FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2002
SELECTIONS ANNOUNCED FROM TRYOUTS
FOR GREEK NATIONAL TEAM
North American tryouts for the first-ever Greek Olympic softball team, which began this past Wednesday night, August 21, concluded today at the complex on the grounds of the International Softball Federation's (ISF) world headquarters in Plant City, Florida. Following the "classroom" and on-field sessions, new Greek Olympic head coach Linda Wells announced the names of those who survived the cut. A total of 32 players had been invited to compete for a spot on the team that will represent Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
The current members of the Greek national softball team are:
| NAME |
POSITION |
HOMETOWN |
SCHOOL |
| Alesha Argeras |
Infield |
Warren, Ohio |
St. John's University |
| Jessica Bashor |
Outfield |
Coralville IA |
University of Iowa |
| Lindsey Bashor |
Utility |
Coralville IA |
University of Iowa |
| Krissy Chrisztopulosz* |
Outfield |
Aurora, Ontario |
York University |
| Christa Dalakis |
Infield |
McLean, VA |
George Mason University |
| Jamie Farnworth |
Shortstop |
Upland, CA |
Cal State Long Beach |
| Sarah Farnworth |
Pitcher |
Upland, CA |
Cal State Northridge |
| Stacey Farnworth-Katsikaris |
Catcher/3B |
Upland, CA |
Arizona State University |
| Ginny Georgantäs |
3rd base/1st base |
Lockport, IL |
University of South Florida |
| Jeana Gevas |
Infield |
Vallejo, CA |
Benicia High School |
| Katina Kramos |
Infield |
Bloomington, IL |
Southwest Missouri State University |
| Stephanie Skegas-Maxwell |
Pitcher |
Torrance, CA |
University of Nebraska |
| * member, Canadian Junior National Team |
These 12 players, along with the Greek players that will be added from tryouts in Athens in late September, will become part of the Greek national softball team that will next meet in Tempe, Arizona (USA) from January 2-8, 2003 to begin training for the 2003-2004 Greek national team training schedule.
Coach Wells said, "Overall, I was impressed with the effort that everyone gave during the tryouts and with the people we retained. I feel good about their ability to progress and create a good foundation for the program. This is a great step to advance the Greek national softball team program."
Wells, who continues as the head coach of the women's softball team at Arizona State University, was appointed to her new post on August 2 by the Hellenic Amateur Softball Federation at a press conference during the ISF World Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
By virtue of their hosting the Olympic Games, Greece had - an exercised - the option to take one of the eight spots on the roster of softball teams that will compete in 2004. Since softball hadn't been played in that country prior to 1999, Greece was aided by the ISF in helping prepare to build toward a competitive team for the 2004 Summer Games. The ISF helped develop and train a national team of exclusively Greek players to compete in the 2001 European B Championship. The ISF helped to identify players with Greek heritage eligible to seek a tryout. Those efforts were far-reaching, aided by the resource to reach softball players abroad, the ISF website. Players submitted their "applications" electronically, with over 100 received. They were then asked to send a video to Coach Wells, at which time evaluations were done that enabled the list to be trimmed to 32.
The International Softball Federation, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2002, is the governing body of softball internationally as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The ISF organizes and conducts world championship competition in women's and men's fast pitch, junior women's and men's fast pitch, women's, men's, and coed slow pitch, and women's and men's modified pitch. Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 125 affiliated countries in the ISF and over 40 million participants in the sport worldwide.
For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229.
