Team USA Places Second At World Championships

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (June 5, 2002) – Team USA finished second at the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation's World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, ending a 12-year string of international titles. The U.S. squad was upended by Canada 24-25 during the championships match Sunday, June 2. Team USA had never lost a quad rugby championship match since the sport began being contested at the international level starting with the 1990 World Stoke Mandeville Games in Ailesbury, England.

As Team USA brought the ball down the court, they called their final timeout as they crossed the half-court line to prevent a turnover. But when play resumed, the United States' inbound pass was deflected, and Canada regained possession, scoring the final and winning goal with only 8 seconds remaining on the clock.

"The Canadians played really well," said U.S. team member Bryan Kirkland (Moody, Ala.). "Each year the level of international play keeps getting better. The games are getting faster, and the players are getting stronger."

The results of the world championships determined the seedings for the 2004 Athens Paralympics. It will be the first Paralympic Games that the United States won't be entered as the No. 1 seed. Of the 12 teams competing at the world championships, only the top eight receive bids to Athens.

Team USA Roster
Andy Cohn (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Eddie Crouch (Smyrna, Tenn.)
Mike Gilliland (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Sam Gloor (San Diego, Calif.)
Steve Kearley (Houston, Texas)
Bryan Kirkland (Moody, Ala.)
Rob Krows (Moore, Okla.)
Bob Lujano (Birmingham, Ala.)
Norm Lyduch (Austin, Texas)
Dean Maccabe (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Steve Pate (Goleta, Calif.)
Mark Zupan (Austin, Texas)

Head Coach Kevin Orr (Alabaster, Ala.)
Assistant Coach James Gumbert (Austin, Texas)
Assistant Coach Ed Suhr (Portland, Ore.)