| Fullname | David Warren DeGraaf |
|---|---|
| Birth date | March 26, 1971 (age 55) |
| Birth place | Spring Arbor, Michigan, United States[2] |
| Height | 203 cm (6 ft 8 in) |
| Currentclub | retired |
| Youthyears 1 | 1991–1993 |
| Youthclubs 1 | USAFA Team Handball |
| Clubs 1 | Knight Air |
| Nationalteam 1 | United States men's national handball team |
| Service years | 1993-2014[1] |
|---|---|
| Rank | Major |
David Warren DeGraaf (born March 26, 1971, in Spring Arbor, Michigan) is an American former handball player who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics.[3]
Career
The United States Air Force Academy (Class of 1993) originally recruited him for football and basketball, but he ended up playing for the USAFA Team Handball.[4]
He competed at the 1994 Goodwill Games (6th place out of 6), Pan American Games 1995 (4th of 6) & 1999 (4th of 7) and the 1996 Summer Olympics (9th of 12).[5]
At the 1996 Summer Olympics he scored a record, 13 goals against Kuwait and a record of seven blocked shots.[6] Only Niclas Ekberg was able to score 13 goals at the Olympic Games in 2012. DeGraaf also scored the game-winning goal against Algeria, in overtime, with no time remaining on the clock.[7][8]
In 1997, he was selected as 1996 United States Air Force Athlete of the Year.[9]
In 1998, he won the Nationals Championship with Knight Air and was the MVP of the tournament.[10] DeGraaf has over 200 International Games and was awarded the USATHF Male Athlete of the year twice.
Awards
| Air Force Achievement Medal | |
| Air Force Longevity Service Award | |
| Joint Service Commendation Medal | |
| Level unknown | Marksmanship |
| National Defense Service Medal | |
| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
References
- ^ "David DeGraaf". LinkedIn. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ Zanca, Salvatore (August 2, 1996). "U.S. Men's Handball Team Equals Best Finish in 12 Years". APNews.com. Archived October 27, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ "www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/de/david-degraaf-1.html". Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ Sedgwick, David (April 11, 2016). "David DeGraaf". Automotive News. Archived October 27, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ "David DeGraaf". Center for Automotive Research. Archived October 27, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ "This Date in USAFA History". United States Air Force Academy. July 31, 1996. Archived October 27, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ "Secret of Handball Found by Knocking Down Walls". Los Angeles Times. 1996-08-03. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ zach (2017-08-29). "Breaking Barriers: 70 years of success". United States Air Force Academy. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
- ^ "Air Force selects its athletes of the year". Airman Magazine. XLI (2): 20. February 1997.
- ^ "1998 National Championships". Knight Air. Archived from the original on 7 April 2003. Retrieved 9 May 2024.