Maverick Open Schedule of Events

The annual Maverick Open handball tournament will begin at 2pm on Friday, February 7th. Matches are scheduled until 10pm on Friday. Play begins again on Saturday at 8am.

Open division quarter-final matches will be broadcast (Saturday @ 11am and noon) on MNSU’s campus cable channel. The video broadcast will be co-hosted by Al Travis, who is KTOE’s afternoon drive host of “Al in the Afternoon”. Listen to Al’s show on Wednesday at 4pm to hear a preview of this weekend’s tournament.

The tournament features collegiate players from across the U. S. Players from the upper-midwest will join collegiate teams from University of Illinois, Missouri State, Hamline, and University of Minnesota to battle the Mavericks. The Mavericks are the defending men’s national collegiate champions and were runner up in the women’s collegiate division in 2019. There will be state, national and world champions playing in this tournament, including the current #2 ranked women on the professional handball tour, Maverick Ciana Ni Churraoin.

If you have never seen handball before, or are a long-time supporter, come and watch the action on campus this weekend! Handball was ranked the #1 sport by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness for cardio endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and balance.

The Mavericks are preparing for the 2020 United States Handball Association’s National Collegiate Tournament on February 19-23 atthe University of Texas.

Championship matches for each division will be held on Sunday, February 9th from 8am to noon.

The tournament is FREE to watch and is held in MNSU’s Pennington Hall. Parking is free on campus after 4pm on Friday.

Start Times for the Maverick Open

See the attached .pdf for your start times.

Remember to bring a towel and padlock. Parking is free anywhere on campus after 4pm on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. If you have questions, contact Mike Wells @ 507-420-6230. We are on a TIGHT schedule, so arrive early and be ready for your match!! See you this weekend and GO MAVS!!

Don’t forget that Friday is PURPLE OUT! Wear your purple colors.

Three Mavericks receive Mardak Scholarships

The USHA is proud to award 10 Mardak Scholarships to collegiate handball players who are teaching handball at their respective schools or in their community.

Applicants must be Certified USHA Instructors and be teaching (or have taught) handball through their community program through the year. Mardak Scholarships are made possible thorough the Keith Mardak Handball Endowment made to the USHA. These worthy scholarship recipients will be featured with brief bios in the next issue of the Handball Magazine.

Congrats to all of the Mardak Scholarship recipients/handball teachers who are helping grow our sport!

Ciana Ni Churraoin
Joelle Anderson
Maddie Kennedy

Mavericks go to Milwaukee Classic

Ciana Ni Churraoin takes a back wall in the finals of the Milwaukee Classic

Those Mavericks that didn’t have final exams on Monday, traveled to Milwaukee this past weekend for the Milwaukee Classic tournament. The Milwaukee Classic was held in conjunction with the USHA’s annual Women’s Classic. This is one of the largest tournaments the Mavericks travel to each year. Five of the top six men’s pros were in attendance including Killian Carroll who came to Mankato in October to put on a clinic for the Maverick players.

The pro men’s division did not disappoint with many exciting matches. In the final, top ranked Carroll defeated #3 ranked pro, Sean Lenning, to win the title.

On the women’s side, number one seed and #2 ranked pro, Ciana Ni Churraoin ran through her side of the bracket to meet Ireland’s Megan McCann. Ciana defeated Megan 21-12, 21-8. It was the first time these two ladies had faced each other in tournament play.

Megan McCann, tournament director Jeff Werstein, Ciana Ni Churraoin

There were a lot of collegiate women players in the Women’s Classic bracket, so these matches were important for seeding in the USHA’s national collegiate tournament in February. Players from University of Illinois, Missouri State, University of Texas, and others battled on the courts. Maverick Alexis Anderson made the final of the Bronze division losing to Hannah Levy of the University of Illinois.

On the men’s side, Maverick Justin Klein lost in the finals of the C division to Cameron Lowe a talented junior player from Lambertville, MI by a score of 21-8, 21-14.

