CALGARY – Fifteen University of Calgary students, alumni, and staff will don the maple leaf this summer at the 30th Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy, U SPORTS announced Wednesday.

The Canadian delegation will compete in 12 sports, and the Dinos will be well-represented with a dozen athletes, two staff, and one alumna. The Dinos swim team leads the way with four athletes, including 2019 UCalgary female rookie of the year Marit Anderson (Arts). Robert Hill (Haskayne School of Business) makes his second straight Universiade appearance after representing Canada in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei in 2017, and he'll be joined by teammates Peter Brothers (Science) and Anders Klein (Arts). Mike Blondal, the reigning U SPORTS men's swimming coach of the year, will be an assistant on the Canadian coaching staff.

Seven other Dinos varsity teams are represented. Mambi Diawara (Arts) and Erin McIntosh (Kinesiology) made the Canadian basketball teams, while Blain Cranston (Kinesiology) and Beth Vinnell (Kinesiology / Werklund School of Education) will each join Team Canada on the volleyball court. Maddison Fritze (Arts / Werklund School of Education) wrapped up her varsity career with the Dinos women's soccer team last fall and will get the chance to represent her country, while Mitchell Rudy was named to the men's rugby sevens squad.

Former Dinos athlete of the year Jenna Westaway graduated from the Faculty of Science in 2017 and returns for her second straight Universiade appearance. Westaway completed her U SPORTS eligibility as a graduate student at the University of Guelph in 2019.

Rounding out the UCalgary contingent will be kinesiology student Tamara Booy in fencing, while Schulich School of Engineering student Bryan Ho will make a return appearance in table tennis. Dinos assistant athletic director Ben Matchett will serve as Team Canada's communications manager.



Celebrating its 30th edition and 60th anniversary, the Summer Universiade returns to its first home of Italy, with Naples and the surrounding Campania region set to host the second-largest multisport event in the world, with nearly 10,000 athletes set to compete in 17 sports. The Opening Ceremony will be held July 3 at San Paolo Stadium in Naples, with competition running between July 2-14. A total of 222 gold medals are up for grabs at the biennial event.

30th SUMMER UNIVERSIADE – NAPLES, ITALY
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY REPRESENTATIVES

ATHLETICS
Jenna Westaway (Science – Calgary, Alta.)

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Mambi Diawara (Arts – Montreal, Que.)

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Erin McIntosh (Kinesiology – Calgary, Alta.)

FENCING
Tamara Booy (Kinesiology – Calgary, Alta.)

MEN'S RUGBY SEVENS
Mitchell Rudy (Science – Calgary, Alta.)

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Maddison Fritze (Arts/Werklund School of Education – Edmonton, Alta.)

SWIMMING
Mike Blondal (Calgary, Alta.) – Coach
Marit Anderson (Arts – Calgary, Alta.)
Peter Brothers (Science – Victoria, B.C.)
Robert Hill (Haskayne School of Business – North Vancouver, B.C.)
Anders Klein (Arts – Sedgewick, Alta.)

TABLE TENNIS
Bryan Ho (Schulich School of Engineering – Calgary, Alta.)

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Blain Cranston (Kinesiology – Fort St. John, B.C.)

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Beth Vinnell (Kinesiology/Werklund School of Education – Cochrane, Alta.)

MISSION STAFF
Ben Matchett (Calgary, Alta.) – Communications Manager

-UC-