ASU Handball Club Wins Three Titles at National Tournament

The ASU Handball Club sent 18 student-athletes, 10 men and eight women, to compete against teams representing 30 universities from the U.S., Canada and Ireland. The ASU team placed third overall in the Combined Open Division with the ASU women’s team taking third place in the Women’s Open Division and the ASU men’s team placing fourth in the Men’s Open Division.

In individual competition, ASU’s Kelly Salisbury won the Gold Medal in the Women’s C Singles Division. She then joined with her twin sister, Kimberly Hostetter, to take the Gold Medal in the Women’s C Doubles Division. Taigan Rivers and Kinzi Jo Leon won the Gold Medal for ASU in the Women’s B Doubles Division.

For the ASU men’s team, Cade Whitley took the Silver Medal in the Men’s B3 Singles Division, and Logan Leto won the Silver Medal in the Men’s C1 Singles Division.

(Back, L-R) Coach Diarmuid Mulkerrins, Logan Leto, Cade Whitley, Coach Aoife Holden; (Front, L-R) Taigan Rivers, Kinzi Jo Leon, Kimberly Hostetter, Kelly Salisbury ASU student-athletes also won two superlative awards at the tournament banquet. Leon won the Women’s Most Improved Player Award, and Salisbury earned the Spirit of Handball Award for her competitiveness, sportsmanship and team spirit.

Kelly Salisbury “We’re extremely proud of the team’s performance,” said Coach Diarmuid Mulkerrins. “The success at last year’s national championships gave the players a lot of belief and motivation to push themselves even more. Finishing third in the nation is a brilliant achievement, and we would like to thank everyone who has supported the team and helped the ASU Handball Club reach this milestone. Such success wouldn’t be possible without them.”

“Our trip to the national tournament was funded primarily through ASU’s Dr. Warren Simpson Excellence Fund for Handball that was endowed by the Lubbock-based Randolph Foundation for Higher Education,” said Dr. Veronica Snow, faculty sponsor. “We are very grateful for this endowment and for the generous support from local businesses that sponsored us. Finally, thanks to all within the handball community that helped out, particularly the Houston Handball Association and USHA for their continued support.”

Student-athletes representing the ASU Handball Club, with their hometowns and academic majors, included:

ASU Women’s Team

• Kyla Casares of San Angelo (exercise science)
• Chloe Davidson of San Angelo (interdisciplinary studies)
• Joan Enaboifo of Houston (commercial aviation)
• Joanna Pauline Gato of Big Spring (nursing)
• Kimberly Hostetter of San Angelo (agricultural science and leadership)
• Kinzi Jo Leon of Austin (animal science)
• Taigan Rivers of San Angelo (exercise science)
• Kelly Salisbury of San Angelo (interdisciplinary studies)

ASU Men’s Team

• Austin Colwell of San Angelo (mechanical engineering)
• Felipe Davila of Odessa (mechanical engineering)
• Will Jost of San Angelo (health science professions)
• Logan Leto of San Angelo, Biology
• Israel Lopez Jr. of San Angelo (kinesiology)
• Jacob Mitchell of San Antonio (commercial aviation)
• Solomon Polk of El Paso (coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration)
• Luis Segovia of Del Rio (biology)
• Cade Whitley of Tioga (border and homeland security)
• Dylan Whitley of Tioga (intelligence and analysis)

The ASU Handball Club is coached by Ireland natives Mulkerrins and Aoife Holden, ASU graduate students in the coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration program.