The U.S. Team set to compete in the 2014 Pan American Olympic Festival in Toluca, Mexico has been announced.
The Pan American Olympic Festival involves twenty-three sports that are contested from July 11-September 30. The squash competition takes place September 7-13. For more information, visit the official 2014 Pan American Olympic Festival home page.
Team USA collected eight medals in the 2013 Pan American Federation Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and four American men and four women will aim for another medal haul in the team and individual singles, as well as the doubles and mixed doubles competitions next month.
Current U.S. national and junior champion, Sabrina Sobhy, leads the young women’s side into the competition. The Pan Ams will be the second time seventeen-year-old Sobhy represents the United States this year after placing fifth at the World Junior Women’s Individual Championship in Namibia.
Joining Sobhy are Women’s Squash Association (WSA) world no. 52, Olivia Blatchford, and No. 70, Cece Cortes, as well as rising sophomore at Princeton University Maria Elena Ubina.
Chris Gordon, the 2013 U.S. Champion and Professional Squash Association (PSA) world No. 57 leads the U.S. men’s side. Gordon last played in the Pan American games in 2011, where Team USA lost to Brazil in the third place playoffs.
Joining Gordon are PSA world No.79 Todd Harrity, Gilly Lane (2013 USOC Athlete of Year and player-coach), and No. 243 Chris Hanson.
Last year the U.S. team brought home eight medals from the Pan Ams. Returning medalists include Blatchford and Sobhy (gold), as well as Harrity and Lane (bronze).
Men:
Chris Gordon
Todd Harrity
Gilly Lane
Chris Hanson
Women:
Sabrina Sobhy
Olivia Blatchford
Cece Cortes
Maria Elena Ubina