Naples 2019 Media Guide.Pdf
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2019 SUMMER UNIVERSIADE MEDIA GUIDE #USATEAM | @USATEAM_ | USATEAM.ORG 2019 SUMMER UNIVERSIADE MEDIA GUIDE JULY 3-14, 2019 | NAPLES, ITALY | 30TH SUMMER UNIVERSIADE USATEAM.ORG | #USATEAM | @USATEAM_ USA TEAM ARRIVES IN NAPOLI USA TEAM QUICK FACTS The United States delegation travels to Naples with over 400 members competing in 19 sports at the 29th Universiade. The Americans return USA Governing Body: US-IUSF to the Universiade after a successful showing at the 2017 Summer President: Dr. Gary Cunningham Universiade. USA Team claimed 51 totals medals in Taipei, Taiwan in 2017, including 16 gold medals. The United States will not have student-athletes Head of Delegation: Gary Cunningham competing in rugby sevens, and sailing. Secretary General: Delise S. O’Meally FISU Member Since: 1957 RETURNING MEDALISTS Five members of the 2019 American delegation competed at the 2017 Past Hosted Events: Lake Placid 1972 Universiade in Taipei and will return again to Naples. Matt Zumbo of Buffalo 1993 Archery, Makayla Gorka of Taekwondo, Conner Wilson of Taekwondo, Philip 2019 Delegation Size: 419 Shin of Fencing, Angela Guan of Table Tennis and Deonca Bookman of Athletics. 2019 Athletes: 273 2019 Staff: 146 SWIMMING SITS ATOP A MOUNTAIN OF MEDALS 2019 Total Sports: 19 USA swimming will return to the Universiade after picking up 28 medals Men’s Sports: 15 at the 2017 Universiade. The Americans also grabbed 11 gold medals, the most out of any other country, and will look to continue their dominance in Women’s Sports: 16 Naples. 2019 Available Gold Medals: 250 2017 Medals Won: 51 NCAA PRESIDENT MARK EMMERT JOINS USA TEAM IN NAPOLI Gold Medals: 16 Dr. Mark Emmert, the president of the NCAA, will travel to Naples as a guest of USA Team with the hopes of building a stronger relationship with Silver Medals: 19 Universiade organizing members to bring top American student-athletes to Bronze Medals: 16 future Universiades. USA All-Time Medals: 1,246 All-Time Gold Medals: 470 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO MEDAL The USA women’s basketball team is looking to medal after an unexpected 408 All-Time Silver Medals: loss in Taipei. The Americans did not end up medaling in the previous All-Time Bronze Medals: 368 universide, but are eager to claim their medal this year. Mississippi State Media Contact: Megan Thompson University will represent the United States, marking the first time ever to [email protected] represnt USA Team in a Universiade. C: +1 (509) 540-0524 WhatsApp User USA TEAM DELEGATION STAFF Gary Cunningham Neal Holden Nels Hawkinson Kalvin Johanson Ron Olson Head of Delegation Deputy Deputy Deputy Head Physician & Secretary General usateam.org | #usateam | (425) 977-2700 | 1222 N 185th Street Suite 100 | Shoreline, WA 98133 2019 USA STORYLINES USA TABLE TENNIS RETURNS ANGELA GUAN USA table tennis had a strong viewing in 2017 at the Taipei Universiade and are gearing up to do the same. Returning athlete Angela Guan, was a part of the 2017 Universiade as well as a 2017 USA World Team. Kunal Chodri will also bring strong experience to the team as he competed at the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships. MEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO REPEAT The USA Teams men’s basketball team will look to claim a gold medal after winning silver in 2017, with a victory over Lithuania 85 to 74. Clemson University will compete as the U.S. national team, after Purdue University represented the Americans in Taipie. ZACH YEADON AN AMERICAN SWIMMING STANDOUT FOR 2019 UNIVERSIADE A member of the Notre Dame swimming program, Zach Yeadon has already earned his qualifying mark for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 400m free. Yeadon, only a junior looks to use this universiade as a practice for the trials but is looking to see the podium as well. Currently, Yeadon hold three school records in the 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free which he broke all in the 2018 season. USA ARCHERY WELCOMES STRONG TEAM TO NAPLES USA archer Adam Heidt (recurve men) will compete in the Universiade after snagging bronze in the Yankton World Archery indoor Champions. In addition, Heidt has his sights on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which he is a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center. FORMER UNIVERSIADE ATHLETE WILL LEAD USA TRACK & FIELD Deonca Bookman of Prairie View A&M will return to Naples for her second universiade in hopes of medaling. Bookman won the 100m and 400m hurdles at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships this past spring. She then qualified for the 2019 NCAA West Regional Championships. USA DIVING IS PREPARED FOR NAPLES With a strong performance in 2017, USA diving is prepared to repeat its big success. Lyle Yost of Ohio State will make his first appearance at the Universiade