Martin Mulkerrins won the United States Collegiate Handball Open title, over the past week in Springfield, Missouri, becoming the first Irish champion in over seven years.

Mulkerrins, the first year Ag student, overcame a number of top American and Irish players throughout the week. In the final held last Sunday, the Galway native, showed experience beyond his years in dispatching University of Texas at El Paso’s Daniel Cordova in a thrilling 11-10 tie-braker victory to secure the title and the number one spot in collegiate handball in the world.

The first game of the final was a torrid affair with both players attempting to lay heavy markers for the rest of the match. Mulkerrins’ phenomenal power was on display while Cordova’s mesmerizing speed and dexterity around the court demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the best collegiate players in the world. Mulkerrins pulled away in the first game thanks to some fine kill shots, taking the first game 21- 6. Cordova came out firing in the second game taking an early lead. It looked ominous for Mulkerrins as Cordova appeared unfazed by his first game defeat, outscoring Mulkerrins 10-2 in the first ten minutes of the second game. Following a time-out Mulkerrins made a flurry of forty foot kill shots from the back court and tied the score at 10-10. From then on out the players became tentative trading roof shots, as neither wanted to concede easy points. Cordova’s low power serve became Mulkerrins’ undoing as he reeled off a number of points to lead 20-16. The final point of the game saw a fifty five shot rally ensue as both players put their bodies on the line with Cordova finishing the game with a coolly executed corner kill despite the long rally. This brought the game to a tiebraker which Cordova controlled for large periods eventually finding himself one point from victory at 10-6. Mulkerrins at this vital stage showed phenomenal cool, firstly regaining serve and rattling off five quick points to win the title. To put this victory in context, Mulkerrins has become the youngest winner of the event since Arizona’s Luis Moreno won the collegiate title in 2007. Since then Moreno has cemented his place as the United States number one pro player, so who knows what Mulkerrins’ future will hold if his current potential is realised.

The arrival of Mulkerrins has seen a renaissance of sorts for the GAA Handball club as they became the Irish senior collegiate team champions early in the year defeating DCU in the final. Following his victory Mulkerrins, who captured the World U-17 title in Portland, Oregon in 2009, pin pointed the U-19 event in the World Handball Championships as his ultimate goal. Other UCD players competing at the event included second year radiographer Alan Armstrong and first year Ag student Sean Foley who both recorded some fine victories before finishing in the top 30 in the event overall. In other handball related news UCD’s Diarmaid Nash has reached the All-Ireland Senior semi final following his quarter final victory over Mayo’s Joe McCann. He will play Westmeath’s Robbie McCarthy in the semi final.