Maverick team lunch on the trip home

The Mavericks will be on winter break until returning to classes on January 13th and traveling to the Illinois state tournament January 17-19 in Chicago.

Bring a Friend to Handball Night

Thirty-four Minnesota State Mankato students were introduced to handball last Thursday night. Friends of Maverick handball players came to the courts to try their hands at short court.

A few of the players enjoyed the clinic so much they registered for the Introduction to Handball class (HP180) right on the spot.

There are still a few openings in the Human Performance handball offerings. The course meets Mondays/Wednesday for 50 minutes. There are sections at 2, 3, 4, and 5pm. The Handball Club practices from 6-9pm following the Introduction to Handball courses.

Maddie Kennedy shows some of the Bring a Friend to Handball Night participants how to play 2-bounce.

U of M Gopher Classic

Maverick newcomers had a great weekend at the University of Minnesota’s Gopher Classic handball tournament held at the world’s best handball facility. Mavericks current players and alumni made up a third of the tournament participants.

Second semester player, Tanner Hadler captured the men’s C title in his first ever tournament! Due to a lack of women’s entries, the Mavericks entered our B women participants into the men’s C division. Newcomers Alexis Anderson and Kaitlyn Vomhof both defeated first year men players from the University of MN. Paige Kennedy also defeated a U of M player. It was a great showing for the next generation of Maverick women!

Junior Michael Gaulton won the open consolation, and coach Stoffel won the A title.

The Mavericks travel to the Milwaukee Classic on December 6-8.

Find the brackets for the U of M Gopher Classic at https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/divisions/listAllDivs.asp?TID=31702&sortBy=defaultOrder

Mavericks Play in Missouri State’s Bear Bash

The Mavericks traveled to Springfield, Missouri to play in the defending national champions, Missouri State University’s annual Bear Bash handball tournament.

Maverick junior, Sam Ure, won the B singles bracket 21-7, 21-17 over Texas A&M’s Marcus Shanna.

Graduate student, Matt Bartholomew, lost in the A consolation final 15-21, 21-17, 11-8 to former Missouri State All-American, Mikaila Mitchell.

Maverick newcomer, Alexis Anderson teamed with Missouri State’s Kathy Taylor to capture the women’s B doubles consolation title 21-2, 21-6.

There were lots of collegiate players at this tournament as the Mavericks continue to prepare for the USHA Collegiate National Tournament on February 19-23 at the University of Texas.

Next up for the Maverick handball team is the University of Minnesota’s Handball Classic on November 22-23.

2019 Bear Bash

Mavericks go to University of Illinois tournament

The Mavericks enjoyed some great hospitality from the Illini at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC). This was the Mavericks first ever trip to their tournament, but will be a regular stop in the future. There were players from the University of Illinois, Lake Forest College, Illinois State, and Ohio State. Several Mavericks made championship matches.

Senior Maddie Kennedy finished second in the women’s open division losing Carly Munson 21-9, 21-2.

Junior Michael Gaulton lost to Dave Munson of Chicago in the men’s open final 21-15, 21-16.

Senior Matt Johnson lost in the men’s A consolation final to Tommy Mogavero 21-4, 21-5.

Sophomore Justin Klein lost to Lake Forest’s Nick Roberts 21-7, 21-16 in the men’s B consolation final.

Brackets can be found on R2Sports at…

https://www.r2sports.com/website/division-list.asp?TID=30809&sortBy=defaultOrder

Rudy Harris Handball Tournament

The Mavericks sent a small group of players to Fargo, ND to participate in the Rudy Harris handball tournament. As always, the players were treated to some awesome hospitality!

Jake Johnson and Justin Klein won the B doubles championship. Jake also won the B singles consolation, and Ciana Ni Churraoin won the Open consolation title.

Coach Stoffel was on the recruitment trail and scheduled a campus visit next week with a junior player from Fargo.

The Mavericks will take a bigger group to the University of Illinois in October.

Kendra, Justin, Jake, and Ciana show off their raffle winnings from the Rudy Harris banquet