but not his first to international competition. In 2018 he was a part of the World Junior Diving championships in which he placed in the top 3 for both the 1 - meter and 3- meter platform diving. On the women’s side, Emily Bretscher comes with an aray of accomplishments, in which she was a 2018/2019 NCAA Championship Qualifier as well as an Honorable Mention All-American in the 1-meter and platform compeitions. WOMEN’S WATER POLO HAS SIGHT SET ON THE PODIUM USA women’s waterpolo is looking to repeat their success from 2017 as they claimed gold in the previous universiade. Lead by Head coach James Graham, the women’s roster consists of many Pac-12 athletes who represent from CAL Berkeley, UCLA, and USC. FENCING BRINGS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM MEMBERS Columbia University Fencing won the 2019 NCAA National Team Championship in which six of those athletes will represent USA Team in Naples. Sylvie Binder who won the 2019 Women’s Individual Foil Championship will be competing, as she has also participated in the Cadet World Championship and the Junior World Championships. TAEKWONDO RETURNS TWO 2017 UNIVERSIADE ATHLETES Makayla Gorka and Connor Wilson will return to the Universiade for the second time in hopes of seeing the podium. Gorka, who participates in Kyorugi, intended to use this unversiade in hopes of make the 2020 Olympic team. Wilson, who also participates in Kyorugi, has competed internationally since 2014 when he placed silver in the Costa Rica Open. Both Gorka and Wilson are excited to be back compeiting at the 2019 Universiade. Page 4 2019 USA STORYLINES FISU AMERICA MEDAL WINNERS JOIN JUDO TEAM AGAIN Ricky Marin and Brianna Lavelle return to another FISU event this summer after medaling last summer in the 2018 FISU America Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ricky claimed a silver medal in the men’s 66kg event and Brianna claimed the Bronze in the women’s 52kg judo event. Both of these athletes look to repeat trips to the podium in the upcoming games. PAC-12 CONFERENCE DOMINATES MEN’S WATER POLO NATIONAL TEAM Twelve out of the fourteen USA men’s water polo team come from the Pac-12 Conference. Five athletes from UCLA and another five from Stanford plus two from USC who won the Pac-12 Championship this past year. 2004 Olympian Brett Ormsby stated “this team has many future Olympians and is excited to see them play together”. VOLLEYBALL ADDS INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN HOPES TO MEDAL The USA women’s volleyball team adds two members who have a magnitude of international experience. Audriana Fitzmorris of Stanford University has participated on many Collegiate National Teams including the CNT-China, CNT- European rosters, and the women’s Junior National team. In addition, Stephanie Sameday from the University of Minnesota brings international experience as she was as selected for the same CNT-China and CNT-European rosters. Head coach Keegan Cook is happy with how much depth and diversity this team brings to compete in Naples. WOMEN’S SOCCER LOOKING FOR SUCCESS IN NAPLES With the Americans only bringing a women’s soccer team, they are looking to make large strides during their time in Naples. USA Team will be represented by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in which during their 2018 season advanced to the NCAA Women’s Soccer quarterfinals. Junior Ashley Sanchez brings U.S. National Team experience as she participated in the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and has become the first USA player in history to play in two Women’s World Cups in the same year. LAURA ZENG, 2016 RIO OLYMPIAN JOINS USA TEAM USA Teams Laura Zeng will be the solo rhythmic gymnist to compete at the 2019 Summer Universiade. Zeng who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, looks to continue her success at these upcoming games. In 2015 she claimed the Pan American Games All-Around title as well as has continued to compete internationally and place in the top five. Zeng will compete in hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. JACKSON AND COOKS BOAST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER Rickea Jackson and Sidney Cooks have competed internationally and bring that experience to the American Women’s basketball team. McDonald’s All-American Rickea Jackson was one of four players selected to compete for Team USA at this year’s FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. Jackson, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, was second on the team in scoring and ranked fifth overall with 39 total points in seven games. Sidney Cooks won a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship and earned a silver medal in the 2016 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. Page 5 UNIVERSIADE HISTORY 2017 UNIVERSIADE IN REVIEW The United States took a delegation of 351 athletes to the 2017 Universiade in Taipei, Taiwan.