July 16, 2005

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland's Yony Noy will represent the United States at the Maccabiah Games this weekend. The rising sophomore will compete at 185 pounds.

The Games span from July 10th - 21st in Tel Aviv, Israel. Wrestling is scheduled for July 16-17, with competition in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

The Maccabiah Games bring together the best Jewish athletes from around the world to participate in sport and solidarity.

Noy proved to be a valuable member of the Terp team in his first season, often wrestling up weight classes to fill voids in the lineup due to injuries.

The U.S. wrestling team is a mix of veteran international wrestlers on the Senior circuit, along with some young athletes who will be using this competition to make a name for themselves in the international styles.

The wrestling team left for Israel on July 2, giving the coaches time for an extensive training camp and preparation period prior to the start of the wrestling tournament. This is where Kantor feels his team will come together and be ready for the challenges of this demanding international tournament.

Teams that are expected to be very strong in both styles include Russia and Israel, along with some strong individuals from other participating nations such as Canada and Australia.

For update on U.S. Maccabiah team results visit: http://www.maccabiusa.com.

Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling contributed to this report.