Fridley, MN, WPH Press, 11/23/25
The Minnesota State Handball Association was proud to present the 2025 Minnesota State Singles & R48 Pre Qualifier at the Fridley Life Time Fitness on the weekend before Thanksgiving, featuring the best players from the North Star State and beyond.
The Men’s Open Singles at the Minnesota State Singles served as the Upper Midwest Region’s R48 Pre Qualifier for the 2025/26 Race 4 Eight season.
R48 Pre Qualifier Singles
The 2025 MN State Singles R48 Pre Qualifier featured a tremendous field, headlined by Race 4 Eight #5 pro *Ray Ure, Tallcorn R48 Pre Qualifier champion Bryan Trejo (HERE), Race 4 Eight #20 Matt Job, and former and aspiring Race 4 Eight pros Luke Sandy, Nathan Stoffel, Michael Gaulton, and Mathias Langhorst.
[*By virtue of currently being ranked in the Race 4 Eight Elite 8, Ure was ineligible to win the Race 4 Eight travel stipend.]
Top-seeded Ray Ure cruised to the final in the upper bracket with a two-game sweep against fellow Mankato alum Michael Gaulton, meaning the bottom bracket semifinal between Bryan Trejo and Luke Sandy would be for the R48 travel stipend and entry.
Trejo and Sandy met for the second time in the last three months, with Trejo winning their September encounter in two games at the 2025 Rudy Harris in North Dakota (HERE). Much like their last matchup, the semifinal clash between two of the country’s top prospects would be another exciting and grueling contest.
“Luke gets to every ball and punishes you if you don’t kill the ball,” Trejo would later reveal. “My strategy was to keep pushing him to the back, as he is really good in the front court.”
Very little separated Trejo and Sandy in the first game, with Sandy edging the Tallcorn Pre Qualifier champion, 21-18.
Making adjustments between the first and second game, Trejo played more aggressively in game two. “I knew what I needed to do, so I came out firing the second game and kept it going and that led to victory the second game,” stated Trejo.
Trejo continued to attack in the third, winning convincingly and booking his spot in his second Race stop of the 2025/26 season (Portland ’25).
Trejo met Ure in the final, aiming to take not only the R48 travel stipend and entry, but the MN State Singles title as well. Ure quickly squashed Trejo’s momentum, racing to a 7-0 lead in the first game. Ure continued to dictate throughout the first game, winning 21-5.
Trejo was more competitive in the second, applying scoreboard pressure and adjusting his strategy. “In the second game I tried not shooting as much and tried to get him to the back court, but I was over hitting (the ball) so it was coming off the back wall and setting him up. I made a little comeback late in the second game but just wasn’t enough. Ray is a great player and continues to show it on the pro tour.”
Semifinals
Ure def Gaulton 21-11, 21-5
Trejo def Sandy 18-21, 21-12, 11-3
Final: Ure def Trejo 21-5, 21-16
“The WPH was thrilled to partner with the Minnesota State Handball Association, Quinn Foley, tournament director Mike Kloos, and all of Minnesota’s passionate players and volunteers,” stated the WPH’s David Fink. “Thank you to the MSHA, Quinn Foley, and Mike Kloos for partnering with the WPH to host an outstanding event.”
Follow all of the brackets from the 2025 Minnesota State Singles & R48 Pre Qualifier HERE
2025/26 Race 4 Eight Schedule HERE
Race 4 Eight Qualifier Explained HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer