Hall of Fame Handball Program Finishes Runner-Up at National Collegiate Tournament in Portland, Oregon February 23, 2025
The Missouri State University Handball program returns from Portland, Oregon after competing against 29 other universities including the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Angelo State, Arizona State, Minnesota State, Pacific University, and others. The handball Bears took 19 players (listed below) and competed for five days in the tournament. The men's team finished 3rd, the women's team 4th, and overall, the Bears claimed the runner-up (2nd place) title.
The team awarded the following players the coveted "ACE" award for competing in four collegiate tournaments and representing this hall of fame program: Sam Wilson, Trey Safford, Hayden Hopkins, and Racelyn Mathis. We had four of our women’s players make it to the Finals of their divisions on Sunday: Racelyn Mathis and Ashleigh Sharkey: Women’s B Doubles Runner-Up; Brynley Brotherton- Women’s B Runner-Up; Jess Ratermann- Women’s C2 Runner-Up
Players representing Missouri State University included:
Men's Team: Trey Safford, Hayden Hopkins, Sam Wilson, Sam Hall, Breyden Walker, Nick Wilson, Eli Birdsong, Hogan Nieman, Ethan Armstrong, Luke Jordan
Women's Team: Erin Bland, Kelly Brennan, Brynley Brotherton, Emma Brower, Racelyn Mathis, Jess Ratermann, Ryan Santoni, Elaina Schoene, Ashleigh Sharkey
Head coach Christian Madsen was proud of the mix of veterans and rookies that represented Missouri State at nationals: "I am so proud of the team and their second-place finish at this year's collegiate national championships. What impressed me about this group was their depth. This was truly a team effort, with multiple players outperforming their expected finish. I loved the teamship and chemistry that was exhibited throughout the week and the way that our student-athletes represented our university and program."
Missouri State would like to thank the the USHA for another wonderful year of competition and opportunity at the collegiate national handball tournament!
