Handball Club Wins Multiple National Championships

The ASU women’s team took first place in the Women’s A Division with 2,060 points to win the national championship ahead of runner-up Utah State University (1,392 points). The ASU men’s team took fourth place in the Men’s A Division – and their combined total of 3,816 points propelled the ASU Handball Club to the overall A Division national championship.

(L-R) Coach Diarmuid Mulkerrins, Israel Lopez Jr., Austin Colwell and Coach Aoife Holden with their national awards

In individual competition, ASU’s doubles team of Israel Lopez Jr. and Austin Colwell won the national title in the Men’s B Doubles Division. Colwell also won the Silver Medal in the Men’s B Singles Division, and his teammate, Cade Whitley, won the Silver Medal in the Men’s C4 Singles Division.

Kim and Kelly Salisbury For the ASU women’s team, Taigan Rivers won the Silver Medal in the Women’s B Singles Division, and Kinzi Jo Leon won the Silver Medal in the Women’s C Singles Division. Twin sisters Kelly and Kimberly Salisbury won the Silver Medal in the Women’s C Doubles Division.

“The coaches and I are so proud of how well our student-athletes competed and how well they represented Angelo State,” said Dr. Veronica Snow, faculty sponsor. “We would also like to thank the Randolph Foundation that funded our handball endowment, the Houston Handball Association that paid the entry fees for all the Texas schools that competed at nationals, USHA and several local sponsors. It really was a joint effort to promote the sport of handball and the success of the ASU Handball Club. To reward that effort with national championships is just awesome.”

More than 220 student-athletes from 33 universities competed at the national tournament. Players representing the ASU Handball Club, with their hometowns and academic majors, included:

ASU Women’s Team

• Chloe Davidson of San Angelo (teacher education)
• Joan Enaboifo of Tomball (commercial aviation)
• Joanna Pauline Gato of Big Spring (nursing)
• Kinzi Jo Leon of San Angelo (animal science)
• Ananya Limaye of Big Spring (biology)
• Taigan Rivers of San Angelo (exercise science)
• Kelly Salisbury of San Angelo (teacher education)
• Kimberly Salisbury of San Angelo (agricultural science and leadership)
• Libby Welker of San Antonio (kinesiology)

ASU Men’s Team

• Austin Colwell of San Angelo (mechanical engineering)
• Adrian Frias of Kerrville (accounting)
• Will Jost of San Angelo (health science professions)
• Israel Lopez Jr. of San Angelo (kinesiology)
• Jacob Mitchell of San Antonio (commercial aviation)
• Mason Patterson of Big Spring (biology)
• Solomon Polk of San Angelo (coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration)
• Luis Segovia of Del Rio (biology)
• Jonathan White of Atco, N.J. (exercise science)
• Cade Whitley of Tioga (border and homeland security)
• Dylan Whitley of Tioga (intelligence and analysis)

The ASU Handball Club is coached by retired faculty member Dr. Warren Simpson and graduate students Aoife Holden and Diarmuid Mulkerrins.