UNO Students to Compete for US in Wheelchair Basketball

OMAHA - Two members of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) wheelchair basketball team are a key reason that the 2017 U.S. Men’s U23 World Championships Team is on its way to compete for its third gold medal. 

Junior Brent Reiger and Freshman Jeromie Meyer competed for five days alongside 10 other young athletes who made up the 2017 team as they finished their qualifying round with an undeafeated record of 6-0. The other teams competing for a spot in the championships included Brazil, Chile and the host team, Argentina.

By winning their grouping, the team is qualified to compete against other teams from around the world this summer at the 2017 IWBF Men's U23 World Championships in Toronto. The games will take place from June 8-16.

Overall, Team USA outscored their opponents 438 - 171, including several games where either Reiger or Meyer finished with double figures. 

“I am extremely proud of Jeromie and Brent on making the US U23 National Team and representing the US,” Head Coach Mike Kult said. “Both of these athletes have worked extremely hard on improving their all-around game to meet the high standards of the US National Team. Both of these athletes will be great ambassadors for the US and UNO.”

Team USA has reached the championship game in three of the last five U23 World Championships, having won in 2005 and 2009. The United States claimed a bronze medal in 2001, and did not participate in 2013. 

This is also the inaugural season for the UNO wheelchair basketball team, which is part of the 10-team Intercollegiate Men’s division of the NWBA. 

The UNO team led by Kult, who is also UNO Campus Recreation’s associate director for facilities and a former national-championship juniors coach with the Nebraska Red Dawgs, features seven players:

- Miguel Escobar
- Joshua Maiers
- Jeromie Meyer
- Alex Nguyen
- Brent Reiger
- Porter Ronan
- Mackenzie Voecks 

The U23 men's wheelchair basketball program is an international development team that serves as NWBA pipeline to the U.S. Men's National Team. This program provides elite youth athletes the opportunity to compete at the international level.

The UNO wheelchair basketball team will compete on the road for the remainder of the season with the goal to compete in the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, which will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from March 9-12. 

For questions about the NWBA U23 team, please contact:
Anthony Bartkowski, 719.510.733 or anthonybartkowski@nwba.org
Claudia Lepore; Phone, 347.837.7011 or claudialepore@nwba.org

For media questions about the UNO wheelchair basketball team, please contact:
Charley Reed, 402.554.2129 or unonews@unomaha.edu