The latest news from the USOC - April 16
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Propelled by Ashley Wagner (Alexandria, Va.) and Gracie Gold's (Springfield, Ill.) second and third-place finishes in the free skate, Team USA won the 2013 ISU World Team Trophy, held April 11-14 in Tokyo. Madison Chock (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Evan Bates (Ann Arbor, Mich.) won the short dance event with a season-best score of 98.37 points.
U.S. WOMEN TASTE REVENGE, CLAIM GOLD
In a thrilling victory, the U.S. Women's National Ice Hockey Team defeated Canada, 3-2, in the gold-medal game of the 2103 IIHF World Women's Championship, held on April 9 in Ottawa, Ontario. Amanda Kessel's (Madison, Wis.) game-winning goal in the third period sealed Team USA's fourth gold medal in the last five world championships. Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) and Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) contributed the first two goals for Team USA.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CURLING
The U.S. Women's Senior Curling Team came out firing with an 11-2 win over Ireland at the 2013 World Senior Curling Championships, held April 13-20 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Led by Margie Smith (Shoreview, Minn.) the U.S. carried its momentum to earn a 14-2 victory over Russia and is currently tied for first place atop the Group A round robin standings. Team USA will look to continue its winning streak when it faces New Zealand on April 18.
Led by Gert Messing (Hartsdale, N.Y.) the U.S. men earned a 10-4 win over Germany and improved to 1-1 in the nine-game round robin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Also competing in Fredericton, the husband-wife team of Peter and Maureen Stolt (Plymouth, Minn.) made its Team USA debut at the 2013 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, held April 13-20 . The duo lost a hard-fought match to Australia, 7-6, and will look to improve their 0-2 record when they return to the ice today against Denmark.
CYCLING
Allison Powers (Pinecliffe, Colo.) dominated the women's field at the 2013 Redlands Bicycle Classic, held April 4-7 in Redlands, Calif. Upon winning the time trial, road race, criterium and amassing the most sprint points, Powers earned 340 total points to lead the women's National Racing Calendar standings by 160 points. Taylor Wiles (Murray, Utah) finished second in the general classification and time trial to earn 180 points and second overall.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On the men's side, Chad Haga (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished second with 190 points, followed by Thomas Zirbel (Boulder, Colo.) in third place with 154 points.
EQUESTRIAN
Team USA placed first and second at the Wellington Dressage Nations Cup CDIO3*, held April 11-14 in Wellington, Fla. Kimberly Herslow (Stockton, N.J.) and Rosmarin guided Team USA I to a winning total of 216.313 with the highest individual score of 72.079 percent to win the Prix St. Georges competition. Meanwhile, Team USA II took the second spot with contributions from Grand Prix riders Susan Dutta (Wellington, Fla.) and Cesar Para (White House Station, N.J.) to earn a total of 208.75.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FENCING
Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.) earned bronze in the women's foil event at the 2013 Junior World Championships, held April 6-15 in Porec, Croatia. A London 2012 Olympian, Kiefer's finish makes her the first U.S. women's foil fencer to garner three straight individual medals at the junior world championships. Adrienne Jarocki (Middle Village, N.Y.) added to Team USA's success with a silver medal in women's saber while Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.) placed fifth.
Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.) became the first U.S. men's foil fencer to win individual gold at the junior world championships. Facing Italy's Lorenzo Nista, Massialas prevailed with a 15-13 victory to make history. Fellow American Eli Dershwitz (Sherborn, Mass.) also returned to the podium with a bronze-medal finish in the men's saber event, making him the first U.S. men's saber fencer to win two junior world championship medals since 2001.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sage Palmedo (Portland, Ore.) upset second-seed Palina Kaspiarovich of Belarus, 15-2, en route to an eighth-place finish in the women's saber event at the 2013 Cadet World Championships, held April 6-15 in Porec, Croatia.
Ariel Simmons (Bellaire, Texas) became the first U.S. men's epee fencer to win gold at the cadet world championships since 2006. Jake Raynis (Chatsworth, Calif.) also contributed to the historical week with a bronze medal, marking the first time two U.S. men's epee fencers stood on the podium together.
FIELD HOCKEY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.S. Women's National Field Hockey Team lost to 2012 Olympic silver medalists, Argentina, 3-0, in the third-place match of the first leg in the Four Nations tournament, held April 10-21 in Whangarei, New Zealand. The U.S. will open the second leg of the tournament against Korea on April 17.
GYMNASTICS
Texas Woman's University's Bethany Larimer (Carollton, Texas) claimed balance beam and vault titles at the 2013 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships, held April 12-14 in Shreveport, La. Larimer tied TWU's Kristin Edwards (St. Paul, Minn.) and Amy Winczura (Eagle River, Alaska) with a 9.850 in the vault final and also shared the balance beam title with Rachel Zabawa (Omaha, Neb.) upon receiving a 9.875. In the all-around event, University of Bridgeport's Sasha Tsikhanovich (Marysville, Ohio) the crown with a total of 39.75, while Kirsten Strausbaugh (Virginia Beach, Va.) of the University of Pennsylvania earned a 39.200 to clinch second place.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ICE HOCKEY
Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J.) scored one goal and added an assist as the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Ice Hockey Team defeated Canada, 4-1, in a pre- tournament game held on April 14 in Sochi, Russia. The game serves as a tune-up for the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championship.
Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.) scored four goals to guide the U.S. to a convincing 7-0 victory over Norway at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, held April 12-20 in Goyang, South Korea. The win seals a top-two finish in group play for Team USA. The U.S. will face the Czech Republic on April 16 to decide the winner of Group A.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}JUDO
Kayla Harrison (Middletown, Ohio; 78 kg.) took home a national title at the USA Judo Senior National Championships, held April 13-14 in Virginia Beach, Va. Also capturing a title was Marti Malloy (Oak Harbor, Wash.) at 57 kg. Competing at 63 kg., Hannah Martin (Schenectady, N.Y.) claimed gold while Katie Sell (Oshkosh, Wis.) and Nina Cutro-Kelly (Albany, N.Y.) also captured gold in the 70 kg. and 78+ kg. divisions.
Meanwhile, Nick Delpopo (Westfield, N.J.) took gold in his division at 73 kg. Jonathan Fernandez (Miami, Fla.) claimed the title at 81 kg. as two-time Olympian Travis Stevens (Tacoma, Wash.) withdrew from the division due to injury. Also taking home national titles were Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y.) at 90 kg., L.A. Smith III (Rahway, N.J.) at 100 kg. and at Marktorria Fletcher (Atlanta, Ga.) at 100+ kg.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SHOOTING
At the National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships, Deanna Binnie (Hollsopple, Pa.) emerged as the winner of the 3-Position event in women's 50- meter rifle. Binnie shot the two highest scores (586, 578) in qualifying to provide a 10-point cushion heading into the final. Competition will continue this week in the men's 3-position rifle and men's air rifle.
SKI & SNOWBOARD
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) won the men's 2013 U.S. Distance Nationals, held on April 11 in Norden, Calif. Freeman broke away in the last 10-kilometer lap of the 50K classic mass start race and finished 30 seconds ahead of teammate Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT), who placed second overall.
Meanwhile, Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, Vt.) captured first in the 30K classic mass start race to become the 2013 USSA National Distance champion on April 10. Stephen finished more than a minute ahead of teammate and world cup champion Kikkan Randall (Anchorage), while Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah) took third place.
Sky Kelsey (Aspen, Colo.) won the boys' U16 national championships, and Storm Klomhaus (Boulder, Colo.) placed first in the girls' U16 national championships in alpine skiing, held on April 8 in Park City, Utah. Kelsey and Klomhaus tallied the most points in freeskiing, SkillsQuest education, giant slalom, slalom and parallel.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SOCCER
The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team defeated the Netherlands, 3-1, in an international friendly held on April 9 in The Hague, Netherlands. Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.) tallied the first strike while Christen Press (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) contributed two goals in the 45th and 60th minutes to lead the U.S. to victory.
The U.S. Men's U-17 National Soccer Team lost, 3-1, to Honduras in the quarterfinals of the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, held on April 14 in Panama City. Joel Sonora (Dallas, Texas) provided the lone goal for the U.S. as Team USA was eliminated from the CONCACAF Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SQUASH
Natalie Granger (Greenwich, Conn.) and Amanda Sobhy (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) lived up to their top billing, claiming the women's doubles title at the 2013 World Doubles Championship, held April 11-14 in New York.
In the men's division, defending champions Damien Mudge (New York, N.Y.) and Ben Gould (Long Island City, N.Y.) bested Imran Khan and Baset A. Chaudry of Pakistan to capture the men's doubles title. Meanwhile, Grainger (Greenwich, Conn.) and Preston Quick (Denver, Colo.) defeated Australian team Narelle Krizek and Paul Price to win the mixed doubles crown.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SWIMMING
Olympic gold medalists Breeja Larson (Mesa, Ariz.) Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md.) and Missy Franklin (Centennial, Colo.) shined at the Arena Grand Prix at Mesa, held April 11-14 in Mesa, Ariz. Hometown favorite Larson handily won the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:07:32 to a sold-out crowd. Franklin won the women's 100 freestyle in 54.27 and claimed the 200 backstroke with a three-second victory, while Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.) finished third with 54.61 in the 100 freestyle. Ledecky swam the fastest time of the year in the women's 800 freestyle in 8:20:64, and edged Franklin in the 200 freestyle by 0.03 of a second in a rousing finish.
Nathan Adrian (Bremerton, Wash.) won the men's 50 freestyle in 21.72 and displayed a convincing victory in the 100mfreestyle, finishing in 48.42. Fellow Olympian Matt McLean (Sterling, Va.) won the men's 400 freestyle in 3:51:95, while Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.) took home titles in the 400 individual medley and 200 backstroke. Ricky Berens (Charlotte, N.C.) added to Team USA's success with a victory in the men's 200 freestyle, clocking a time of 1:48:93.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING
The Santa Clara Aquamaids and Walnut Creek Aquanuts clinched team titles at the 2013 U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Championships, held April 9-13 in Greensboro, N.C. In the U.S. senior national championships, Ohio State University's Yuliya Maryanko (Columbus, Ohio) won the individual high-point award and finished with 15.5 overall points. In the solo final, London 2012 Olympian Mary Killman (McKinney, Texas) grabbed gold with 173.7250. Rebecca Moody (San Jose, Calif.) and Karensa Tjoa (San Jose, Calif.) won gold in the duet event of the U.S. junior national championships with 155.9570 points.
TRIATHLON
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The University of Colorado won its fourth consecutive team title at the 2013 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships, held April 12-13 in Tempe, Ariz. Colorado scored 3,926 combined points to edge second-place California by two points. CU's Michelle Menhert (Champaign, Ill.) raced to an Olympic- distance title in 2:01:13.
The University of Arizona's Ben Kanute (Geneva, Ill.) led the field of 605 men to finish the course in 1:46:36 and completed a weekend sweep upon winning the draft-legal race. Michael Poole (Tampa, Fla.) of the University of South Florida placed second in 1:47:08, and Iowa's Alex Libin (Des Moines, Iowa) clocked in at 1:47:15 for third place.