The LRL champions title was defended by Klaipėda “Dragūnas” handball players. “Dragūnas”, having become the country’s champion for the 11th time, is surpassed in the number of titles only by Kaunas “Granitas” club, which won gold as many as 17 times.
Read more Does your horoscope have a ‘secret energy center’? Astrologers explain what it means
“Dragūnas” defeated Vilnius “Šviesa”, which won silver medals and climbed a step higher this season, 3:0 in the final series. Bronze medals were awarded to Alytus “Varsa-Stronglasas” team, which returned among the prize-winners after a 5-year break.
The most valuable LRL season handball player was chosen as the champion “Dragūnas” leader Deividas Virbauskas.
In the elections, where LRL club representatives voted, D. Virbauskas surpassed Matas Aukštikalnis from “Šviesa” and Modestas Štarolis from Pasvalys “Pieno žvaigždės” team, who made it into the top three.
In the symbolic team – 3 representatives of the champion
Selected for the symbolic LRL season team: goalkeeper Giedrius Morkūnas (“Šviesa”), left wing Paulius Čėsna (“Dragūnas”), left back M. Štarolis (“Pieno žvaigždės”), playmaker D. Virbauskas (“Dragūnas”), right back Nedas Buronko (“Varsa-Stronglasas”), right wing Mykolas Lapiniauskas (“Šviesa”), line player Martynas Lapinskas (HC “Vilnius”), best defender Karolis Stropus (“Dragūnas”).
The title of the most prolific handball player went to Kaunas “Granitas-Karys” leader Simas Butkus. S. Butkus, an 18-year-old playing his second season in the LRL, scored 173 goals. N. Buronko, who scored 169 goals, took second place, and M. Štarolis, with 139 goals, took third.
The most intense battle took place in selecting the best LRL coach. First place was taken by “Granitas-Karys” team coach Vaidotas Grosas.
His coached youngest team in the league took 4th place in the regular season, and in the quarter-final series, after a dramatic battle, lost 1:2 to the oldest team, HC “Vilnius”. The coach of the prize-winning Alytus team, Egidijus Petkevičius, who finished second, lost to the election winner by just one point. Gintaras Cibulskis, coaching the vice-champion “Šviesa”, took third place.
Read more In the bison family – an extraordinary event: showed how they celebrated
Historic title for Panevėžys residents
The Lithuanian Women’s Handball League champion’s cup and gold medals were awarded to Panevėžys “HC Kova” handball players. The “HC Kova” team, existing for only its third year, became the country’s champion for the first time in history. This is a historic title for all Panevėžys women’s handball, as teams from the capital of Aukštaitija had never before become LMRL winners.
“HC Kova” dethroned the Lithuanian champion of the past three years, Kaunas district “Cascada-HC Garliava SM” team, 3:0 in the final series. Bronze medals were won by Vilnius “Eglės” handball players.
Champions dominated in the best player elections as well
The leader of the champion “HC Kova” team, Simona Kolosovė, also collected the main individual awards. S. Kolosovė was chosen as the most valuable LMRL handball player and became the championship’s top scorer.
S. Kolosovė scored 186 goals. Karolina Sparnauskaitė from Kaunas “Žalgiris”, who took second place, scored 154 goals, and Silvija Mackonytė from “Eglės”, who remained in third place, collected 142 goals.
Even four champion handball players were selected for the symbolic LMRL season team: goalkeeper Amanda Vareikienė, playmaker S. Kolosovė, right back Inesa Verbovik, and right wing Laura Salamanavičė. The symbolic team also included left back S. Mackonytė and line player Rita Rakauskienė (both “Eglė”), left wing Mantė Žvilauskaitė (Klaipėda “Dragūnas”), best defender Grėta Burkaitė (“Žalgiris”).
Tomas Salamanavičius, who led the “HC Kova” handball players to their historic title, was recognized as the best LMRL coach.
Read more More than 1.2 million people at Pope Leo XIV’s mass in Madrid
