Selenski, Vittese Selected for U-21 Australia Tour
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia field hockey player Paige Selenski (Shavertown, Pa.) and Michelle Vittese (Woodbury, N.J.) were recently selected by USA Field Hockey to participate in the 2009 Youth Olympic Festival. The event will be held Jan. 14-18 in Sydney, Australia.
“They both work extremely hard to become the best they can be,” Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. “We are very proud to have Michelle and Paige represent the University of Virginia in Red, White and Blue.”
A total of 1,550 athletes from 27 countries will compete across 17 sports at the Youth Olympic Festival. Along with field hockey, other sports contested at the event will be archery, athletics, basketball, canoe/kayak (flatwater, slalom), cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, football (soccer), gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic, trampoline), rowing, shooting, swimming, triathlon, volleyball (beach) and water polo.
Both Selenski and Vittese have previous experience on the international level. Most recently, Selenski was a member of the USA Under-21 Women’s National Team that captured the gold medal at 2008 Junior Pan American Tournament and Under-21 World Cup Qualifier in Mexico City, Mexico this fall. Vittesse was named to the team but was unable to compete because of injury.
Selenski was a three-time member of the USA U-16 team and has played as a member of the U-21 squad for the past two years. She participated in the 2007 USA U-21 China Tour. Vittese was named to the 2008 Junior National Team Series and joins Selenski as a two-year member of the USA U-21 squad.
Selenski was the first Cavalier in program history to be named the National Rookie of the Year by womensfieldhockey.com and also was named the 2008 ACC Freshman of the Year this fall. The All-American led Virginia in scoring with 19 goals and nine assists for 47 points. Her 101 shots and six game-winning goals also were a team-best. She was a first-team all-south region honoree.
Vittese, a second-team all-region honoree, tallied six goals and six assists for 18 points during her rookie campaign. She missed seven games because of injury.
For more information on the 2009 Youth Olympic Festival, go online to http://www.olympics.com.au/.
2009 Youth Olympic Festival
Team USA Roster
Cutchins, Kelsey (GK)
Davies, Bri
Drazdowski, Liz
Gandhi, Camille
Gonzalez, Melissa
Jones, Rhian
Kolojechick, Kelsey
Malmberg, Marta
O’Donnell, Katie
Pappas, Alexis
Puffenberger, Tara
Reinprecht, Julia
Reinprecht, Katie
Selenski, Paige
Vittese, Michelle
Widdall, Alesha (GK)
Hockey Schedule
Day 1 (Jan. 14)
USA vs. Australia
Day 2 (Jan. 15)
USA vs. Great Britain
Day 4 (Jan. 17)
USA vs. TBA
Day 5 (Jan. 18)
Bronze medal match
Gold medal match