2018 R48 8 Portland Daily Updates (pics by Dave Vincent)
Portland, OR, WPH Press, 12/30/18
Day 3: Sunday
Sunday marked the conclusion of the Portland’s second R48 stop and the R48 8’s third stop, as the best players on the R48 tour battled for the Portland R48 8 title and ranking points at the Multnomah Athletic Club.
Daniel Cordova entered the final seeking his first R48 title in three finals appearances, while Killian Carroll was aiming for his first title of the season. Carroll had never lost on the MAC’s two-wall glass show court, while Danos earned his first collegiate national title at the MAC.
Cordova took control of the match early in game one, overpowering Carroll with power hop drives and keeping the 10-time R48 champion off-balance and in the back of the court. Carroll tied the first game at six after trailing 4-6, but a double fault at six-all ended Carroll’s scoring in game one, as Cordova rattled off nine consecutive points to take a one-game lead.
Cordova continued his hot streak in game two, taking a 7-2 lead by tracking down virtually every Carroll kill shot attempt and earning scoring chances with vicious hops during the rallies. Carroll seemed to find his form at 2-7, scoring four consecutive points to cut Danos’ lead to one, but just as in game one, Cordova took control, scoring the final eight points of the match.
“I’m feeling really good right now and I was really hungry,” stated Danos. “Seeing my brother win earlier this season in Atlanta definitely motivated me even more because I never want him to one-up me.”
“Daniel dominated Killian with the hook serve,” stated WPH coach and donor Gary Maushardt. “You could tell from the awkward way Killian was returning the serve that the hops were the difference.”
Read about the Flying Cordovas, courtesy of Kyra Vidas HERE
Final: D. Cordova def Carroll 15-6, 15-6
R48 Playoffs
Vic Perez ousted LAAC teammate and mentor Marcos Chavez for third consecutive time to earn fifth for the second time this season, while David Fink overcame Emmett Peixoto in a thriller to win ninth. Max Langmack bested the largest and deepest 17th place playoff draw in history to add to his ranking total, defeating two top 25 R48 pros en route to the final (Stoffel, Cooney) and overcoming Denver’s Armando Ibarra in the 17th place final.
5th: Perez def Chavez 25-15
9th: Fink def Peixoto 25-23
17th: Langmack def Ibarra 25-13
R48 8 Portland Finishes
1st: D. Cordova
2nd: Carroll
3rd: L.Cordova/Lenning
5th: Perez
6th: Chavez
7th: Torres/Iglesias
9th: Fink
10th: Peixoto
11th: McGrath/Ortiz
13th: Ruiz/Canales, Jr./Aa. Garner/Montijo
17th: Langmack
Special USHA 4-Wall Junior Nationals Feature Match
19-and-under Boys Singles: Walsh vs. Gaulton
The WPH proudly presented the second USHA 4-Wall Junior National Championship final on ESPN3, as David Walsh (IRE) challenged Michael Gaulton (CAN) in the 19-and-under boys singles final.
Former R48 ranked pro Gaulton started well in game one, building a 7-2 lead before Walsh took over, scoring 19 of the final 23 points of the first game. Gaulton and Walsh were tied at six in game two when Walsh pulled away, using the back left corner glass to force errors and offensive opportunities and capitalizing against a quickly fading Gaulton. “I was just gassed in there,” Gaulton would later say. “We’ve been here (Portland) since the 23rd and just waiting to play and I’m really happy to have gotten on the court and started playing. I spent countless hours watching Killian practice in our alley (in Ireland) and he inspires me. He’s living the dream winning titles in the U.S. and we all hope to reach his level.”
Follow all of the results from the Portland R48 8 HERE
Follow all of the results from the 2018 USHA 4-Wall Junior Nationals HERE
Watch replays from Portland on ESPN3 HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
2018 R48 8 Portland Daily Updates
Portland, OR, WPH Press, 12/29/18
Day 2: Saturday
Following a grueling opening day in Portland that saw the R48 stars start at 8 am and finish late into the evening, the R48 Elite dueled in quarterfinal and semifinal action on ESPN3 on Saturday. Saturday in Portland also featured the R48 playoffs and a special USHA 4-Wall Junior National feature match live on ESPN3.
R48 Quarterfinals
Killian Carroll kicked off the day with a clinical win against four-time SR48 Player’s Champion and R48 #9 Marcos Chavez, overcoming a slow start to dominate the second half of game one and cruise in game two. “I showed up late because I had the time mixed up, so it took a bit to get going,” stated Carroll.
Lucho Cordova ended Erik “Chino” Torres’ run in Portland, dispatching the Northern California star in two games.
Sean Lenning demolished first-time R48 8 quarterfinalist Jonathan Iglesias to advance to the semifinals, killing the ball from virtually every spot on the floor, including a number of highlight reel overhand fist and splat kills into the corners to end Iglesias’ Portland run. “This guy is amazing,” barked Iglesias walking out of the court. “I feel good,” stated Lenning. “I’m feeling a little weak so I used my brain more than usual.”
