Aug. 24, 2011

2011 World University Games Official Page

STANFORD, Calif. - The 2011 World University Games, which featured 28 current and former Stanford athletes and coaches competing in nine different sports, came to a close Tuesday in Shenzhen, China.

Stanford's athletes captured seven medals at the Games, led by Kate Dwelley's gold and silver medals in the 4 x 200-meter and 4x 100-meter freestyle relays, respectively.

Gold medals were also won by Maya DiRado (400-meter IM) and Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike (U.S. women's basketball).

Swimmer Bobby Bollier earned silver in the 200-meter butterfly, while track and field standout Katerina Stefanidi, competing for her native Greece, captured bronze in the pole vault.

Also in the water, standouts Alyssa Lo, Pallavi Menon and Amber Oland, along with Cardinal associate head coach Susan Ortwein, a member of the U.S. coaching staff, helped lead the U.S. women's water polo team to the silver medal.

Women's Basketball
Sisters Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike helped lead the USA Basketball World University Games Team to its fourth straight gold medal at the competition, culminating with a 101-66 win over Chinese Taipei in the Gold Medal Game. Both players started all six contests as the U.S. posted a perfect 6-0 record. Nnemkadi Ogwumike scored 24 points with nine rebounds in the final to cap a tournament in which she was second on the U.S. with 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 65.3 percent from the field. Chiney Ogwumike averaged 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds a game while shooting a team-best 67.6 percent over the six U.S. wins.

For Nnemkadi, the gold medal is her third with USA Basketball, having previously earned gold with the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team in 2009 and the U18 FIBA Americas Championship Team in 2008. Chiney earned her second USA Basketball gold, the first coming as a member of the U18 FIBA Americas Championship Team last summer.

Men's & Women's Swimming
Kate Dwelley picked up a gold and a silver as a part of two relay teams, Maya DiRado won gold in the 400-meter individual medley and Bobby Bollier was a silver medalist in the 200 fly to highlight the Cardinal at the World University Games. Stanford had an additional eight times in the top-eight, paced by Matthew Swanston, swimming for Canada in the 4x100 medley relay and 200 back and Felicia Lee in the 50 and 100 fly.

Dwelley was a part of the WUG-record 4x200 relay team, swimming the third leg en route to a time of 7:55.02. Dwelley was also a part of the silver medlaist 4x100 free team which fell just .16 seconds behind the Games-record, finishing at 3:40.19. Dwelley was also just .23 seconds short of a bronze medal in the 100 free, finishing sixth with a time of 55.61.

DiRado continued a solid summer for the soon-to-be sophomore, posting a best of 4:40.7i in the 400 IM, three seconds short of the WUG-record. Bollier, also putting together a strong summer season, was .19 seconds from gold, finishing in second in the 200 fly with a time of 1:56.06.

Swanston, the leadoff backstroke leg for Team Canada in the 4x100 medley relay, helped the Canadians finish with a time of 3:41.38 for sixth place. Swanston was also sixth in the 200 back (1:59.54). Lee's time in the 50 fly (27.06) and 100 fly (1:00.58) both placed her seventh. Other A Finalists included Sam Woodward, who was fifth in the 50 free (25.39) and David Mosko, fifth in the 400 free (3:53.69). Andie Taylor was seventh in the 200 fly (2:12.94).

Stanford in A Finals at the World University Games
1. 4x200 free relay (Dwelley, 3rd), 7:55.02 GR
1. DiRado, 400 IM, 4:40.79
2. Bollier, 200 fly, 1:56.06
2. 4x100 free (Dwelley leadoff), 3:40.19
5. Mosko, 400 free, 3:53.69
5. Woodward, 50 free, 25.39
6. 4x100 Medley Relay (Swanston leadoff leg), 3:41.38
6. Dwelley, 100 free, 55.61 (.23 short of bronze)
6. Swanston, 200 back, 1:59.54
7. Taylor, 200 fly, 2:12.94
7. Lee, 100 fly, 1:00.58
7. Lee, 50 fly, 27.06

Taekwondo
The U.S. Taekwondo Team, featuring U.S. head coach Tim Ghormley and coaching staff members Ken Kitagawa and Reynaldo Soriano, captured one medal at the Games, as Aziza Campbell claimed the bronze in the women's -53 kg draw, winning her first three matches before dropping a semifinal bout to eventual gold medalist Hatice Kubra Yangin of Turkey. Three more U.S. competitors would reach the quarterfinals of their respective divisions for fifth-place finishes.

