USA FOOTBALL’S JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL CUP CONCLUDES AS EIGHT COUNTRIES SHOWCASE FUTURE OF FLAG FOOTBALL
Flag football’s global momentum continues to build toward the sport’s Olympic debut in LA28
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – USA Football, the National Governing Body of American Football responsible for selecting Team USA Football® for international events, including the 2028 Summer Olympics, hosted its fifth annual Junior International Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles from June 19-21. All games were streamed on HomeTeam Network at app.hometeamlive.com.
The Junior International Cup brings together top 15U and 17U girls’ and boys’ programs from around the world to compete for gold medals. The event supports the growth and development of high-performing player pipelines in the U.S. and abroad as flag football prepares for its Olympic debut during the LA28 Summer Games.
This year’s Junior International Cup featured teams representing Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea, Azteca (from Mexico) and the U.S. More information on the Junior International Cup and the U.S. athletes and coaches is available in the 2026 U.S. Junior National Teams Media Guide.
The three days of competition provided the world’s top junior flag football players with an experience that closely mirrors that of their nation’s men’s and women’s teams. Athletes aging out of the 17U division after this year for the U.S. are eligible to receive invitations to 2027 U.S. National Team Trials.
Below is a recap of the gold medal games for each division. Stats are courtesy of Breakaway Data.
15U Girls’ Division Final: U.S. vs. Panama
The 15U U.S. Girls’ National Team went 2-1 in pool play before defeating South Korea 54-0 in the quarterfinals, avenging a pool play loss to Team Azteca in a hard-fought 22-21 overtime thriller and topping Panama 42-35 in the gold medal game.
Quarterback Myla Ramos completed 23 out of 29 pass attempts for 273 yards and six touchdowns in the final. The U.S. spread the ball around, with five receivers each tallying five receptions. Ava Irwin led the team with three receiving touchdowns to accompany 66 yards. Her downfield contested catches jumpstarted the team’s offense.
Brielle Harden contributed five receptions for 78 yards, while Cassiah Banks caught all three of her targets for 38 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Brooke Wright recorded a sack among her six flag pulls and also intercepted a pass early in the game to prevent a Panama scoring drive. Charlotte Traa also contributed a sack.
Ultimately, two-way superstar Kaitlyn Richards earned the 15U girls’ division MVP. Richards caught all five of her targets in the gold medal game, producing 56 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Rarely leaving the field, Richards also notched four flag pulls, but it was her performance on the final play of the game that cemented her MVP status.
Panama trailed by seven deep in U.S. territory with a chance to score on the game’s final play and go for the tie or the win on the extra point try. Richards dropped into coverage and got a slight tip on the throw to the back of the end zone, resulting in the ball ricocheting and falling harmlessly to the ground as time expired.
Panamanian receiver Eugenia Lopez led all players in the game with 11 receptions for 123 yards. Lopez also caught a touchdown. Quarterback Jimena Castillo completed 26 of 36 pass attempts for 257 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
15U Boys’ Division Final: U.S. vs. Japan
After a last-second Hail Mary touchdown in the playoffs and a goal line stand in the finals to claim gold medals in 2025, the 15U U.S. Boys’ National Team showed unparalleled hunger and focus. In their second years with the program, head coach Jon Nagapen and assistant coach Jesse Marrow, joined by first-year Quality Control Coach Wilson Naboa, led a team that outscored its opponents 255 to 24 and produced four shutouts while going 6-0.
The 15U boys defeated Canada 30-0 in the quarterfinals, Panama 34-0 in the semifinals and Japan 49-18 in the gold medal game. Quarterback Ian Ditch earned 15U boys’ division MVP honors as he completed 22 of 26 pass attempts for 286 yards, six touchdowns and an interception against Japan. Junior National Team veteran Caleb Gunn also contributed a passing touchdown despite being hobbled by a collision earlier in the tournament.
Six separate U.S. players caught touchdowns. Tristan Ortiz-Rotolo led the team in all major receiving categories with seven receptions for 82 yards and a pair of scores. Chad Richardson won his second consecutive gold medal while snagging all six of his targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. He also notched a sack on defense. While he didn’t find the end zone, Cameron Cohen made seven receptions for 64 yards.
