USATH takes 2010 Collegiate Nationals to the beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - USA Team Handball has selected Myrtle Beach as the site of its Collegiate National Championships, to be held April 23-April 25. The championships will attract athletes from men's and women's college teams across the country; spectators may watch the matches free of charge.

"We are extremely pleased to have Myrtle Beach as our host and an innovative setting for Collegiate National Championships this year," said Steve Pastorino, USA Team Handball general manager. "Athletes can expect three days of fun, sun and great handball."

"Once again Myrtle Beach has been chosen as the site of a national sporting event," said Brad Dean, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. "This is the area's first national handball competition and the first such sporting event to be held at Broadway at the Beach, a top Myrtle Beach attraction, with about 14 million visitors a year."

Teams interested in registering for the 2010 Collegiate Championships should visit http://usateamhandball.org/pages/8220?ngb_id=4.

The West Point Black men's team, the varsity squad from the U.S. Military Academy will try to win College Nationals for the fourth consecutive year, having defeated the Carolina Team Handball Club from the University of North Carolina in three straight finals.  Army has won seven of the last 11 Collegiate Championships, thwarted only by Carolina (2004-2006) and Air Force (2002).

On the women's side, defending champs Carolina THC will attempt to defend the title they earned in Richmond, Virginia in 2009.  Furman University and Army are considered top contenders.

USA Team Handball will also field College Select teams, comprised of athletes who don't have a university club to compete with; and has invited Canadian colleges to participate as well.

Handball, an Olympic sport, is an aggressive 7-on-7 team competition that takes place on an elongated basketball court. Teams will compete outdoors on temporary courts to be constructed at Broadway at the Beach. SnapSports, the official floor of USA Team Handball, will provide two state-of-the-art courts. Hampton Inn at Broadway at the Beach will serve as the official host hotel.

USA Team Handball, a 501(c)(3) corporation headquartered in Salt Lake City, was certified by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in April 2008. The federation's board of directors is chaired by Dieter Esch. Its jurisdiction includes development of grassroots programs, preparation of national teams and day-to-day oversight of the sport of Team Handball throughout the USA. Visit the federation at USATeamHandball.org.

Since 1938 the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand's business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded the MBACC its five-star accreditation, one of only several chambers in South Carolina to earn this distinction. The MBACC serves Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island. For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com.

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