Honorable Champions

   By Lin Fernandez,
Handball Commissioner

  On June 9th and 10th, the NYC Handball Individuals were held. Competition was clearly at its best as the Top Borough Winners representing their individual schools arrived at Central Park for a final face-off. In the Boys event, Forest Hills Ace, Victor Lopierre dominated all opponents with incredible power and flat rollout kills. The finals were expected to be a great battle as Lopierre was about to meet for the fifth time, this season the power low serving, Mehdi Majumder from Bowne HS. This time however, Lopierre had a game-face of stone as he rolllleeeddd past Majumder with a 21-5 blowout, ending the match with yet another flat rollout, and winning the 2003 NYC Individuals Title.

In the Girls Event, stamina was the word of the day. Games of 21-19, 21-20 was all over the draw-sheet as the ladies efforts in competing for the gold medal drew lots of applauds from the viewing spectators. Park West’s Ebony Johnson, who had lost a close 16-21 Borough Championship match to Carly Creed (Science HS) managed to win a 21-16 ticket to the big dance after her final rematch with Creed in the semis. Stamina however, is needed when you face an opponent who has just been unstoppable all year. Hoping that she had a little more air left for the Midwoooodds Ace, Na Lui, Johnson quickly ran out of gas early in the game as Lui’s dominating Ace serves were too much for the Junior athlete. Lui eliminated Johnson 21-8 for the Gold and claimed the NYC Girls Individuals Title. Lui’s talents were not only expressed on the Handball Courts, but also in Academics as she also won the PSAL Heisman/Athletic Award and The Most Outstanding Female Athlete for 2003. Hats of to Na Lui from Midwood High School.