COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 5, 2023) – Miles Evans and Chase Budinger won gold and Trevor Crabb and Theo Brunner took silver at the Beach Pro Tour Challenge event in Haikou, China that concluded on Nov. 5.
In the final, Evans and Budinger got it done in two sets, winning 21-14, 23-21 to solidify the top two spots on the men’s podium for the U.S.
Prior to this event, the last medal for Evans/Budinger was at 2023 BPT Challenge Saquarema where they earned silver. The last time Tr. Crabb/Brunner medaled was at the 2023 BPT Challenge Espinho where the pair brought home gold.
Evans and Budinger’s finish on the top step of the podium in Haikou wrapped up a strong tournament for U.S. teams as the first-place duo ran a gauntlet of American pairs standing between them and the gold medal.
Alongside Evans/Budinger and Crabb/Budinger, the U.S. men competing at the event were Chaim Schalk/Tri Bourne and Tim Brewster/Kyle Friend. Three of the four teams reached the semifinals.
Evans/Budinger had a pair of 2-1 wins in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals to earn themselves a meeting with Bourne/Schalk in the semis. Evans/Budinger would go on to win 2-0 (21-15, 21-19) and put themselves in the gold medal match.
Crabb/Brunner defeated Schacter/Dearing (CAN) 2-0 (21-11, 21-16) in the quarterfinals and beat Hodges/Schubert (AUS) 2-1 (17–21, 21–17, 15–11) in the semifinals. This earned them a showdown with Evans/Budinger.
Bourne/Schalk faced Hodges/Schubert in the bronze medal match, falling 2-0 (21-15, 23-21) to finish fourth at the Challenge Haikou. Brewster/Friend fell in the round of 16 to Schacter/Dearing and finished tied for 9th.
On the women’s side of the tournament, Corinne Quiggle and Sarah Murphy were the U.S. representatives in the main draw.
The duo went undefeated in pool play, but fell in the round of 16 to eventual silver medalists Zhu Lingdi/Sh. T. Cao (CHN) 2-0 (21–23, 19–21). Quiggle/Murphy, who became bronze medalists at the Pan Am Games in their previous competition, finished tied for ninth place at BPT Futures Haikou.