Tyrone’s Gabhain McCrystall celebrates historic International handball success
Breacach GAA Handball clubman, Gabhain McCrystall, entered the record books in the international dimension of the sport on Tuesday night in Arizona, USA. McCrystall became just the second Irish handballer in history to claim the blue ribband event in successive seasons at the US Junior National Championships when he came through a very tough draw to eventually see off Anthony Collado in the final on a 21-10, 21-7 scoreline.
On Monday evening he had won through in an epic tussle with Minnesotta’s Tyler Stoffel in the semi final of the US National 19 & Under Singles Championships by 21-9, 5-21, 11-8 to claim his place in back-to-back finals of the blue ribband event at the US Nationals event.
McCrystall thus joins a very elite band of world class players to have won two US National 19 & Under singles championship titles in succession – achieved just 7 times in the past 35 years. He has excelled at the highest level in the past couple of seasons and in the past twelve months he has secured the USA Junior National 19 & Under Singles and Doubles championship title twelve months ago and has since added the Irish Nationals Mens A Singles title in his first crack at the adult nationals while recently delivered an outstanding level of form in Breacach’s All Ireland Intermediate club championship title win.
Tyree Bastidas (New York) was the last player to do the illustrious double in the grade (2008 & 2009) and none other than Luis Moreno completed the Junior majors double in 2006 and 2007. Allan Garner, one of the top USA pro players made it a double with wins in 2003 and 2004 while James Komsthoeft did the double in 1993 and 1994. Four times US Mens Open Champion, Tati Silveyra did the 19s double triumph in 1989 and 1990 and another former US Mens Open champion, Poncho Monreal, was the first to do so in 1981 and 1982. Meath’s Walter O’Connor is actually so far the only other Irish player to have managed the two-in-a-row of US Nationals 19 & Under titles, when the former All Ireland Senior champion made it back to back honours in the top US Juniors event in 1986 & 1987.
McCrystall and Clarke make it clean sweep in USA Boys 19 & Under grade
To cap a remarkable week of action on the Tucson courts, McCrystall then teamed up with his long-time doubles partner and club and county colleague, Pól Clarke, to secure successive US National 19 & Under Doubles championship triumphs.
The duo came through a tough semi final on Monday night against 2013 17 & Under doubles champions, Luis Bustos and Anthony Sullivan, by 21-15, 21-11 to set up a title showdown with Tyler Stoffel and Jordan Taylor. That duo defeated Anthony Collado and Allejandro Serano in their semi final meeting. McCrystall and Clarke have proven to be a top class doubles pairing in recent years and their class and experience told again on this occasion as they took the honours with a 21-13, 21-9 victory.
Again this makes an impressive clean sweep for the Breacach duo in the blue ribband grade at the USA National Championships for the second year running – an amazing feat!
McElduff takes on O’Neill in Premier League decider
The Tyrone Attic Stairs GAA Handball PREMIER LEAGUE Final will start the new year in the 40×20 calendar in the O’Neill County with a host of other finals also down for decision in the two week period.
Action in the Tyrone GAA Handball Leagues has provided top class fayre since the beginning of December 2014 and the Premier League eventually saw semi finals wins for Breacach duo Shane O’Neill and Conor McElduff.
O’Neill is the reigning champion in the event and claimed the Termonmaguirc Credit Union Cup in 2014 when defeating Johnny Woods in the title decider. He had to overcome Woods again this time around in the semi final on Monday night and it proved to be a tough contest against the 2014 All Ireland Minor champion, O’Neill eventually winning through by 15-8, 7-15, 11-4.
Conor McElduff lost out in his first Senior Championship final to Darragh Daly last term and now contests his first league decider. The 2014 Teamtalkmag Tyrone GAA Handballer of the Year had a 15-6, 15-12 win over Carrickmore’s Caolan Daly on Moinday night and that level of form suggests that the final is set to go to the wire in Beragh.
Meanwhile a total of 8 Division League finals in all will be staged in Beragh over the coming 10 day period, culminating with a triple bill of finals on Saturday 17th January 2015.
The Tyrone GAA Handball Adult and Juvenile 40×20 Championships across all grades will commence from 15th January 2015 and full details will be released this weekend.
Results:
PREMIER LEAGUE SEMI FINALS
Sunday 4th January 2015, Beragh, 6.30pm:
SF1: Shane O’Neill, Breacach dft Johnny Woods, Breacach 15-8, 7-15, 11-4
Monday 5th January 2015, Beragh, 7.30pm:
SF2: Conor McElduff, Breacach dft Caolan Daly, Carrickmore 15-6, 15-12
PREMIER LEAGUE FINAL: Wednesday 7th January 2015, Beragh, 8.00pm: Shane O’Neill, Breacach v Conor McElduff, Breacach
Tyrone GAA Handball League Fixtures:
DARK BLUE DIVISION 1 LEAGUE SEMI FINALS: Thursday 8th January 2015, Beragh 7.30pm:
SF1: Antoin Fox, Loughmacrory v 4th Place DB Division 1 League
SF1: Ciaran Cuddy, Carrickmore v 3rd Place DB Division 1 League
DARK BLUE DIVISION 2 LEAGUE SEMI FINALS: Sunday 11th January 2015, Loughmacrory, 1pm:
SF1: Lorcan Mc Bride, Carrickmore v Dara Curran, Loughmacrory
SF1: Shane Grimes, Loughmacrory v Runner-up DB Division 2 League Section B
DARK BLUE DIVISION 3 LEAGUE SEMI FINALS: Friday 9th January 2015, Loughmacrory, 7pm:
SF1: Winner DB Division 2 League Section A v Runner-up DB Division 2 League Section B
SF1: Winner DB Division 2 League Section A v Runner-up DB Division 2 League Section B
DIVISION 4 LEAGUE SEMI FINALS: Sunday 11th January 2015, Beragh 4pm:
SF1: Winner Division 4 League Section A v Runner-up Division 4 League Section B
SF1: Winner Division 4 League Section B v Runner-up Division 4 League Section A
Tyrone GAA Handball League Finals:
SATURDAY 10th January 2015, Beragh, 4.30pm: DIVISION 2 LEAGUE FINAL: Seamus McCrory (Breacach) v Conor Kerr (Breacach)
SATURDAY 10th January 2015, Beragh, 5.30pm: DARK BLUE DIVISION 1 LEAGUE FINAL
SATURDAY 10th January 2015, Beragh, 6.30pm: DIVISION 1 LEAGUE FINAL
SUNDAY 11th January 2015, Beragh, 6.00pm: DIVISION 3 LEAGUE FINAL: Gerard Conroy (Breacach) v Turlough Clarke (Breacach)
SATURDAY 17th January 2015, Beragh, 5.15pm: DARK BLUE DIVISION 3 LEAGUE FINAL
SATURDAY 17th January 2015, Beragh, 6.00pm: DARK BLUE DIVISION 2 LEAGUE FINAL
SATURDAY 17th January 2015, Beragh, 6.45pm: DIVISION 4 LEAGUE FINAL
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