Jen Armbruster

Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colo.

Birthplace: Taipai, Taiwan

Birthdate: 02/12/1975

Height: 5 8"

Weight: 145 lbs.

Education: B.A. in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice, University of Northern Colorado (1997); M.S. in criminal justice administration, Sam Houston State University (2000)

Occupation: Project Director for the National Sports Education Camp Project at Western Michigan University

Marital Status: Single

Cause of Blindness: Optic Neuritis

Age lost Visibility: Lost partial sight at 13-years-old, lost total sight at 17

Vision Class: B1

Personal Brief: A star basketball player when her sight began to deteriorate, Armbruster sought for a sport that would provide her with the same kind of competitiveness as basketball and found goalball. She is now ranked as one of the top five players in the world. Armbruster has been featured in Olympian Magazine and in the December 1999 issue of Sports Illustrated for Women.

Armbruster served as the captain for the U.S. Women's Goalball Team that won the gold medal at the 2002 International Blind Sports Association World Goalball Championships in Rio de Janeiro. The gold medal secured the team a berth at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games as well as the top ranking in the world going into the Games.

Competition Highlights:

2003: USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal

Malmo Ladies InterCup - first place

2002: International Blind Sports Association World Goalball Championships - gold medal

Malmo Ladies InterCup - third place, All-Tournament Leading Scorer

USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

2001: Pan American Games Goalball Tournament - gold medal

British Invitational - first place

USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal, Most Valuable Player

Malmo Ladies InterCup - third place, MVP, Conduct Award

2000: Sydney Paralympic Games - sixth place

USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal, MVP

British Invitational - second place

1999: British Invitational - second place

USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal, MVP

National Capital Eye's Invitational Goalball Tournament - first place

1998: National Capital Eye's Invitational Goalball Tournament - first place

10th Annual British Blind Sports Goalball Tournament - third place

USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal

International Blind Sports Association World Championships - bronze medal

1997: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal, MVP

1996: Atlanta Paralympic Games - bronze medal

Canadian Championships - first place

London Invitational - first place

USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal, MVP

1995: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal, MVP

1994: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal, MVP

1993: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal, MVP

1992: Competed at the Barcelona Paralympic Games

USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal

1990: USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal

Honorable Mentions and Other Achievements:

1997: The Womens Sport Foundation's Sports Woman of the Year Finalist

1996: Voted Colorado Amateur Athlete of the Year

1995: Inducted into the Colorado Sportswomen Hall of Fame

Featured in the book Damn the Disabilities: Full Speed Ahead by Jack Cavanaugh

Motivational speaker

Hobbies:

E-mail, movies, attending sports events, judo and rock climbing

Personal Motto:

Hometown Media: Colorado Springs Gazette

Lisa Banta

Hometown: Boonton, N.J.

Birthplace: Peguaneck, N.J.

Birthdate: 5/29/79

Height: 5 4

Weight: 198 lbs.

Education: BA from Allentown College of St. Francis De Sales

Occupation: Student

Marital Status: Single

Cause of Blindness: Congenital

Age lost Visibility: Birth

Vision Class: B2

Personal Brief: Banta became involved in sports as a way to overcome her disability and feels that her success in life can be attributed to her parents whom always encouraged her to be involved with extracurricular activities and never stood in her way.

Competition Highlights:

2003: Malmo Ladies InterCup - first place

2002: International Blind Sports Association World Championships - gold medal, named "Top Scorer" of the Championships

2001: III IBSA Pan American Games - gold medals in goalball and discus

British Blind Sports Invitational Goalball Tournament - first place

Malmo Ladies InterCup - third place

2000: Sydney Paralympic Games - sixth place in goalball; silver medial in discus (AR)

British Blind Sports Invitational Goalball Tournament - second place

Malmo Ladies InterCup - second place

Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships - first place in discus (new school record)

1999: British Blind Sports Invitational Goalball Tournament - second place

II IBSA Pan Am Games - gold medal in javelin and silver medal in shot put and discus (AR)

1998: IBSA World Championships - bronze medal in goalball; competed in shot put

USABA National Track and Field Championships - gold medal in shot put

10^th Annual British Blind Sports Goalball Tournament - third place

1997: USABA National Track and Field Championships - gold medal in discus

USABA National Goalball Championships - named All-American

1996: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

Atlanta Paralympics - first alternate for the U.S. Womens Goalball Team

Honorable Mentions and Other Achievements:

2003: Inducted into Boonton High School Hall of Fame

2002: Appeared in Sports Illustrated "Faces in the Crowd"

2001: Torchbearer for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Games

Threw out the first pitch at a New Jersey Cardinals baseball game

1997: USABA All-American Goalball Team

1996: Named alternate to the U.S. Team for the Atlanta Paralympics

Hobbies: Sports, listening to music, reading, sleeping, relaxing

Personal Motto: Success is a journey, not a destination.

