The Missouri State University Handball program enjoyed a successful competition at the 2025 USHA (United States Handball Association) National Collegiate Handball Tournament.

The team, comprising 19 handball Bears, claimed second place overall in the tournament, which took place Feb. 19-23 at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon. The men’s team finished third while the women’s team came in fourth.

Made up of a mix of veterans and rookies, the handball Bears competed against players from 29 other universities. They included the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Angelo State, Arizona State, Minnesota State and Pacific University.

“I’m so proud of the team’s second-place finish at nationals,” said head coach Christian Madsen. “Their depth stood out, with multiple players exceeding expectations. I loved the team spirit and chemistry they exhibited throughout the week and the way our student-athletes represented our university and program.”

The players

Representing the men’s team were Ethan Armstrong, Eli Birdsong, Sam Hall, Hayden Hopkins, Luke Jordan, Hogan Nieman, Trey Safford, Breyden Walker, Sam Wilson and Nick Wilson.

The women’s team included Erin Bland, Kelly Brennan, Brynley Brotherton, Emma Brower, Racelyn Mathis, Jess Ratermann, Ryan Santoni, Elaina Schoene and Ashleigh Sharkey.

These players received the coveted “ACE” award for competing in four collegiate tournaments and representing this Hall of Fame program: Hopkins, Mathis, Safford and Sam Wilson.

Program history

In 1987, Dr. Tommy Burnett started what would become one of the most successful collegiate handball programs in the country.

Missouri State has now captured a total of eight men’s team titles, eighteen women’s team titles and the combined team (men and women) have won the National Collegiate Championships fifteen times since 1993.

After multiple national titles, All-Americans and championships, the program has flourished. The entire program is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2011) and the women’s team was inducted again in 2021.

The handball team resides at the Dr. Thomas H. Burnett Handball Courts at Missouri State. Burnett passed away in July 2021, but the legacy and program continue. In May 2022, Madsen took over as head coach and the program continues to thrive.