PARALYMPIC TRYOUTS
...
by
Bill Renje
While the air was thin, the competition certainly was not at the United States Olympic Training Center, in Colorado Springs on April 4-7. Thirty-nine of the best quad-rugby players in the country converged upon the facility to compete for eight spots to represent the U.S. in the Paralympics, in Atlanta. Quad rugby introduces itself to the Paralympic world for the first time as an exhibition sport this August.
The weekend was fierce, complete with triple sessions full of enough gut-wrenching drills and metal-bending scrimmages to exhaust the fittest of athletes. According to Coach Terry Vinyard, this year's camp was the most competitive of any of the past tryouts. "At the last camp, we had only 30 people, so it was only a two-horse race at most (for each class), Vineyard said. "Here, there is so much more depth than in the past. Even the fourth or fifth best players are better than some [we've had in the past].
Due to the overabundance of talent, the Selection Committee had its hands full in making final decisions. Even so, participants will not soon forget the experience. Mike Wyatt, of Sharp Shadow, was awe-struck by the abundance of talent around him. "Every player is top level," Wyatt said. "Playing with those Dream Teams (during scrimmages) was great. It's a long way from when I first started [playing rugby] and we couldn't get the ball across half-court."
After tough deliberations, Vineyard announced the Selection Committee's picks at high noon on Sunday.
The following players will represent the United States in their version of the Dream Team:
0.5 Eddie Crouch - Tennessee
1.0 Dave Ceruti - Connecticut
1.5 Bill Renje - Chicago
2.0 Cliff Chunn - Tennessee
2.0 Dave Gould - Tampa
2.5 Mike Wyatt - San Diego
3.0 Brad Updegrove - Houston
3.5 Joe Soares - Tampa
Soares, who has won three national championships with Tampa, summed up his feelings by saying that his selection to the team was the highest honor he's ever experienced in wheelchair sports. Wyatt, meanwhile, expressed his pleasure like a quarterback who has just won the Super Bowl. "The heck with Disney World," Wyatt said. "We're going to Atlanta."
Quad
Rugby will be an exhibition sport at the 1996 Paralympics in
Atlanta Georgia
© Reproduced from Sports n' Spokes Magazine May/June 1996 Issue
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This Page Last Updated on May 30, 1996
