US Team Handball Women's National Team

CORTLAND, NY- With a successful season in the Quebec League behind them, the US Team Handball Women’s National Team (WNT) continues to prepare for next year’s Pan-American Championships and Games by facing-off against some new and challenging opponents. On May 23, 2006, the WNT will leave for their 21-day European Tour through France, Germany, and Holland during which they will play 20 matches in 21 days against a total of 15 different teams.


Of the 20 athletes selected to represent the WNT, nine bring previous experience at the international level. Among these veterans are WNT captain Tomuke Ebuwei (19 IM), Edina Batar (24 IM), and returning players Sunny Chen (10 IM) and Jacque Messel (14 IM), who have rejoined the WNT through the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) after several years of serving in the field.

The WNT is also joined by former Junior National Team player Megan Ballard (5 IM), who has recently committed full-time to the residency program in Cortland.

“I’m really looking forward to playing overseas again, but I think what I’m looking forward to the most is having a chance to play with some of the more experienced girls on the team,” said Ballard, a recent Colgate graduate who first gained international experience at the Junior Pan-American Championships in 2002. “The commitment level is much higher at the senior level, but it is exciting, and there’s a lot I want to learn from the older players on the team.”

In addition to Megan Ballard, the WNT is also pleased to welcome recent Notre Dame grad and varsity soccer player Erika Bohn, as well as Jen Haubrich, a Binghamton graduate and varsity basketball player. Both players have recently become full-time members of the residency program, and will join the WNT on the European Tour.

“We’re really excited to have these ladies participating in our program,” remarked Assistant Coach Dawn Lewis, who has been running practices for the last several weeks in preparation for the tour. “They are all incredible athletes who bring talent, enthusiasm, and a strong work ethic to the team. This will be a great opportunity for them, and all of the athletes, to experience a higher play than they’ve seen so far, and to really get a feel for where they and the rest of the team need to be by next year.”

Melanie McCormick, a SUNY Cortland student and the youngest member of the WNT agrees.

“This is definitely going to be a reality check for us,” laughed McCormick, who joined the WNT
this year as a full-time player in the residency program. “I think the pace of the game will be much faster, much tougher than what we’re used to. But at the same time, it will be a really positive learning experience for us as a team, and for me individually.”

“It is gonna be awesome!” exclaimed Sara Merkle, a West Point alum who joined the residency program this year as a member of the Army’s WCAP program. “For those of us who haven’t competed at the Pan-Ams, it will help us see what kind of handball we need to play if we want to be competitive in the world. We’ll get a chance to really see what we need to do to ‘achieve our dreams’- so to speak.”

Although many of the players are looking forward to the games, which will be played against teams ranging from Division I through Division III, some are looking equally to the trainings and practices that will be held with the other teams and coaches.

“I am hoping that participating in the European Tour will help us learn to compete at a different level than what we are used to,” said veteran Edina Batar, who began playing handball as a young girl in her native country of Hungary. “We will play against teams who have very different styles from our regular opponents in the Quebec League. It will be a great eye opener to see where we need to be in the future, and be surrounded by great players. But even more than the matches I am extremely excited about the trainings with these international teams. I am looking forward gaining practical skills from them. That will be probably the most valuable part of the tour for me, personally.”

The WNT will begin their tour in France (May 23-June 1), with games in Strasbourg and Paris before heading to Straslund, Germany (June 2-June 8) and Eindhoven, Holland (June 9-June 12). For complete details including the roster and schedule, as well as updated results and pictures throughout the duration of the tour, please visit the WNT European Tour Blog at: www.WNTEuropeTour2006.blogspot.com.