Japanese quarterback Sota Nishikita completed 21 of 35 pass attempts for 191 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite receiver, Ryogo Nagata, made seven receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Japan claimed its eleventh all-time silver medal in the Junior International Cup. The U.S. is the only other country in the event’s history with double-digit top-two finishes. The U.S. and Japan also faced each other in the 15U boys’ gold medal game in 2025, with the U.S. prevailing 27-20.
17U Girls’ Division Final: U.S. vs. Azteca (Mexico)
After a back-and-forth game, the Mexican club program Azteca took a 33-27 lead over the 17U U.S. Girls’ National Team with less than a minute remaining. The U.S. had the ball at midfield and attempted a Hail Mary as time expired, but the pass narrowly fell incomplete. The close match was captured in the final box score as Azteca’s offense totaled 255 yards compared to 249 for the U.S.
U.S. quarterback Emery Beckett completed 26 of 38 pass attempts for 233 yards and three touchdowns. Azteca’s Azul Trujillo answered with 25 completions on 35 pass attempts for 212 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
Kaitlyn Reynolds led all players with 15 receptions and 134 receiving yards, while Azteca’s Jessica Manriquez caught a game-high four touchdowns on 12 targets. Reynolds was credited with two receiving touchdowns and an additional score. Ariana Karastanovic made the game’s lone interception. Trishelle Tucay contributed a sack.
The U.S. girls went 3-0 in pool play, defeating New Zealand 56-0, Australia 49-6 and Canada 35-26. The team stayed perfect by topping New Zealand 40-0 in the quarterfinals and Panama 46-6 in the semifinals before meeting Azteca in the gold medal game.
Beckett, Reynolds and wide receiver/defensive back Hailey Morgan finish their Junior National Team careers as three of the most decorated athletes in program history, with three gold medals and a silver medal each.
17U Boys’ Division Final: U.S. vs. Canada
The 2026 Junior International Cup concluded with a dramatic back-and-forth scoring affair between the 17U U.S. Boys’ National Team and Canada. The U.S. prevailed 49-42 behind several long game-changing scores on offense and defense.
The U.S. boys went 3-0 in pool play before defeating New Zealand 48-19 in the quarterfinals, Azteca 45-13 in the semifinals and ultimately Canada in the gold medal game to attain a perfect 6-0 record. The team’s tournament was defined by a high-flying offense that dominated opponents downfield and the potent pass rushing duo of Gavin Ledwith and Nico Ray.
In the gold medal game, the U.S. seemed poised to take a one-score lead into halftime before a Hail Mary attempt backfired. Canada’s Owen Saunders intercepted the pass and took it back almost the full length of the field for a touchdown, resulting in a 22-22 tie going into the break. The U.S. defense responded as Nicolas Constantino authored his own pick-six to give the U.S. a two-score lead with two minutes remaining in the game.
Canada remained undeterred, responding with a quick touchdown on a U.S. missed coverage assignment. The very next snap, quarterback Anthony Vera found his fellow Miami native Britton Bayag for a one-play 45-yard touchdown. The U.S. would eventually take a knee to end the game, and Bayag received 17U boys’ division MVP honors. Bayag also received MVP honors in 2024 as a member of the 15U team.
Vera completed 25 of 35 pass attempts for 323 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. He found Carson Pope 12 times for 164 yards and a pair of scores. Bayag’s speed tilted the shootout in his team’s favor as he produced 120 yards and three touchdowns on only six receptions. Ledwith also caught a touchdown. Ray added a sack.
Canada’s Matthew Cooper completed 26 of 39 passes for 300 yards, five touchdowns and an interception. His favorite target was Seth May, who made seven receptions for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tayshon Mulrain also caught seven passes for 70 yards and a score.
The victory marked the conclusion of several historic Junior National Team careers. Notably, Bayag and Vera became the first and only athletes in junior program history to win four gold medals. As teammates every year, the duo won the Junior International Cup at the 15U level in 2023 and 2024 and at the 17U level in 2025 and 2026.
