TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics held its annual International Student-Athlete Extravaganza Wednesday, September 4, with the Bearcats welcoming 60 international competitors from 26 countries to their respective teams. The event, organized by UC's Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS), was held inside the Richard E. Lindner Center on campus.
The evening allowed the international student-athletes to have the opportunity to share information about their country, meet and mingle with other international student-athletes from different teams as well as some of the staff from UC International Services.
Of the 60 internationals, 20 joined the Bearcats for this academic year with each being welcomed as they each stood to introduce themselves and add their head shot to the map with all of the returning internationals. The evening ended with a friendly competition of trivia asking interesting facts about each of the countries.
Laura Johnston, a member of the women's swimming & diving program hailing from Canada, served as the emcee for the event. Members of the Department of Athletics, including support staff and coaches, were on hand to celebrate each individual with members of UC's International Services staff also on hand.
This year, Canada has the most representation within UC Athletics with 11 internationals competing for the Bearcats with England next on the list with six. Three countries were added to the list this year after not being represented last year, including Egypt, Norway and Uzbekistan.
// 2019-20 INTERNATIONAL BEARCATS
By Sport
Baseball (3)
Dondrae Bremner (Canada) • Mitch Holding (Australia) • Chase Stewart (Canada)
Basketball, Men's (4)
Robert Banks (England) • Mamoudou Diarra (Mali) • Jaume Sorolla (Spain) • Prince Toyambi (Congo)
Basketball, Women's (5)
Jana Abdullah (Egypt) • Sofia Gkritzali (Greece) • Nesma Khalifa (Egypt) • Arame Niang (Senegal) • Florence Sifa (Burundi)
Football (5)
Chris Ferguson (Bahamas) • Bruno Labelle (Canada) • Mbodj Malick (Senegal) • Lorenz Metz (Germany) • James Smith (Australia)
Golf, Women's (3)
Angela Lopez (Colombia) • Vanessa Manrique (Colombia) • Daniela Murcia (Colombia)
Soccer, Men's (8)
Kasule Abubakar (Uganda) • Creggton Charlton (Jamaica) • Darryn Commissiong (Canada) • Paul Laubier (France) • Ben Pelz (Germany) • Donovan Segree (Jamaica) • Shevon Stewart (Jamaica)
Soccer, Women's (3)
Han Tang (China) • Michelle Travassos (Canada) • Ying Zhan (China)
Swimming/Diving, Men's (8)
Tomas De Toledo Piza (Brazil) • George Epsly (England) • Alberto Garcia (Spain) • Dominykas Intas (Canada) • Dominic Polling (England) • Murat Sagullaev (Uzbekistan) • Din Selmanovic (Canada)
Swimming/Diving, Women's (4)
Maddie Exton (England) • Laura Johnston (Canada) • Simone Palomo (Venezuela) • Jordyn Ryan (Canada)
Tennis (5)
Sofia Bruno (Italy) • Alexia Coutino (Mexico) • Ioana Guna (Romania) • Emma Miceli (Canada) • Anna Philp (Canada)
Track & Field/Cross Country, Men's (6)
Toni Banos (Spain) • Damien Berthenet (France) • Aaron Bienenfeld (Germany) • Julius Hild (Germany) • Albert Kalala (Congo) • Tim Maduka (Nigeria)
Track & Field/Cross Country, Women's (2)
Ellie Leather (England) • Irati Mitxelena (Spain)
Volleyball (5)
Damjana Cabarkapa (Serbia) • Karoline Fauske (Norway) • Nevena Santrac (Serbia) • Chrysanthi Stamatiou (Greece) • Dimitra Tziarli (Greece)
By Country
Australia (2)
Mitch Holding (BASE) • James Smith (FB)
Bahamas (1)
Chris Ferguson (FB)
Brazil (1)
Tomas De Toledo Piza (MS/D)
Canada (11)
Dondrae Bremner (BASE) • Darryn Commissiong (MSOC) • Dominykas Intas (MS/D) • Laura Johnston (WS/D) • Bruno Labelle (FB) • Emma Miceli (TEN) • Anna Philp (TEN) • Jordyn Ryan (WS/D) • Din Selmanovic (MS/D) • Chase Stewart (MBB) • Michelle Travassos (WSOC)
China (2)
Han Tang (WSOC) • Ying Zhan (WSOC)
Colombia (3)
Angela Lopez (WGLF) • Vanessa Manrique (WGLF) • Daniela Murcia (WGLF)
Congo (2)
Albert Kalala (MTFXC) • Prince Toyambi (MBB)
Egypt (2)
Jana Abdullah (WBB) • Nesma Khalifa (WBB)
England (6)
Robert Banks (MBB) • George Epsly (MS/D) • Maddie Exton (WS/D) • Marcello Jones (MSOC) • Ellie Leather (WTFXC) • Dominic Polling (MS/D)
France (2)
Damien Berthenet (MTFXC) • Paul Laubier (MSOC)
Germany (4)
Aaron Bienenfeld (MTFXC) • Julius Hild (MTFXC) • Lorenz Metz (FB) • Ben Pelz (MSOC)
Greece (3)
Sofia Gkritzali (WBB) • Chrysanthi Stamatiou (VB) • Dimitra Tziarli (VB)
Italy (1)
Sofia Bruno (TEN)
Jamaica (3)
Creggton Charlton (MSOC) • Donovan Segree (MSOC) • Shevon Stewart (MSOC)
Mali (1)
Mamoudou Diarra (MBB)
Mexico (1)
Alexia Coutino (TEN)
Nigeria (1)
Tim Maduka (MTFXC)
Norway (1)
Karoline Fauske (VB)
Senegal (2)
Mbodj Malick (FB) • Arame Niang (WBB)
Serbia (2)
Damjana Cabarkapa (VB) • Nevena Santrac (VB)
Spain (4)
Toni Banos (MTFXC) • Alberto Garcia (MS/D) • Irati Mitxelena (WTFXC) • Jaume Sorollo (MBB)
Uganda (1)
Kasule Abubakar (MSOC)
Uzbekistan (1)
Murat Sagdullaev (MS/D)
Venezuela (1)
Simone Palomo (WS/D)