Two Appointments Made for 2002 Men's Team

US Lacrosse is pleased to announce two administrative appointments for the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team which will compete in the International Lacrosse Federation World Championship in Perth, Australia, in June and July of 2002. Chris Hupfeldt (Haverford, Pa.) will serve as the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team General Manager, while former U.S. National Team player Larry Quinn (Parkton, Md.) will chair the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team Competition Committee.

“We are very excited to have Chris and Larry on board as we prepare for the 2002 World Championship,” said US Lacrosse Men's Division Director Jody Martin. “They both have the professional experience and work ethic we were hoping to find for these two volunteer positions. We are very appreciative of their enthusiastic commitment to the ongoing success of our national team program.”

The U.S. has won the title at seven of the eight ILF World Championships, including each of the last five. The event began in 1967 and has been held every four years since 1974. The 1998 World Championship was held in Baltimore and featured 11 nations.

Hupfeldt, a Baltimore native who has lived in the Philadelphia area for the last 20 years, was the assistant general manager for the 1998 U.S. Men's National Team which won the World Championship. He will oversee all aspects of the 2002 team, including sponsorship, equipment, apparel, the player selection process and the team's travel. The owner of Competitive Edge Outfitters in Wayne, Pa., Hupfeldt has been the general manager of the MAB Philadelphia Lacrosse Club of the U.S. Club Lacrosse Association (USCLA) for the last six years. Previously he was the general manager of the Eagle's Eye Lacrosse Club and has served as president and vice president of the USCLA.

“It is a great honor to be selected as the general manager, especially with all of the outstanding candidates for the position,” Hupfeldt said. “My experience under (1998 general manager) Nolan Rogers was terrific, and very much prepared me for the challenge ahead, as has my work in the USCLA.”

Quinn was a goaltender on the 1986, '90 and '94 U.S. National Teams that all won world championships and is the first former national team player to chair the competition committee. A 2000 inductee to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Quinn is also the chair of the US Lacrosse Men's Division Athletes Council. He will coordinate all aspects of the tryouts for the 2002 team, including the invitation process to prospective players and the final selection process. A two-time first-team All-American and collegiate player of the year in 1984 and '85 at Johns Hopkins, Quinn grew up in Levittown, N.Y., and is currently an attorney for Tydings & Rosenberg in Baltimore.

“Having tried out for the team four times, I think I have a unique perspective on how the tryouts should be run,” Quinn said. “As head of the US Lacrosse Athletes Council, one of the things I ask the top players is what they thought of the process. We'll try to put together the best system possible and take the best 23 players to Australia.”

In addition, Tom Gill will assist Quinn as the vice chair of the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team Competition Committee. Gill is the head men's lacrosse coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. An assistant general manager will be named by this fall.

The process of selecting a coach for the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team will begin next month. Georgetown University head men's lacrosse coach Dave Urick chairs the coaching selection committee. The coaching staff will be announced no later than January of 2001. Tryouts for the 2002 U.S. Men's National Team are tentatively set for June of 2001 at a site to be determined.

US Lacrosse, the national governing body for men's and women's lacrosse, provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game throughout the United States. It offers a number of programs and information services to its national membership of over 80,000 and more than one million lacrosse enthusiasts throughout the country.