Danos Cordova was seeking his second semifinal in three events on the R48 8 season, while his Lake Forest College adversary Vic Perez could climb into the R48 top five for the first time with a victory. Danos played superbly to start the match, racing to a 9-0 lead before Perez could work his way into the match. Perez would play competitively in the first game’s second half but fall short, 15-7.
Perez slowed down the game in game two, using an underhand lob serve into the side wall glass to take control of the rallies and dominate the second game.
Danos played more aggressively in the third game, crushing serves and pass shots to take a 9-1 lead. The pair played evenly for the remainder of the game, with Danos maintaining his lead and advancing to the semifinals. “I told myself to play with the same intensity and footwork going into the tiebreaker that I had in game one,” declared Danos. “When my intensity dropped in game two, Vic took over and started hitting a lot of great right hand kills. I’m glad the intensity was there.”
Round of 8
Carroll def Chavez 15-6, 15-4
Cordova def Torres 15-8, 15-3
Cordova def Perez 15-7, 6-15, 15-7
Lenning def Iglesias 15-3, 15-4
R48 Semifinals
Killian Carroll was outstanding in exacting revenge against Atlanta conqueror Lucho Cordova in the first semifinal, defending virtually all of Lucho’s power serves with a fist to the ceiling, while dominating the front court on his serve with lethal strikes. “I wasn’t happy with my training so I got back to the basics of not being lazy with my feet and dropping my knee to hit my shots,” stated Carroll.
Danos Cordova entered his semifinal with Sean Lenning aiming to defeat “The Freak” for the second time this season and started emphatically, blitzing Lenning 15-4 in the first game.
Lenning took an early lead in game two but was never able to take control of the game, as Danos’ speed and anticipation made ending rallies virtually impossible for Lenning. Danos turned a 7-9 deficit into a 14-11 lead with several great serves and re kills. Danos would need five serves at 14-11 to close out the match, earning his third R48 finals appearance in the last five stops. “I just kept telling myself to keep my intensity,” stated Danos. “I was getting nervous at 14 because I know Sean can run off six points in a row with his serves. I’m just glad it’s over.”
Semifinals
Carroll def L. Cordova 15-6, 15-3
Cordova def Lenning 15-4, 15-11
Special ESPN3 Junior Feature
Junior stars Ray Ure (IL) and Jorge Pimentel (AZ) played for the 17-and-under USHA 4-Wall Juniors National Championship live on ESPN3, showcasing the next generation of junior handball stars. Ure and Pimentel dazzled the galleries with sensational rallies in the first half of the first game, with both junior stars extending rallies with incredible grit and determination. “Those rallies in the first game were amazing, both of the guys were diving and making great shots,” stated USHA Hall of Famer and Executive Director Vern Roberts.
Ure pulled away in the first game’s second half and cruised in game two for the 17-and-under championship. “I’ve been working really hard on my game and it feels really great to win this title,” stated Ure.
Tune in to ESPN3 on Sunday morning at 10am for a second junior feature match!
Follow all of the results from the Portland R48 8 HERE
Watch live from Portland on Sunday, December 30 from 10 am-1:30 pm PST on ESPN3 HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
(click to expand images)
2018 R48 8 Portland Daily Updates
Portland, OR, WPH Press, 12/28/18-
Day 1: Friday
The 2018 R48 8 Portland marked the 51st event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, with the tour spanning 16 states in the R48’s first eight seasons. The 2018 R48 Portland featured one of the largest R48 fields in the history of the tour, with 20 ranked R48 pros joined by 22 qualifier hopefuls. The 42 handball stars competed alongside the best junior handball players in the world in the USHA 4-Wall Junior Nationals at the Multnomah Athletic Club in downtown Portland, one of the world’s most prestigious athletic clubs. The MAC hosted the R48 Player’s Championship in 2016, producing electrifying handball on the most fan-friendly two-Wall glass exhibition court in the sport and 2018 continued the Portland momentum with a scintillating first day of handball.
Play kicked off at 8 am on Friday morning with round of 64 and round of 32 play, as the 42 Portland champion hopefuls filled the MAC’s 10 courts. Coleman McCrath stunned R48 veteran Stephen Cooney in the round of 32 to earn a R48 ranking for the first time, while Aaron Garner returned to the tour for the first time in two years by ousting R48 #14 Max Langmack in two games. The remaining top 16 seeds advanced to Friday afternoon’s round of 16 with little difficulty.
Round of 16
Co-R48 #1’s Killian Carroll and Sean Lenning headlined the Portland R48 and cruised on Friday, dispatching Abraham Montijo and Leo Canales, Jr., respectively, en route to Portland’s quarterfinals. The Flying Cordovas continued their impressive R48 8 seasons, eliminating Aaron Garner and Shorty Ruiz en route to the quarterfinals.
