NWBA announced the 12 athletes named to the U.S. Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team competing at the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru.The National Wheelchair Basketball Association is proud to announce the final roster for the 2019 U.S. Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team. This selection was made at the conclusion of the three-day Toyota Team USA Men’s Selection Camp, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The 2019 U.S. Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team will comprise of 12 athletes that will compete at the 2019 Parapan American Games scheduled to be held from August 23 to September 1, 2019, in Lima, Peru.
Head coach Ron Lykins of Columbus, Missouri will lead the 2019 Toyota Team USA Men’s Senior National Team into the competition.
“I am excited with the focus and intensity of the athletes over the last three days, and the final selections were not easy,” Lykins said. “The final group of athletes positions us for success, and it is very promising to see how this team prepares in the next couple of months.”
The group of 12 athletes brings back some proven veteran talent with a few younger elite athletes making their Team USA debut. The team includes eight members of the iconic U.S. gold medal-winning team from the 2016 Paralympics and nine athletes from the silver-medal 2018 IWBF World Championship Team.
2019 U.S. Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Senior National Team
Brian Bell | Forest Park, IL | Classification: 4.5
John Boie | Milton, WI | 1.0
Aaron Gouge | Grand Prairie, TX | 2.0
Trevon Jenifer | Edinboro, PA | 2.5
Matt Lesperance | Sun Prairie, WI | 1.0
Ryan Neiswender | Lebanon, PA | 2.0
Mike Paye | Macomb, MI | 3.0
Jorge Sanchez | Dublin, CA | 4.0
Steve Serio | Westbury, NY | 3.5
Matt Scott | Detroit, MI | 3.5
Josh Turek | Council Bluffs, IA | 3.5
Jake Williams | Milwaukee, WI | 2.5
Among the selected athletes are Mike Paye of Macomb, Michigan, and Steve Serio of Westbury, New York, the two captains of the gold-medal winning team from the 2015 Parapan American Games. Paye and Serio played together on 2006, 2010 and 2018 IWBF World Championship teams, and were together again at the 2016 Paralympic Games where the U.S. Men won gold. Paye was a member of the 2004 U.S. Paralympic Team in Athens, and Serio was a contributor to the bronze-medal team for the 2012 Games.
Matt Scott of Detroit, Michigan, joins the roster for his fourth appearance for the U.S. at the Parapan American Games. Scott has seen action on the big stage since the 2004 Games and has earned two Paralympic medals in 2012 (bronze) and 2016 (gold).
Three-time U.S. Paralympian Josh Turek of Council Bluffs, Iowa makes a return to Team USA after a two-year hiatus. Turek played a vital role on the gold-medal 2016 Paralympic team and represented his country on the 2014 U.S. World Championship squad that won a silver medal. Turek was a member of the last two U.S. Men's teams for the Parapan American Games (2011 and 2015).
John Boie of Milton, Wisconsin, and Trevon Jenifer of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, are looking to bring back the gold for Team USA after they won a silver medal at the 2018 IWBF World Championships. Joining the group above in the quest of redemption are three standouts: Brian Bell of Forest Park, Illinois; Aaron Gouge of Grand Prairie, Texas; and Jake Williams of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Jorge Sanchez of Dublin, California, makes the cut for Team USA again after helping capture silver at the 2018 IWBF World Championships this past August. Sanchez was also a gold medalist for the 2013 and 2017 America's Zonal Qualifiers. A newer addition to the athletes this year is Matt Lesperance of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, who was a member of the 2010 IWBF World Championships and the 2008 Paralympic Games.
In addition to the 12-players U.S. Men’s National Team, six players were named as alternate selections to the roster. Those players are: Dylan Fischbach of Vermillion, S.D., Nate Hinze of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, Ian Pierson of New Braunfels, Texas, Eric Rodriguez of Ashland, Missouri, and Jorge Salazar of Delano, California.
