JUNIOR WORLD DATES SET
The International Softball Federation has advised SPY that the VIII Junior Women's World Championship competition will be held in Kutno, Poland, June 20-30, 2007.
The USA, which lost the 2003 Junior World Championship to Japan in Nanjing, China, will compete November 8-18 in the ISF qualifier in Caguas, Puerto Rico. SPY will publish a game schedule when available.
The USA Junior Women's team includes:
K’Lee Arredondo (Tempe, Ariz.)
Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La.)
Neena Bryant (Placentia, Calif.)
Stacie Chambers (Tucson, Ariz.)
Megan Elliott (Prince Frederick, Md.)
Kenzie Fowler (Tucson, Ariz.)
Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.)
Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.)
Monica Harrison (Garden Grove, Calif.)
Tiffany Huff (Saugus, Calif.)
Donna Kerr (San Diego, Calif.)
Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
Bianca Meijia (Sylmar, Calif.)
Rosey Neill (Laguna Hills, Calif.)
Katie Schroeder (Yorba Linda, Calif.)
Lindsay Sisk (Murrieta, Calif.)
Maggie Viefhaus (Pacific, Mo.)
Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller (Starkville, Miss.) has been named as
the head coach for the USA Junior Women’s National Team and will be assisted by
three former USA Softball National Team members. Suzy Brazney (head coach Golden
West College), Barbara Jordan (head coach Cal State Northridge) and Cheri Kempf
(owner of Club K in Nashville, Tenn.) have all represented the USA in
International competitions as players and now turn their focus to leading the
U.S. as coaches.
Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia qualified for the Junior World Championship in a recent tournament in Italy.
SPY notes: Founded in the 13th century, Kutno, which is 136km west of Warsaw (about 83 miles) has had a turbulent history, including the murder of most of its Jewish population by the Nazis (sent to the killing camp at Chelmo). Kuno emerged from WWII as a more modern city, thanks to political transformations, begun in 1989, which led to economic reconstruction and the city became a center of trade, industries, culture and education. Kutno is well known for European Little and Big League baseball championships. The center of Lodz province, Kutno has many hotels and historic as well as cultural sites. SPY strongly recommends a side trip by rail to Cracow, and from there to Auschwitz.