University of North Carolina Athletics
Brown Named to USA Softball WoMen's Elite Team
January 8, 2016 | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY – After a strong showing at the National Team Selection Camp, Tar Heel senior Kristen Brown was selected to the 2016 USA Softball Women's Elite Team by the Women's National Team Selection Committee. Brown is one of 18 athletes named to the Elite Team roster, in addition to the 18 that were chosen for the 2016 Women's National Team, as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and USA Softball on Friday. Brown was among 40 athletes that participated at the National Team Selection Camp earlier this week at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, California.
The second Tar Heel ever to be invited to try out for Team USA, Brown is the first to earn a spot on a roster. Two-time All-American Tiffany Tolleson '03 attended the 2003 U.S. selection camp, while Natalie Anter '02 was the first Tar Heel to represent her country at an Olympic Games, playing for the Italian National Team in Athens in 2004.
"This was definitely the deepest pool of athletes that have been to a National Team Selection Camp since 2010," said Women's National Team Head Coach Ken Eriksen (USF Head Coach). "I think this proves that our youth movement as far as participation numbers goes is very healthy in the U.S."
The U.S. National Team features 12 returning players from the 2015 roster that claimed the World Cup of Softball X title, and three members of the 2015 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team, while adding three rookies. The Elite Team features 11 athletes with Senior or Junior National Team experience as well as seven newcomers, including Brown.
Brown and the USA Softball Women's Elite Team will participate in a series of exhibition games against the Women's National Team in addition to the World Cup of Softball XI. They will also participate in exhibition games at the second annual USA Softball JO Cup in Marietta, Georgia.
"The next step is taking this group of 36 athletes and continuing to develop them to be a mature group of ball players that can understand the international game and its strategies," said Eriksen. "I think we have what we need as far as position players and pitching depth to feel pretty good going into the future. Now, it's whether they have the capacity, as our returning veterans have proven, to take this more serious than ever before.”
2016 USA Softball Women's National Team
Valerie Arioto – California (2012) – Infield
Kelly Barnhill – Florida (Fr.) – Pitcher
Bianka Bell – LSU (Sr.) – Infield
Ally Carda – UCLA (2015) – Pitcher/Infield
Raven Chavanne – Tennessee (2013) – Infield
Amanda Chidester – Michigan (2012) – Catcher
Kasey Cooper – Auburn (So.) – Infield
Jazmyn Jackson – California (So.) – Outfield
Jenna Lilley – Oregon (So.) – Infield
Haylie McCleney – Alabama (Sr.) – Outfield
Jessica Moore – Oregon (2013) – Pitcher
Michelle Moultrie – Florida (2012) – Outfield
Aubree Munro – Florida (Sr.) – Catcher
Sara Nevins – USF (2014) – Pitcher
Delaney Spaulding – UCLA (Jr.) – Infield
Kelsey Stewart – Florida (Sr.) – Utility
Janie Takeda – Oregon (2015) – Outfield
Jaclyn Traina – Alabama (2014) – Pitcher
Head Coach: Ken Eriksen (USF Head Coach)
Assistant Coach: Howard Dobson (LSU Assistant Coach)
Assistant Coach: Trisha Ford (Fresno State Head Coach)
Assistant Coach: John Rittman (Lawrence, Kansas)
USA Softball Women's Elite Team
Annie Aldrete – California (Jr.) – Catcher
Kristen Brown – North Carolina (Sr.) – Infield
Brittany Cervantes – Kentucky (2012) – Infield
Nicole DeWitt – Florida (So.) – Infield
Astin Donovan – USF (So.) – Outfield
Sam Fischer – Loyola Marymount (2012) – Infield
Rainey Gaffin – Tennessee (Sr.) – Pitcher/Utility
Meghan Gregg – Tennessee (So.) – Infield
Emily Griggs – LSU (So.) – Outfield
Paige Halstead – UCLA (Fr.) – Catcher
Cheridan Hawkins – Oregon (Sr.) – Pitcher
Bailey Landry – LSU (Jr.) – Outfield
Paige Lowary – Missouri (So.) – Pitcher
Madilyn Nickles – Merced HS (Sr.) – Infield
Sydney Romero – Oklahoma (Fr.) – Infield
Gwen Svekis – Oregon (So.) – Catcher
Brooke Vines – Tennessee (Fr.) – Outfield
Morgan Zerkle – Marshall (Jr.) - Outfield
Head Coach: Tairia Flowers (Cal State Northridge Head Coach)
Assistant Coach: Laura Berg (Oregon State Head Coach)
Assistant Coach: Kristie Fox (UT-Arlington Head Coach)
Assistant Coach: Gina Vecchione (Cal Poly Associate Head Coach)
