Hopes are high for the Pacific handball team as they come off a season in which they won a national championship as a team, and in the women’s individual team competitions. As there are only four returning players, newcomers will be important to success.
Since handball is technically a year round sport with tournaments coming before and after the national tournament in February, practices have already begun in preparation of their first tournament of the season.
“We play multiple tournaments every year,” junior Cody Ramirez said. “They prepare us for finals.”
“We have twenty to twenty five people this year on our team,” junior Dom Torango said.
The four returning players will be tasked with leading the fresh faces into the accustomed winning culture that is Pacific’s handball squad. The men’s side holds three of those returners in Ramirez, Torango and junior Angel Marquez, while the lone returner for the female side is junior Karissa Komo.
With newly renovated courts and the finals being held at Arizona State University, the tournaments are often played in big venues.
“Playing at all these big facilities is really something,” Torango said, while adding how it should help in recruiting players to the school.
“Were always looking for more players,” Ramirez added.
According to the team handball website, the Boxers have appeared in 39 consecutive Collegiate National Championships and have produced over two dozen national champions, three All-Americans, four Sportsmanship Award winners, one Sabo Scholarship winner and numerous finishes in the sport’s top-four teams.
The 2016-2017 team looks to create more history and produce more champions to continue the Boxer handball legacy.
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