Noah Malone Heads US Para Athletics World Junior Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO -- Twenty U.S. athletes will represent Team USA at the 2019 World Para Athletics Junior Championships from Aug. 1-4 in Nottwil, Switzerland as announced by U.S. Paralympics Track & Field. Many of the young athletes between the ages of 14 and 19 will make their international debuts with the U.S. team at Sport Arena Nottwil, which hosts the championships for the second time after the inaugural event in 2017.

"This talented group represents the next generation of Team USA and we cannot wait to see how they perform on the world stage," said Cathrine Erickson, director of U.S. Paralympics Track & Field. "More importantly, this is an excellent development opportunity for our younger athletes to experience the environment and level of international competition. As we look ahead to Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, we're hopeful this will prepare them for a successful path to the national team and to future Games."

The U.S. team is led by several athletes who have national and international experience. Noah Malone (Fishers, Indiana) is the only member of the team currently on the national team. Malone, a rising high school senior, recently won an Indiana High School Athletic Association state title in the boys 200-meter and will compete on his first world junior championship team. Making their return to Nottwil are Hannah Dederick (Liberty Lake, Washington), Elizabeth Floch (Spokane Valley, Washington), Michelle Cross (Rancho Santa Margarita, California), Sophie Munter (Spokane, Washington), and Nelya Stary Schasfoort (Avon Lake, Ohio), who all competed in 2017. 

Highlighted by a five-medal performance by Dederick, Team USA athletes won 36 medals (18 gold, 8 silver, 10 bronze) to top the medal table at the last edition of the world junior championships in Nottwil.

The championships, which take place over four days, are organized for two age groups - youth athletes aged between 14 and 17 years and junior athletes aged between 18 and 19 years - and serve as a pathway for talented young athletes towards regional and world championships, as well as the Paralympic Games. Approximately 350 athletes from over 50 nations are expected to compete in 2019. For more information, visit the event website.

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2019 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field World Junior Championships Team