Fifth-seeded and R48 #8 Mando Ortiz became the first Elite 8 member to lose in the round of 16 this season, as the Olympic Club’s Erik Torres turned the tables after a decisive first-game loss to the former R48 #1 to dominate game two and earn his first R48 round of 16 win in a 15-13 tiebreaker.
David Fink joined Ortiz, becoming the second Elite 8 member to lose before the quarterfinals this season in losing to Colorado’s sharpshooter Jonathan Iglesias in two games. Iglesias ousted Fink with a devastating serve and high-octane first-strike offense to notch his R48 win against Fink.
Vic Perez slowed down first-time R48 qualifier Coleman McGrath in McGrath’s first R48 main draw appearance, pulling away from the youngster midway through game one and dominating game two.
Emmett Peixoto joined his fellow Elite 8 compatriots in bowing out in the round of 16, dropping his first main draw R48 match to California rival Marcos Chavez. Chavez blitzed Peixoto in game one, but was overcome with errors in game two. Chavez regained his dominant form in the third game, racing to a 6-0 lead and never allowing “The Rock” within striking distance en route to his second quarterfinal of the season.
Round of 16
Carroll def Montijo 15-2, 15-0
Chavez def Peixoto 15-3, 9-15, 15-8
Torres def Ortiz 5-15, 15-2, 15-13
Cordova def Ruiz 15-7, 15-13
Cordova def Aa. Garner 15-2, 15-4
Perez def McGrath 15-8, 15-3
Iglesias def Fink 18-16, 15-10
Lenning def Canales, Jr. 15-10, 15-10
Round of 8 (Saturday) Watch Live on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App (Times Pacific)
10am – Carroll vs. Chavez
11am – L. Cordova vs. Torres
12pm – D. Cordova vs. Perez
1pm – Lenning vs. Iglesias
Men’s 5th Place Semis or Select USHA National Juniors
2pm – TBD
245pm – TBD
Men’s Pro Semifinal
3:30pm – Carroll or Chavez vs Torres or L. Cordova
4:30pm – Lenning or Iglesias vs Perez or D. Cordova
**Can’t get the ESPN feed? Watch on the WPH Patreon page either live or on-demand www.patreon.com/wphlive
WPH Honors Portland’s Steve Soto
Portland’s Steve Soto is one of the WPH’s greatest assets, always working behind the scenes at tournaments and serving as an indispensable member of the WPH board of directors. “Captain” Soto has served one of the WPH’s greatest volunteers and contributors since the inception of the WPH in 2005, donating his time and boundless energy to the growth of the sport.
The WPH was thrilled to honor Captain Soto in his hometown of Portland with the “WPH Lifetime Appreciation Award” to recognize Soto’s remarkable contributions to the WPH. “Steve is simply the greatest,” exclaimed WPH Development Director David Fink. “There is nothing Steve won’t do, including running a tournament desk from 6 am until 2 am for four days straight in sweltering Vegas heat to contributing his professional expertise to the growth of the WPH during board meetings. I really do not know where we would be without Steve, so from all of us at the WPH, thank you Captain Soto!”
R48 Elite 8 Autograph Session
The R48 Elite 8 signed autographs for the stars truck juniors competing in the USHA 4-Wall Junior Nationals, handing out 8×10 autographed pictures signed by each member of the Elite 8. “I’m Killian Carroll,” exclaimed an ecstatic 11-year old holding his signed picture.
Follow all of the results from the Portland R48 8 HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE …and watch unlimited handball matches (some live, some on demand …some exclusives)
Portland R48 8 Stop #3 Press Release + Broadcast Schedule HERE
’18 Portland Broadcast Schedule on ESPN3: Saturday, December 29, 10 am-7 pm PST, Sunday, December 30, 10 am-1:30 pm PST. Watch ESPN3 HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Preview HERE
2017/18 R48 and WR48 Match Analytics HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Power Rankings HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
WPH Race4Eight Professional Handball Tour of 2018/19 continues in Portland, Oregon, December 28th-30th; meanwhile, the USHA National Juniors (4 wall) will kick off at the same location December 26th; both at the Multnomah Athletic Club.
The World Players of Handball will be live on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App beginning December 29th at 10am Pacific.
The WPH will use this thread to distribute the daily write-ups; however, exclusive content will be fed through the WPH Patreon Channel; to include alternative ways to WATCH the live broadcasts.
Please help distribute the broadcast schedule below! The more viewers Handball gets ~ the more likelihood ESPN will re-sign w/Handball in the upcoming year. Thank you so much, in advance!
2018 Portland R48pro R2sports Event Page, go HERE>
2018 USHA National Juniors Event Page, go HERE>
Portland Press Release HERE>
WPH R48 Power Rankings: HERE>
R48 Fun Facts and Trends: HERE>
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists: HERE>
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, Texas, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019. 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, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tvor 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
