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ASU Handball Club Wins National Titles

March 05, 2012

Angelo State University’s Handball Club captured the Division II national championship and two individual national titles at the 60th USHA National Collegiate Championship Tournament Feb. 22-26 at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.

The ASU club amassed 2,179 points to win its division in the Division II team championships, well ahead of the runner-up Southwestern University team that finished with 896 points.  Out of 38 total teams in all divisions, ASU finished 11th overall with the women’s team finishing ninth overall, and the men’s team 14th overall. 

Individually, ASU’s Tara Niemann won the Division 2A women’s Class “A” national championship, going undefeated in seven matches, and Morgan Solsberry won the Division 3 Class “B” men’s national title. 

Niemann was selected by the tournament advisory group to represent the Women’s Division II on a live webcast, where she defeated Indiana University’s Miranda Dashut.  The webcast was hosted by World Players of Handball and is archived on the website www.extremehandball.org. 

Also participating in the tournament from ASU were Drew Biggerstaff, semifinalist; Ryan Henry semi-finalist;  Shavaughn Brathwaite, semi-finalist; Matthew Faz, ASU Handball Vice-President; Vanessa Varughese,  Shaniece Brathwaite, Clay Davenport, Emre Ozsoy, Kendall Clark, Josh Dewaters and Dustin Oswalt. 

Davenport, ASU’s top seeded player, scored the most points for the men’s team.  Niemann, ASU’s top seeded player, scored the most points for the women’s team.  Also, both Tara Niemann and Shavaughn Brathwaite were nominated by tournament coaches and administrators for the sportsmanship award. 

The Handball Club receives funds as a club sport from the ASU Center for Student Involvement.  Membership dues and payments cover the balance of the club’s expenses, including entry fees, meals, equipment and miscellaneous expenses.  The handball club also received donations from Dr. Warren Simpson, ASU associate professor of kinesiology, who serves as the club’s head coach.  Niemann is the club’s president and player-assistant coach. 

For more information on the ASU Handball Club, call the Center for Student Involvement at 325-942-2062, or email Niemann at tniemann1@angelo.edu or Simpson at warren.simpson@angelo.edu