultimately clinching the title with identical scores in two long games.
Quarterfinals
Langmack def D. Schmitt 21-15, 21-17
Sandy def Colyer 21-7, 21-5
Bike def Madsen 21-5, 21-13
Doyle (won by forfeit)
Semifinals
Langmack def Sandy 21-8, 21-15
Doyle def Bike 21-8, 21-9
Final: Doyle def Langmack 21-17, 21-17
Trophy picture courtesy of Jab Bike
Follow all of the results from the 74th Tallcorn Tournament HERE
For more on Iowa handball, visit iowahandball.org
2023/24 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer