Texas State Singles R48 & WR48 Pre Qualifier
WPH Press, Austin, TX, 11/12/23
Follow all of the brackets from the Texas State Handball Championships & R48 and WR48 Pre Qualifiers HERE
The University of Texas was thrilled to present the 2023 Texas State Handball Championships & R48 and WR48 Pre Qualifiers at the famed University of Texas Gregory Gym, the third Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier – College Station (D. Mulkerrins), San Francisco (Cooney) – of the 2023/24 Race 4 Eight season. The winner of the men’s and women’s open singles brackets will be awarded $300 from the WPH upon completion of his or her first Race 4 Eight match during the 2023/24 Race 4 Eight season
“We were very excited about one again partnering with the University of Texas Handball Team in presenting the Texas State Singles R48 & WR48 Pre Qualifiers in November,” stated the WPH’s David Fink. “The University of Texas events have a long history of great players and great tournaments and November’s R48 & WR48 Pre Qualifiers will undoubtedly generate a great field and tremendous matches.”
Men’s Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier
Top-seeded and Texas handball legend headlined the 2023 Race 4 Eight Men’s Pre Qualifier field at the 2023 Texas State Handball Championships. Bernhard was joined by rising Race 4 Eight star and new San Angelo, TX resident Diarmuid Mulkerrins and Texas’ Schmitt brothers in the nineteen-player field.
Bernhard struggled en route to the final in the upper bracket, needing a tiebreaker in the quarterfinals against Alaska’s Meleci Gonzalez and winning two close games against Missouri’s Garrett Bacon.
Diarmuid Mulkerrins was dominant in the bottom bracket, dropping just one game in the semifinals against Taylor Schmitt, despite outscoring Schmitt 51-24 in the three-game semifinal.
Mulkerrins was sharp in the final, collecting his second R48 Pre Qualifier win of the season in a dominant two-game sweep against Bernhard.
“Diarmuid played very high percentage handball and was in control,” stated Bernhard.
“I think I played well in the first,” stated Mulkerrins. “I served well and took my chances. I got a good start in the second but Adam had a great spell then and I think I was 7-12 behind. It was a tough game, I’m happy I came out the right side of it.”
Semifinals
Bernhard def G. Bacon 21-17, 21-18
Mulkerrins def T. Schmitt 21-3, 19-21, 11-0
Final: D. Mulkerrins def Bernhard 21-7, 21-17
Women’s Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier
Austin’s Kristen Hughes headlined the twelve-player Women’s Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier field on her home court at Gregory Gym. Hughes was joined by Ireland’s second-seeded Aoife Holden, now living in San Angelo, TX, in addition to fellow top five seeds Taylor Rumping (MO), Christina Pecaut (MO) and Avery Shepherd (TX).
Kristen Hughes cruised to the final in the upper bracket with two game sweeps against Caitlin Behne and Christina Pecaut, while Aoife Holden was also dominant in the bottom bracket, advancing to the final without dropping a game, including a two-game sweep against Missouri’s Taylor Rumping in the semifinals.
Holden and Hughes played the best match of the women’s draw in the final, as the pair split the first two games before Holden eventually pulled away in the third.
“It was a good game,” stated an ecstatic Holden. “I was glad to get the win in the tiebreaker, as it was a close match. I played well in the first game (taking it 21-11). The second game was tied at 18-18 and Kristen hit some great shots to take the second game. I got a good start in the tiebreaker, which helped a lot and it finished 11-6.”
Semifinals
Hughes def Pecaut 21-8, 21-14
Holden def Rumping 21-11, 21-13
Final: Holden def Hughes 21-11, 18-21, 11-6
Watch the matches on the University of Texas Handball Team Facebook page HERE
Since 2017, R48 Pre Qualifiers have been held in Pittsburgh, Tucson, Austin, L.A., San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Portland, and College Station creating tremendous excitement for players and fans. The WPH is proud to provide extensive promotion, real-time and post coverage of all R48 Pre Qualifiers.
Learn more about the Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier HERE
Follow all of the brackets from the 2023 Texas State Handball Championships & R48 and WR48 Pre Qualifiers HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2023/24 Race 4 Eight XIII Powered by ESPN features Race 4 Eight stops in Oregon, Arizona, Missouri, Montana and Mexico, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2023. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight title sponsor opportunity, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
2023/24 Race 4 Eight schedule HERE