The U.S. men finished seventh in the team poomsae competition. The U.S. women would finish ninth in the semifinals, just one spot out of qualifying for the finals.

In the overall team semifinals, the U.S. would finish 12th, failing to qualify for the final round.

Men's Tennis
The doubles team of Greg Hirshman and Phillip Arndt dropped its opening-round match to the sixth-seeded Ukrainian tandem of Ivan Anikanov and Stanislav Poplavskyy by a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 count.

Women's Track & Field
Katerina Stefanidi competed for her native Greece in the women's pole vault. The NCAA runner-up added to her list of achievements by earning the Bronze Medal at the World University Games. Stefanidi bettered her personal best by vaulting 4.46 meters (14-7 ½). She is both the indoor and outdoor school record holder and will be one of the favorites for the NCAA title in 2012.

Men's Volleyball
Three current or former Stanford players formed the backbone of the U.S. men's volleyball team that finished 13th, after posting a 5-3 overall record.

With setter Kawika Shoji '10 at captain, Erik Shoji '12 at libero and Brad Lawson '12 at outside hitter, the U.S. finished third in six-team Group D and lost the first match of the consolation bracket before winning its final two.

The U.S. was a highly-regarded collection of all-stars that included the past two AVCA National Players of the Year - Kawika Shoji and USC's Murphy Troy - and other All-Americans such as Erik Shoji, Lawson, UC Irvine's Carson Clark, USC's Riley McKibben, and UC Santa Barbara's Jeff Menzel.

The U.S. beat Mexico, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, and Norway, and lost to the Czech Republic, Thailand, and Japan.

Lawson had 14 kills, 10 digs, and two aces against the Czech Republic. In the same match, Kawika Shoji had 37 assists, 5 blocks, and 4 kills, and Erik Shoji had 11 digs.

Lawson and Erik Shoji will return this spring for their senior seasons.

Men's Water Polo
The U.S. men's water polo team, featuring five current and former Stanford standouts (Peter Sefton '12, Jeffrey Schwimer '11, Drac Wigo '10, Janson Wigo '10, Sage Wright '10) advanced all the way into the semifinals before dropping its final two games to finish fourth.

The U.S. went 2-1 in group play to earn a spot in the medal round, where it defeated Hungary, 8-7, in preliminary medal round action. Next, the Americans upset Spain, 10-9, before falling to Russia in the semifinals and to the Republic of Macedonia in the bronze medal game.

Janson Wigo led the U.S. with 16 goals in the tournament. Wright scored 10 times while Drac Wigo netted eight goals and Schwimer found the net once. Schwimer and Sefton provided muscle on the defensive end for the U.S., accounting for numerous steals and blocks. Schwimer also drew the key penalty that allowed the U.S. to convert the go-ahead goal in the quarterfinal upset of Spain.

Women's Water Polo
Stanford standouts Alyssa Lo '12, Pallavi Menon '12 and Amber Oland '11, along with Cardinal associate head coach Susan Ortwein, a member of the U.S. coaching staff, helped lead the U.S. to the silver medal at the Games.

Behind the play of Stanford's trio, the U.S. swept to a 3-0 mark to win Group B. The run continued with medal round victories over Great Britain and Italy, putting the U.S. into the gold medal game against host China. Unfortunately, the Chinese squad would jump out to a big lead by halftime that the U.S. could not overcome.

Stanford's trio performed admirably throughout the tournament. Lo scored six goals over the five U.S. victories, while Menon added six goals to the run. In the cage, Oland played all but 16:52 of the tournament for the U.S., averaging 8.33 saves a game and posting a goals-against average of 8.36.