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Wirth Selected to the USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team
6/13/2005
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Vanderbilt incoming freshman Christina Wirth has been named to the 2005 USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team that is being led by Duke University head mentor Gail Goestenkors. Featuring eight players who were part of last summer’s gold medalist USA U19 World Championship Qualifying Team.
Wirth played in all four games and averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds while averaging 11.3 minutes for the team. The USA team was selected after the team’s 15 finalists finished 4-0 and won gold at the 2005 International Sports Invitational in San Diego, Calif., held June 8-11, U19 teams from the USA, Australia, China and Russia all competed in the tournament. The USA player and coach selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee.
Wirth played in all four games and averaged Named to the USA U19 World Championship Team were: Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin / Port Wing, Wis.); Nicky Anosike (Tennessee / Staten Island, N.Y.); Erika Arriaran (Norco High School / Norco, Calif.); Essence Carson (Rutgers / Paterson, N.J.); Marissa Coleman (St. Johns College High School / Cheltenham, Md.); Crystal Langhorne (Maryland / Willingboro, N.J.); Erlana Larkins (North Carolina / Riviera Beach, Fla.); Courtney Paris (Piedmont High School / Piedmont, Calif.); Abby Waner (ThunderRidge High School / Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Candice Wiggins (Stanford / Poway, Calif.); Christina Wirth (Seton Catholic High School / Mesa, Ariz.). and Sharnee’ Zoll (Virginia / Philadelphia, Pa.).
Goestenkors, an assistant coach with the gold medal winning 2004 Olympic and 2002 World Championship USA teams, was selected to lead the 2005 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team, and is being assisted by Felisha Legette-Jack, head coach at Hofstra University’s (NY), and Carol Ross, head mentor at the University of Mississippi.
“I think the committee did an excellent job and we have a tremendous team,”said Goestenkors. “We have great athleticism, we have incredible post players, and guards who will get the post players the ball. We have great versatility and we should be able to do a variety of things.
“I’m pleased about winning a gold medal at the International Sports Invitational, but we have so many things to work on. The International Sports Invitational was a great experience for us because it has shown us some of our strengths and also some of our weaknesses. I’m excited about the opportunity to go back and break things down and build a championship team,” added Goestenkors.
The USA squad will regroup June 28 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and train there until July 2, then USA women will train July 3-6 at American University in Washington, D.C. Following five additional days, July 7-11, of training and two exhibition games (July 9 and 10) against Hungary’s U19 Team in Budapest, Hungary, the 2005 USA U19 Team will travel to Tunis, Tunisia, for the July 15-24 FIBA U19 World Championship Tournament.
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