Final-year psychiatric nursing student and club captain, Lisa McKenna, and final-year psychology student Ciara Mahon made the journey from Trinity to Arizona State University to compete in the premier handball event on the US scene last Sunday, February 26th.
The pair had travelled a long way from the traditional gaelic home of the game, (Arizona’s teams are known as the Sun Devils) but they quickly demonstrated why Ireland remains a handball fortress with several skilfull, determined displays.
Mahon dispatched all comers with ease on her way to the Women’s Open Singles final, before facing fellow native Niamh Dunne of the University of Limerick (UL) for the title. Dunne put up sterner resistance but Mahon was still able to battle to a 21-15, 21-9 victory and take her first gold.
Contrastingly, McKenna fought every step of the way on her road to the Ladies A division title. After a string of close victories, she showed exceptional mental strength to steel herself for an intense tie-breaker against Kyra Vidas of Lake Forest College, triumphing 21-13, 18-21, 21-7. Then the Trinity duo paired up for the Ladies Open Doubles title, steamrolling their first opponents in the frame. The final saw them face UL once again, represented by Dunne and Natasha Coughlan. An excellent team effort allowed them see off their fierce Irish rivals comprehensively, 21-8, 21-7.
Mahon, in an email to The University Times, said: “This was an especially sweet achievement…having suffered defeat in the open doubles and singles finals last year.” UL have been something of a bogey team for Trinity Handball in the past so this result was a welcome psychological boost.
Their dominant display saw them each awarded a “Player of the Tournament” title at the subsequent awards ceremony and all the competitors and their coaches were invited to attend a banquet, followed by an after party at the Arizona State University Student Union, to celebrate a successful championship.