2026 15U U.S. Boys’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Al Brown; WR/DB; Spring Hill, Fla.
Cameron Cohen; WR/Rush; Queen Creek, Ariz.
Logan David; WR/DB; Austin, Texas
Ian Ditch; QB; Palos Verdes, Calif.
Caleb Gunn; QB; Fairfax, Va.
Quinn Miles; WR/QB; Overland Park, Kan.
William Mitchell; WR/DB; Carteret, N.J.
Christian Myrick; WR/LB; Deer Park, N.Y.
Tristan Ortiz-Rotolo; WR/Rush; Hawthorne, N.Y.
Chad Richardson; WR/DB; Wood-Ridge, N.J.
Alex Rivera; Rush/WR; Clifton Park, N.Y.
Antwine Short; Rush/WR; Bronx, N.Y.
Head Coach: Jon Nagapen; Bronx, N.Y.
Assistant Coach: Jesse Marrow; Glastonbury, Conn.
Quality Control Coach: Wilson Naboa; Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi
2026 15U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Cassiah Banks; ATH; Las Vegas, Nev.
Zeyhani English; ATH; Las Vegas, Nev.
Marin Graham; DB; Irvine, Calif.
Brielle Harden; WR/DB; Orlando, Fla.
Ava Irwin; WR/DB; Valencia, Calif.
Evania Maas; WR/DB; Phoenix, Ariz.
Jayde McCloud; DB/WR; Tampa, Fla.
Myla Ramos; QB; Woburn, Mass.
Kaitlyn Richards; DB/WR; Clayton, N.J.
Charlotte Traa; LB/Rush; Rockwall, Texas
Tiyad'e “Yaya” Westerlund; QB; Henderson, Nev.
Brooke Wright; DB/WR; Haymarket, Va.
Head Coach: Todd Thomson; Las Vegas, Nev.
Assistant Coach: Nathan Williams; Princeton, Texas
Quality Control Coach: Ty Johnson; Atlanta, Ga.
2026 17U U.S. Boys’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Britton Bayag; WR/DB; Miami, Fla.
Kendren Bourguet; WR/DB; Tucson, Ariz.
Nicolas Constantino; WR/DB; Staten Island, N.Y.
Christopher Cortinas; WR; Coral Springs, Fla.
James Kukla; WR/DB; Cedar Park, Texas
Gavin Ledwith; WR/DB; Staten Island, N.Y.
Evyn Payton; QB/DB; Forney, Texas
Jaylen Peguero; WR/QB; Middletown, N.Y.
Carson Pope; WR/DB; Celina, Texas
Nico Ray; Rush/WR; New York, N.Y.
Joseph “JoJo” Royal; QB/WR; Middletown, N.Y.
Anthony Vera; QB; Miami, Fla.
Head Coach: Chris Hughes; Fairview, Tenn.
Assistant Coach: Richie Delgado; Aledo, Texas
Quality Control Coach: Al Tucay; Las Vegas, Nev.
2026 17U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team Roster
Name; Position; Residence
Emery Beckett; QB; Lakeway, Texas
Isla Collins; WR/LB; Tucson, Ariz.
Makena Cook; WR/QB; Costa Mesa, Calif.
Natalie Fischer; WR/LB; Tampa, Fla.
Giavanna “Gigi” Gambino; C/DB; Tampa, Fla.
Ariana Karastanovic; WR/DB; Staten Island, N.Y.
Jodie Keo; WR; Oahu, Hawaiʻi
Ayden Klaiber; DB; Tampa, Fla.
Hailey Morgan; WR/DB; Vernon, Conn.
Kaitlyn Reynolds; WR/DB; Cedar Park, Texas
Tessa Russell; WR/DB; Newport Beach, Calif.
Trishelle Tucay; C/Rush; Las Vegas, Nev.
Head Coach: Joshua Saunders; Tampa, Fla.
Assistant Coach: Nadia Bibbs; Los Angeles, Calif.
About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA Football® in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com.