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U.S. Men’s U23 Team Win 2017 America’s U23 Qualifier and Punch Ticket to U23 World Championships

By NWBA, 01/29/17, 8:45PM CST

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Buenos Aires, Argentina – The U.S. Men’s U23 Team goes undefeated at IWBF America’s U23 Qualifier and qualifies for 2017 U23 World Championships set for Toronto, Canada, June 8-16. On the final Saturday, Team USA defeated host country Argentina, 66-18, for a perfect 6-0 record. 

University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Jeromie Meyer of Woodbine, Iowa, led the U.S. squad against Argentina with 16 points and four rebounds. University of Wisconsin at Whitewater’s Kyle Gribble of Elmhurst, Illinois, found double digits as well with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Brent Regier of Henderson, Nebraska, and University of Missouri’s Marshall Lindsay of Stansbury Park, Utah, each scored 9 points on the final day.

Team USA once again put up a defensive wall keeping Argentina to only single digits in the first three quarters (20-4; 39-6; and 57-8). In the final quarter, Argentina outscored the U.S. 10-9.

Four the tournament, Team USA outscored the field 438-171. The top two finishing countries qualified for the 2017 IWBF U23 World Championships. Brazil finished second overall and qualifies.

“We are extremely grateful to our host country Argentina for making us feel welcome and putting on an awesome tournament,” said U.S. Men’s U23 Head Coach Jeremy Lade of Whitewater, Wisconsin. “Our U23 team has qualified to compete in Toronto and we couldn’t be more excited. It was an incredible tournament and fantastic opportunity for us to grow as a team.”

Lade, a U.S. Paralympic medalist, is serving as the head coach of the Men’s U23 World Championships team, and it is his first coaching assignment for the United States. Also on the sidelines are assistant coaches Christian Burkett of Seattle, Washington, and Scott Meyer of Columbia, Missouri. Kelly Fischbach will serve as the Team Leader, with Mike Lenser of Whitewater, Wisconsin working at the athletic trainer.

The U23 men’s wheelchair basketball program is an international development team that serves as NWBA pipeline to the U.S. Men’s National Team. This program provides elite youth athletes the opportunity to compete at the international level. Team USA has reached the championship game in three of the last five U23 World Championships, having won in 2005 and 2009. The United States claimed a bronze medal in 2001, and did not participate in 2013. 

2017 America’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships Qualifier

Buenos Aires, Argentina

January 23-28

Results

USA def. Brazil, 64-38

USA def. Chile, 96-31

USA def. Argentina, 69-18

USA def. Brazil, 65-48

USA def. Chile, 78-18

USA def. Argentina, 66-18