Hometown media: Daily Record, Star Leader, The Citizen

Nikki Buck

Hometown: Paw Paw, Mich.

Birthplace: Kalamazoo, Mich.

Birthdate: 7-7-84

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 130 lbs.

Education: Graduated from Paw Paw High School, 2003

Occupation: Full-time athlete

Marital Status: single

Cause of Blindness: RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa)

Age lost Visibility: Birth

Vision Class: B3

Personal Brief: Nikki Buck began her goalball career at a Western Michigan University Sports Education Camp and has been active in the sport for more than five years. Nikki has been a member of the Kalamazoo Chaos since 1999 and has participated in numerous tournaments, both domestically and internationally. She has been a member of the U.S. Women's Goalball Team since 2002 when she made her international debut at the Malmo Ladies InterCup. Nikki is currently training full-time for the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games and is a member of the first Paralympic team to obtain residency at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Competition Highlights:

2004: USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal

Malmo Ladies InterCup - first place

Montreal Invitational - first place

2003: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

USABA Midwest Regional Goalball Championships - first place

Malmo Ladies InterCup - first place

2002: International Blind Sports Association World Goalball Championships - gold medal

USABA National Goalball Championships - silver medal

Helmacy Regional Goalball Championships - first place

Midwest Regional Goalball Championships - second place

2001: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

USABA National Youth Goalball Championships - gold medal

Honorable Mentions and Other Achievements:

2004: Northwest Regional Goalball Championships, Most Valuable Player

March Athlete of the Month, U.S. Olympic Training Center

2001: USABA National Youth Goalball Championships - MVP

Hobbies: Music, Movies, Food, being outside, talking on the phone

Personal Motto: "Live life to its fullest."

Hometown Media: Daily Herald

Updated: 6/23/2004

Jessie Lorenz

Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.

Birthplace: Durango, Colo.

Birthdate: 11/22/1978

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 136lbs.

Education: Pursuing B.A. in liberal studies at San Francisco State University

Occupation: Disability rights advocate, Independent Living Resource Center

Marital Status: Single

Cause of Blindness: Congenital Glaucoma

Age lost Visibility: Birth

Vision Class: B1

Competition Highlights:

2003: Malmo Ladies InterCup - first place

USABA National Goalball Championships - bronze medal

2002: International Blind Sports Association World Goalball Championships - gold medal

Malmo Ladies InterCup - third place

1996: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

1994: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

1993: USABA National Goalball Championships - gold medal

Hobbies: Writing, reading, running

Personal Motto: "Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do."

Hometown Media: San Francisco Chronicle

Asya Miller

Hometown: Battle Creek, Mich.

Birthplace: Lapeer, Mich.

Birthdate: 10/16/79

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 190 lbs.

Education: B.A. in Criminal Justice, Western Michigan University

Occupation: Customer Care Agent/Quality Analyst, Department of Defense

Marital Status: Single

Cause of Blindness: Hereditary

Age lost Visibility: 12

Vision Class: B3

Personal Brief: A field athlete in high school and college, Miller discovered goalball when she went to Western Michigan University. Miller continued to compete in both sports through 2003, but is currently focusing on goalball for the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. A talented multi-sport athlete, Miller also set four World Records in powerlifting at the International Blind Sports Association World Championships.

Competition Highlights:

2004: Malmo Ladies InterCup – first place

USABA National Goalball Championships – silver medal

2003: International Blind Sports Association World Championships – gold medal in powerlifting; bronze medal in discus; 4^th place in shot put

USABA National Goalball Championships – gold medal

2002: International Paralympic Committee World Athletics Championships – bronze medal in discus

USABA National Goalball Championships – silver medal

2001: Pan American Games for the Blind – gold medals in javelin and goalball; silver medal in discus

USABA National Goalball Championships – gold medal

2000: Sydney Paralympic Games – bronze medal in discus; sixth place in

goalball

USABA National Goalball Championships – silver medal

1999: Pan American Games for the Blind – gold medal in shot put, discus

and javelin

Honorable Mentions and Other Achievements:

2001: USABA Female Athlete of the Year

Hobbies: Karate, biking

Hometown Media: Battle Creek Inquirer, Kalamazoo Gazette, Flint Journal, Detroit