USA FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY ROSTERS FOR U.S. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S FLAG NATIONAL TEAMS

 

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Football announced today the preliminary rosters for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Flag National Teams that will compete in the 2020 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championships in Denmark next summer. As the sport’s national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, USA Football organizes and manages U.S. National Teams for international competition.

Athletes on the preliminary rosters will be formed into teams to compete in tournaments and events for further evaluation. The final 12-athlete rosters will be announced in the spring of 2020.

Both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams’ preliminary rosters will compete against a variety of international teams at USA Football’s International Bowl in January 2020. The men’s and women’s flag football tournament is a first in the International Bowl’s 11-year history. Sunday, Jan. 12, marks the first of two days of pool play before the tournament’s championship on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The men’s roster features nine members of the 2018 gold medal team, while the women’s roster returns all 12 women from the 2018 squad that captured the U.S. program’s first IFAF Women’s Flag Football World Championship gold medal in Panama.

BRYAN GARCIA of Dallas is the U.S. Men’s head coach. Garcia, a first-time National Team head coach, brings more than 20 years of flag football experience to his new post. He captured the 2014 Texas 8-Man State Championship and the 2015 United States Flag & Touch Football League (USFTL) National Championship. Garcia represented the U.S. as an official at the 2018 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Panama. He currently serves as the referee director for the Flag Football World Championship Tour (FFWCT).

CHRIS LANKFORD of Dallas is the U.S. Women’s head coach. Lankford led the U.S. Women’s Team to its first IFAF Flag Football World Championship gold medal in 2018. Lankford has also won six USFTL National Championships. His experience comes from coaching the top women’s flag players in the country. His international experience comes from coaching in tournaments in Canada and Mexico.   

Player selections for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Flag Team rosters are based on skill and character evaluations by USA Football. The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Selection Committee evaluates athletes at flag football competitions and events nationwide. Other athletes may be considered based on their participation in non-scouted events. Each U.S. preliminary roster is comprised of 20 men and 21 women, respectively, spanning 15 states in total.

2020 U.S. Men’s Flag National Team preliminary roster:

Name	Position	Hometown
Brian Alfieri	QB	Long Island, N.Y.
Terrance Bunting	WR	Beaufort, S.C.
Jorge Cascudo*	QB	Miami, Fla.
Mike Demarteleire	QB	Conshohocken, Pa.
Darrell Doucette	Athlete	New Orleans, La.
Terrance Fox*	WR	Piscataway, N.J.
Jordan Harrison	WR	Phoenix, Ariz.
Eric Holliday*	QB	Dallas, Texas
Chase Junker*	C/R	Sunrise, Fla.
Bruce Mapp	WR	Dallas, Texas
Greg Meek*	WR	Garland, Texas
Anthony Pomo	C/R	Midland Park, N.J.
Malik Ransom	DB	San Diego, Calif.
Jeff Reimel*	C/R	Lansdale, Pa.
Manny Sanabia*	DB	Miami, Fla.
Romario Santos	C/R	Boston, Mass.
Frankie Solomon*	DB	Dallas, Texas
CJ Tarver	DB	Albany, N.Y.
Brandel Webb	DB	Dallas, Texas
Corey Webb*	DB	Dallas, Texas

Head Coach:

Bryan Garcia

Dallas, Texas

* Denotes member of 2018 U.S. Men’s Flag National Team

2020 U.S. Women’s Flag National Team preliminary roster:

Name	Position	Hometown
Stacy Agee*	C	Austin, Texas
Nadia Bibbs	WR	Chicago, Ill.
Kassandra Bills	WR	San Antonio, Texas
Arielle Bowers	DB	Santee, Calif.
Mary Kate Bula	DB	Charlotte, N.C.
Sheneika Comice*	WR	Tampa, Fla.
Becca Crabb*	C	Redwood City, Calif.
Amyelia Gaudio	DB	Land O’ Lakes, Fla.
Mariah Gearhart*	R	Orlando, Fl.
Vanessa Goh	DB	Boston, Mass.
Maria Jackson	WR	Twinsburg, Ohio
Vanita Krouch*	QB	Carrollton, Texas
Keisa Lankford*	R	Dallas, Texas
Dacia McGowan*	DB	Dallas, Texas
Joann Overstreet*	WR	Lewisville, Texas
Kim Phifer	R	New York, N.Y.
Michelle Roque*	WR	Tallahassee, Fla.
Elizabeth Sowers*	WR	Overland Park, Kan.
Ashley Whisonant*	WR	Woodbridge, Va.
Tamikki Williams*	DB	Lewisville, Texas
Jona Xiao	QB	North Hollywood, Calif.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Head Coach:

Chris Lankford*

Dallas, Texas

* Denotes member of 2018 U.S. Women’s Flag National Team

The IFAF Men’s and Women’s Flag Football World Championships, held biannually since 2002, unite the world’s top national teams to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams have competed in IFAF Flag World Championships since 2008. Both teams will enter Denmark as the defending gold medalists.

The U.S. Men’s Flag Team has earned gold medals in each of the previous three IFAF World Championships: 2018 in Panama City, Panama; 2016 in Miami; and 2014 in Grosseto, Italy. The American men have participated in six IFAF Flag World Championships, winning gold in four of them – 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018 – the most of any country in the event’s history.

The U.S. Women’s Flag Team will enter Denmark looking to repeat as gold medalists, a feat it accomplished for the first time in 2018 in Panama. The American women also have earned three silver medals (2010, 2012, 2014).

Previous IFAF Flag Football World Championships have been played in Austria (2002), France (2004), South Korea (2006), Canada (2008, 2010), Sweden (2012), Italy (2014), the United States (2016) and Panama (2018).

According to IFAF, approximately 70 countries across six continents play American Football.

About USA Football: USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance and grow the sport. As the sport’s national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school and other amateur players.