USA Swim Team Wraps Up Swim Competition With 57 Medals At 2007 Parapan Games
After six days of competition and 57 medals later the 2007 Parapan American Games came to a close on Saturday night for the United States swim team. The US swim team picked up an additional 11 medals on the final day of competition to surpass the team?s goal of 54 medals.
Miranda Uhl (Alachua, Fla./Gainesville, Fla.) and Casey Johnson (Fountain Valley, Calif./Cypress, Calif.) picked up two medals each on the final day to help propel the team past its goal.
Uhl won a gold in the 50m butterfly and silver in the 50m freestyle, while Johnson captured the silver in the 50m butterfly and bronze in the 50m freestyle. Uhl finished the meet with eight medals, while Johnson captured seven.
Women?s team captain Beth Kolbe (Tiffin, Ohio) had the distinct honor of winning the 54th medal for the U.S. team after winning silver in the 100m freestyle. ?It makes it extra special to be the one that won the medal to match our goal, but it is even better that we surpassed our goal by three medals,? Kolbe said. ?It has been an amazing experience, and I think we all came together really as a team. It was an honor to be part of the U.S. team and compete at the Parapan Am Games.?
After the first day of competition, the team collectively decided on a goal of 54 medals for the meet. They arrived at this number after winning nine medals on opening day. They figured if they could win nine a night that would put them at 54 for the six days of competition. After Kolbe tied the goal, Uhl and Johnson added two from the 50m butterfly and Alex Dionne (Mequon, Wis./Panama City, Panama) added the final medal in the 50m butterfly.
Dionne won the bronze in a time of 38.84.
Amanda Everlove (Wichita, Kan./Valencia, Calif.), captured her first ever gold medal in a race she wasn?t expecting to medal, much less a gold. Everlove won the 50m freestyle in a time of 34.58.
Men?s team captain Michael Prout (West Springfield, Mass.) finished the meet winning the silver medal in the 50m freestyle, while teammate Cody Bureau (Colorado Springs, Colo./Latrobe, Pa.) took bronze. They both ended the meet with eight medals apiece.
Susan Beth Scott (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) and Carrie Willoughby (Colorado Springs, Colo./Birmingham, Ala.) contributed to the U.S. medal count on the final night picking up silver medals in their respective events. Scott won her medal in the 50m freestyle, while Willoughby captured her medal in the 100m backstroke.
The team was coached by Peggy Ewald (Ada, Ohio/Tiffin, Ohio) who was more than pleased with her team?s accomplishments following the meet. ?We have accomplished so many objectives this week, not only with the medals but with getting these kids the experience of an international competition,? Ewald said. ?I was very pleased with all this young team accomplished this week. This will be a great foundation to build on and the lessons they learned here will not only help them next year as they prepare for Beijing but for years to come.?
About U.S. Paralympics: U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics Web site at www.usparalympics.org.
Miranda Uhl (Alachua, Fla./Gainesville, Fla.) and Casey Johnson (Fountain Valley, Calif./Cypress, Calif.) picked up two medals each on the final day to help propel the team past its goal.
Uhl won a gold in the 50m butterfly and silver in the 50m freestyle, while Johnson captured the silver in the 50m butterfly and bronze in the 50m freestyle. Uhl finished the meet with eight medals, while Johnson captured seven.
Women?s team captain Beth Kolbe (Tiffin, Ohio) had the distinct honor of winning the 54th medal for the U.S. team after winning silver in the 100m freestyle. ?It makes it extra special to be the one that won the medal to match our goal, but it is even better that we surpassed our goal by three medals,? Kolbe said. ?It has been an amazing experience, and I think we all came together really as a team. It was an honor to be part of the U.S. team and compete at the Parapan Am Games.?
After the first day of competition, the team collectively decided on a goal of 54 medals for the meet. They arrived at this number after winning nine medals on opening day. They figured if they could win nine a night that would put them at 54 for the six days of competition. After Kolbe tied the goal, Uhl and Johnson added two from the 50m butterfly and Alex Dionne (Mequon, Wis./Panama City, Panama) added the final medal in the 50m butterfly.
Dionne won the bronze in a time of 38.84.
Amanda Everlove (Wichita, Kan./Valencia, Calif.), captured her first ever gold medal in a race she wasn?t expecting to medal, much less a gold. Everlove won the 50m freestyle in a time of 34.58.
Men?s team captain Michael Prout (West Springfield, Mass.) finished the meet winning the silver medal in the 50m freestyle, while teammate Cody Bureau (Colorado Springs, Colo./Latrobe, Pa.) took bronze. They both ended the meet with eight medals apiece.
Susan Beth Scott (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) and Carrie Willoughby (Colorado Springs, Colo./Birmingham, Ala.) contributed to the U.S. medal count on the final night picking up silver medals in their respective events. Scott won her medal in the 50m freestyle, while Willoughby captured her medal in the 100m backstroke.
The team was coached by Peggy Ewald (Ada, Ohio/Tiffin, Ohio) who was more than pleased with her team?s accomplishments following the meet. ?We have accomplished so many objectives this week, not only with the medals but with getting these kids the experience of an international competition,? Ewald said. ?I was very pleased with all this young team accomplished this week. This will be a great foundation to build on and the lessons they learned here will not only help them next year as they prepare for Beijing but for years to come.?
About U.S. Paralympics: U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic sports movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of persons with physical disabilities. Visit the U.S. Paralympics Web site at www.usparalympics.org.
Source...