USA Ultimate Announces U-20 National Team for World Junior Ultimate Championships

USA ULTIMATE ANNOUNCES U-20 NATIONAL TEAM FOR WORLD JUNIOR ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Forty-eight Athletes Headed to Poland this July in Search of World Titles

Colorado Springs, Colo. (February 18, 2016)—USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate (Frisbee) in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced today the 48 athletes who will represent the United States this summer on the U-20 U.S. National Team at the 2016 World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) World Junior Ultimate Championships (WJUC), July 31 through August 6 in Wroclaw, Poland.

The 48 selected athletes will compete in one of two gender divisions – men’s and women’s – and collectively represent the nation’s top ultimate talent under the age of 20.

The final rosters were chosen following two weekends of tryouts that included more than 200 participants chosen by coaches from a pool of more than 400 applicants.

More than a third of the athletes representing the United States comes from the greater Seattle area with 17 local players earning roster spots. North Carolina’s Triangle Area has the second most geographic representation with four athletes hailing from Chapel Hill and Durham.

"The U-20 National Team coaches had a daunting task in evaluating and selecting the 48 individuals we felt would form the most cohesive and successful team for this year’s world championships," commented Team Leader and USA Ultimate Manager of Competition & Athlete Programs Connor Maloney. "The selection process can be particularly challenging with this age bracket as national prominence, visibility and exposure are relatively limited in youth competition. I was impressed by the coaches’ thorough evaluation and attention to detail with regards to each and every applicant."

The 2016 WJUC, which is expected to host 40 teams and 1,000 athletes from more than 20 countries, represents the 17th edition of the tournament. Since the event’s inception in 1983, the U.S. has participated in 13 editions, winning medals at all but one (1992).

Dating back to 1988 – the first time the U.S. participated – American teams have won 19 medals: nine gold, four silver and six bronze.

The U.S. National Team will head to Poland with its sights set on winning gold in both divisions, a feat accomplished only once, in 2006.

At the most recent edition of the biennial event, in Italy in 2014, the girls’ team won the world title with a 17-9 victory over Canada, while the men’s team won the silver medal, falling to Canada 17-16.

"Both teams are comprised of remarkable athletes who play with respect and honor and are committed to bringing home a gold medal while having a memorable and positive experience," added Maloney.

The men’s team is coached by Chase Sparling-Beckley (Portland, Ore.) and assistants Sam O’Brien (Minneapolis, Minn.) and George Stubbs (Somerville, Mass.). Jamie Nuwer (San Francisco, Calif.) coaches the women’s team along with assistants DeAnna Ball (Columbus, Ohio) and Alyssa Weatherford (Seattle, Wash.).

2016 WFDF World Junior Ultimate Championships

U.S. National Team

Men’s Division

Head Coach: Chase Sparling-Beckley (Portland, Ore.)

Assistant Coaches: Sam O ‘Brien (Minneapolis, Minn.), George Stubbs (Somerville, Mass.)

Athlete City, State High School College (If Applicable) Michael Bartell Seattle, Wash. Seattle Academy Emory University Stanley Birdsong Atlanta, Ga. Paideia Nathan Champoux Ypsilanti, Mich. Washtenaw Technical Middle College Wayne State Lucas Chen Bellevue, Wash. Colby Chuck Berkeley, Calif. Berkeley Sam Cook Seattle, Wash. Northwest School USC Jeremy Dolezal-Ng Alameda, Calif. Berkeley Robbie Farwell Seattle, Wash. Bush School Whitman College Duncan Fitzgerald Washington, D.C. Woodrow Wilson Joe Freund Blacksburg, Va. Yorktown Virginia Tech Micah Jo Lawrenceville, Ga. Brookwood Georgia Tech Tannor Johnson Lexington, Mass. Lexington UMass Dillon Lanier Chapel Hill, N.C. Carolina Friends Ivan Lee Seattle, Wash. Franklin Tremont Miller Seattle, Wash. Franklin Jordan Monnin Clarksville, Ohio Drew Peterschmidt Albany, Ore. Crescent Valley John Randolph Seattle, Wash. Lakeside Jake Reinhardt Lake Jackson, Texas Brazoswood Brazosport College Aldous Root Bellevue, Wash. Interlake James Rushing Yardley, Pa. Pennsbury Liam Searles-Bohls Durham, N.C. Carolina Friends Trey Taylor Minnetonka, Minn. Hopkins University of Utah Grant Waldron Murfreesboro, Tenn. Blackman



Facebook gallery of headshots

2016 WFDF World Junior Ultimate Championships

U.S. National Team

Women’s Division

Head Coach: Jamie Nuwer (San Francisco, Calif.)

