The Jr. Olympic Skills competition, with the help of sponsors Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes®, Embassy Suites Hotels, Band-Aid® Brand, United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Nike, introduces America’s youth to the excitement of a multi-sport competition, encouraging participation in Olympic sport, emphasizing fair and friendly play, and promoting an active lifestyle. The athletes competing in Colorado Springs qualified to do so by winning their age and gender category at one of 150 regional events stemming from 6,300 local qualifying events across the country.

“With the help of sponsors, the U.S. Olympic Movement is providing parents, coaches, communities and children with a spirited and professionally run program that builds character, self-confidence, childhood memories and possibly even future Olympians,” said USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr.

Two-time Olympian and World Track & Field Champion Stacy Dragila, who won a gold medal for her world record-setting pole vault performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, will serve as athlete ambassador for the event. Dragila will make an appearance at the Closing Ceremonies on Sat., Aug. 11, to encourage the young athletes to continue on the path of their athletic achievements.

Now in its second year, the USOC program has expanded to include a new Olympic sport evaluation called the “U.S. Olympic 5-Ring Challenge,” which assesses a child’s level in five areas of athleticism: power, agility, flexibility, speed and strength. In this year alone, the Jr. Olympic Skills program has included more than 1.7 million participants.

The athletes who qualified for the Jr. Olympic Skills National Finals are:

2007 National Finalists – Basketball

8-9 Year Old Division – Boys
Tristan Baker (Springfield, Mo.)
Orion Lewis (South Hutchinson, Kan.)
Zach Price (Grottoes, Va.)

8-9 Year Old Division – Girls
Tiffany Davenport (Blue Springs, Mo.)
Harper Musselman (Yukon, Okla.)
Francesca Vanegas (Clarksville, Md.)

10-11 Year Old Division – Boys
Stefan Arnautovich (Morrison, Colo.)
Ryan Fedewa (Dearborn, Mich.)
Juwan Haynes (Verona, Pa.)

10-11 Year Old Division – Girls
Haley Cook (Cicero, Ind.)
Olga Novak (Daly City, Calif.)
Emily Olsen (West Long Branch, N.J.)

12-13 Year Old Division – Boys
Adrian D’Averso (West Long Branch, N.J.)
Joseph Hopkins (Seattle, Wash.)
Jorrion Wilson (Odessa, Texas)

12-13 Year Old Division – Girls
Megan Cardarelli (Manchester, N.H.)
Valerie Moore (Merced, Calif.)
Samantha Wurtz (Minooka, Ill.)


2007 National Finalists – Soccer

8-9 Year Old Division – Boys
Peter Hegarty (Springvale, Maine)
Tanner Ouellette (Dickinson, N.D.)
Connor Walker (Racine, Wis.)

8-9 Year Old Division – Girls
Macy Mack (Dickinson, N.D.)
Morgan Martin (Glastonbury, Conn.)
Caylon McMillan (Mesquite, Texas)

10-11 Year Old Division – Boys
Davis Crawford (Edmond, Okla.)
Christian Ocampo (Miami, Fla.)
Derek Roberts (Springfield, Mo.)

10-11 Year Old Division – Girls
Reagan Ballard (Edmond, Okla.)
Morgan Neese (Mebane, N.C.)
Marisol Soliz (Houston, Texas)

12-13 Year Old Division – Boys
Nick Anderson (Waldoboro, Maine)
Frank Prsha (Highland, Ill.)
Christopher Roth (Sherwood, Ore.)

12-13 Year Old Division – Girls
LeighEllen McCormick (Columbus, Ga.)
Breanne Orey (Pioneer, Calif.)
Ashley Shrader (Bluefield, W.V.)


2007 National Finalists – Tennis

8-9 Year Old Division – Boys
Thomas Geiger Jr. (Yucca Valley, Calif.)
Zach Linder (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Cross Tolliver (Bluefield, W.V.)

8-9 Year Old Division – Girls
Elissa Root (Ventura, Calif.)
Dawn-Marie Sullivan (Rochester, N.Y.)
Erin Young (Huntsville, Ala.)


10-11 Year Old Division – Boys
Ryan Fedewa (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Jakob Rush (Brewster, N.Y.)
Gregory Wischer (Grand Forks, N.D.)

10-11 Year Old Division – Girls
Rachel Christensen (Laie, Hawaii)
Rylie Fallu (Livonia, Mich.)
Tianna Germain (Rankin, Ga.)

12-13 Year Old Division – Boys
Marco Amendola (Cumberland, R.I.)
Joshua Christensen (Laie, Hawaii)
John Cowles (Troy, Ill.)

12-13 Year Old Division – Girls
Samantha Anderson (Thompson, N.D.)
Courtney Stanage (Hot Springs Village, Ark.)
Cynceray Winder (Woodlawn, Md.)


2007 National Finalists – Track & Field

8-9 Year Old Division – Boys
Aristotle Marr (Seattle, Wash.)
Immauel McLawhorn (Grimesland, N.C.)
Xavier Walker (Gary, Ind.)

8-9 Year Old Division – Girls
Jazmine Brooks (Chicago, Ill.)
Jammie Halliburton (Lincoln, Neb.)
Jacy VanArkel (Raleigh, N.C.)

10-11 Year Old Division – Boys
Quayd Ah You (Laie, Hawaii)
Montae Nicholson II (Penn Hills, Pa.)
Tre’ Taylor (Mesquite, Texas)

10-11 Year Old Division – Girls
Rene Chidozie (Mesquite, Texas)
Adria Peterkin (Stockbridge, Ga.)
Abby Taylor (St. George, Utah)

12-13 Year Old Division – Boys
Andre Peterkin (Stockbridge, Ga.)
Jordan Stevens (Beaumont, Texas)
Jeremy Webb (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

12-13 Year Old Division – Girls
Kiara Akporido (Conyers, Ga.)
Esmeralda Sosa (San Benito, Texas)
Pristine Tompkin (Riverside, Calif.)


For more information on the Jr. Olympic Skills program, please visit www.jrolympicskills.com.