Tar Heels Set For World Games On July 12

CHAPEL HILL – Three University of North Carolina products are set to compete at the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, beginning July 12 where World Lacrosse Sixes will make its debut at the global level. Rising sophomore Brooklyn Walker-Welch is on Canada's roster, Sammy Jo Tracy ('17) will represent Israel and rising junior Caitlyn Wurzburger will play for the United States.

The World Games, which was postponed from 2021 due to the pandemic, will feature approximately 3,600 athletes from more than 100 nations competing in 34 sports. The multi-sport event returns to the U.S. for the first time since 1982 when it was held in Santa Clara, California.

For the first time in event history, World Lacrosse Sixes will be contested with 16 men's and women's teams taking the field. Sixes, a shorter and faster-paced version of lacrosse, is played on a 70×36-meter outdoor field and involves 8-minute, running-time quarters.

The women's tournament, which will take place July 12-16, includes 18 games with teams split into two groups for round-robin preliminary play. At the end of the preliminary round, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals with medal games being played on the last day.

All games will be played at PNC Field on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Games will broadcast on the Olympic Channel while the semifinals and medal games will be distributed by the World Games via its 24/7 channel at Olympics.com, as well as select international broadcast partners. CBS Sports Network will air a daily highlights package in the U.S.

Walker-Welch is fresh off earning the silver medal at the World Lacrosse Women's World Championship in Towson, Maryland, where she concluded the tournament with two draw controls, three caused turnovers and seven ground balls in six contests. As a freshman, the defender garnered All-America Honorable Mention honors after ranking second on UNC's roster with 19 caused turnovers.

An attacker, Tracy was a two-time All-ACC performer and helped the Tar Heels to the national title in 2016. She was tabbed a Second-Team All-American as a junior and earned third-team honors during her senior season. She also holds the UNC career (327) and single-game (14) records in draw controls.

A starter in all 22 games as a sophomore, Wurzburger finished the 2022 season with 34 goals, 42 assists, 76 points and 15 ground balls. The attacker had a goal in the national championship game and was named Third-Team All-America by USA Lacrosse and landed on the All-ACC Second Team.

Tar Heels' 2022 World Games Schedule

July 12 - Israel vs. Haudenosaunee, 10:30 a.m.
              Canada vs. Great Britain, 3 p.m.
USA vs. Australia, 4:30 p.m.
July 13 - Israel vs. Canada, 2 p.m.
USA vs. Japan, 4:30 p.m.
July 14 - Canada vs. Haudenosaunee, 12 p.m.
                Israel vs. Great Britain, 2 p.m.
USA vs. Czech Republic, 4:30 p.m.
July 15 - Semifinal #1, 3 p.m.
Semifinal #2, 4:15 p.m.
July 16 - Bronze Medal Game 8 p.m.
Gold Medal Game, 9:15 p.m.
All times Eastern Standard Time

Players Mentioned

Brooklyn Walker-Welch

Caitlyn Wurzburger

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