Assistant Coach: DeAnna Ball (Columbus, Ohio), Alyssa Weatherford (Seattle, Wash.)

Athlete City, State High School College (If Applicable) Isabel Arevalo Atlanta, Ga. Paideia Nariah-Belle Sims Seattle, Wash. Lakeside Carly Campana Kirkland, Wash Seattle Waldorf Chloe Carothers-Liske Oakland, Calif. Lick-Wilmerding Ruby Cassidy Seattle, Wash. Nathan Hale Ally Constantino Seattle, Wash. Nathan Hale Josephine Coppinger Leverett, Mass. Amherst Hannah Cowan Golden Valley, Minn. Robbinsdale-Armstrong University of Minnesota Katie Cubrilovic Chapel Hill, N.C. East Chapel Hill North Carolina State Kate Daugherty Mercer Island, Wash. Lakeside Josie Gillett Seattle, Wash. The Northwest School Bates Jenna Krugler Nevada City, Calif. Nevada Union Kate Lanier Chapel Hill, N.C. Carolina Friends Caitlyn Lee Superior, Colo. Fairview Dartmouth Miyo McGinn Seattle, Wash. Nathan Hale Marie Perivier Atlanta, Ga. Lakeside Ollie Peterson Atlanta, Ga. Paideia Clea Poklemba Corvallis, Ore. Corvallis Katie Schreiber Eagleville, Pa. Methacton University of Pittsburgh Cara Sieber West Chester, Ohio Lakota East Stephany Stumphauzer Plainfield, Ill. Neuqua Valley Ohio State Jessie Sun Warren, N.J. Watchung Hills Claire Trop Seattle, Wash. Lakeside Jaclyn Verzuh Seattle, Wash. Lakeside Dartmouth

In addition to the 48 members of the men’s and women’s team, USA Ultimate also named alternates for each squad. The nine men’s alternates include Conor Brownell (Decatur, Ga.), Kai DeLorenzo (Shelburne Falls, Mass.), Cameron Ficher (Bend, Ore.), Cole Jurek (Shoreview, Minn.), Daniel Mah (Seattle, Wash.), Marc Rovner (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Teddy Sither (Arlington, Mass.), Ben Swiatek (Naperville, Ill.), and Justin Ting (Seattle, Wash.). The three women’s alternates are Akane Kleinkopf (Boulder, Colo.), Evelyn Redding (Seattle, Wash.) and Caroline Tournquist (Arlington, Va.).

###

ABOUT USA ULTIMATE

USA Ultimate is the national governing body for the sport of ultimate (Frisbee) in the United States and proud member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).





Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Ultimate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is the largest flying disc organization in the world with more than 53,000 members, including athletes, coaches and observers.





Governed by a core principle called Spirit of the Game™, ultimate remains proud of its historical and continuing practice of being a self-officiated sport – even at the highest levels of competition – which places a unique emphasis on sportsmanship, respect for one’s opponent, conflict resolution, self-confidence, communication and integrity.





USA Ultimate currently administers the full spectrum of ultimate in the United States and owns and operates 11 major championship events across all ages and abilities, including youth, high school, college, elite and masters divisions, as well as the Triple Crown Tour – ultimate’s premier elite competitive league for men’s, women’s and mixed gender divisions. USA Ultimate is a member of the IOC-recognized World Flying Disc Federation and also selects, trains and supports U.S. National Teams for international events.





Recently cited as one of the fastest-growing team sports in America by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) with more than 7 million players worldwide, ultimate was invented in 1968 by students at Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J.



