Jack Elliott worthy of Rookie of Year consideration, Curtin says

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Philadelphia Union have never had a Rookie of the Year winner, though Jim Curtin thinks that could change very soon.

Philly’s coach declared as such after his side’s 3-0 loss at the New England Revolution last Saturday, one where first-year center back Jack Elliott was a bright spot on an otherwise dreary night.

“For me, I think he’s been the Rookie of the Year,” Curtin said of Elliott. “He’s played at that level and I thought he was excellent again tonight.”

When asked about his coach’s remarks, the 6-foot-5 Elliott responded true to character: Humble, soft spoken and driven.

“It’s nice to hear that kind of praise from the coach,” Elliott said. “It doesn’t really change anything; I’ve still got to perform every week. Nothing is decided. To be of that caliber you have to perform all the way through the season. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Still, it’s hard not to reflect upon how the 21-year-old is of a different mold and backstory than Cyle Larin and Jordan Morris, MLS’s last two Rookie of the Year winners. The former is a star for Orlando City SC, while the latter just scored the game-winning goal in the Gold Cup final for the US national team.

Elliott, meanwhile, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft after playing at West Virginia University. He was, at best, a long shot for even making the roster, but now he’s started 17 consecutive games in the heart of the Union’s defense.

It’s a trajectory that few expected, and Elliott himself was quick to shy away from praise when asked about the key to his success.

“Just going through the same routine every week,” Elliott said. “Eating healthy, sleeping, all that kind of stuff that helps you perform. Then obviously going out every day and competing against our boys in training and at the weekend against other teams.”

Read the full story here: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/07/30/jack-elliott-worthy-rookie-year-consideration-curtin-says

USA Volleyball Hits CNBC

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Micah Christenson, U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team talks about the upcoming Olympics, the rivalry between the U.S. and Brazil, and Adidas’ sponsorship.

Watch the video here: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2017/07/31/spiking-popularity-in-us-volleyball-micah-christenson.html

KATIE FRERKING SIGNS WITH CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

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IPZ Athlete Inks First Professional Deal with Luleå Basket

WARREN, NJ, July 27, 2017 – Katie Frerking has signed a professional contract with Luleå Basket (Damligan – the top league in Sweden) for the 2017-2018 season.

“Katie is a versatile player in both attack and defense. She was Auburn University’s best scorer in the strong SEC conference and was voted the SEC’s best defensive player. She will make good on many positions in Lulea Energy Arena in autumn,” said Luleå Head Coach David Visscher.

In her senior year with the Auburn Tigers, Frerking posted a stat line of 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Frerking, who was named the 2017 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joins Luleå as it looks to defend its championship title from the 2016-2017 season.

“I’m so excited about signing my contract and making everything official,” said Frerking. “Everyone at IPZ has been so helpful through this process and I really appreciate how hard they worked to place me in a good situation. I can’t wait to meet all of my new coaches and teammates, and experience a new culture and part of the world. To say I’m thankful for the opportunity ahead of me is an understatement. I’m so ready to get over to Luleå and get to work!”

“Luleå is the perfect place for Katie to start her professional career,” said Shawn Farmer, IPZ’s managing director of basketball. “It [Luleå] has a tremendous history of winning; I know Katie’s character and abilities on and off the court will elevate the team to even greater heights. IPZ is excited to watch her work!”

View Luleå’s announcement about Frerking’s signing here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com. 

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

MARCUS LEWIS SIGNS WITH IPZ

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NCAA Dunk Contest Champion Chooses IPZ for Representation

WARREN, NJ, July 21, 2017 – Marcus Lewis, an NCAA Slam Dunk Contest Champion and current professional basketball player, has chosen to be represented by InterperformancesUSA (IPZ), the company announced today.

Lewis is a 6-foot-4 guard who hails from Streamwood, IL, and finished out his collegiate career with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. As a junior for the Colonels in 2013, Lewis landed on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top-10 coming in at #3 following a dunk that won the hearts of sports fans across the SportsNation. This same dunk was a finalist for Geico Play of the Year.

The following season, Lewis found more success, as he not only led his team to an OVC Championship title and an NCAA Tournament appearance, but after winning the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker Contest on Facebook, Lewis earned a spot in the Denny’s College Slam Dunk Contest in April 2014. Lewis put his leaping abilities on display as he went on to win the NCAA Slam Dunk Contest and took home the champion’s belt.

Two months later, the Harlem Globetrotters selected Lewis as their first overall pick in their eighth annual player draft. Lewis spent some time with the Fort Wayne Ants of the NBA D-League in the fall of 2014.

In 2015, Lewis became a member of the Niagara River Lions in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and averaged 9.9 points per game. Lewis stayed with the River Lions for the 2016-2017 season and posted a stat line of 13.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest, while connecting on 39.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

“I chose IPZ because of the great reputation they have,” said Lewis. “Not only that, but in life I try to surround myself with high character people, and with IPZ I was able to find both; it seemed like a great fit for me. Coming off of my best year yet as a pro, I’m looking forward to IPZ not only helping me grow, but also growing with me.”

“Marcus is one of those players that you can’t take your eyes off of,” said Managing Director of Basketball Shawn Farmer. “His athleticism and ability to jump out of the gym is quite the spectacle. Marcus is a proven professional and has been wonderful to work with. We look forward to watching him continue to grow and succeed.”

View Marcus Lewis’ highlights from the 2016-2017 season here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com. 

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

IPZ Board Member Bob Hurley Wins ESPY for Best Coach

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Bob Hurley, former St. Anthony basketball coach, honored at ESPY Awards

He isn’t coaching hoops anymore, but the accolades keep on coming for Bob Hurley.

The former head of the storied boys basketball program at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, which closed earlier this year, won the Best Coach Award at the ESPYs Wednesday night.

Hurley, one of two Basketball Hall of Famers who only coached at the high school level, went 1,162-119 and won 28 state titles to go along with four national championships in his 45 seasons running the show at St. Anthony’s.

“It’s really a great honor to be here tonight,” Hurley said during in his acceptance speech. “Getting this award alongside all these iconic coaches, but even more specifically it’s a great honor to be representing all these great coaches.”

He then thanked his family, including his sons, URI head coach Dan Hurley and Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley, who were in attendance, for making what he has always referred to as “the miracle” of St. Anthony’s possible.

“It’s a great honor to be representing all these coaches in the high school ranks,” Bob Hurley said. “Because every athlete that has come up on this stage tonight, no matter what sport they play, each one of them had a coach in high school, junior college, or maybe even before who played a critical role in their development as an athlete and it’s the whole person part that I have always taken a lot of pride in.”

View the original article by Nicholas Parco at the NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/video-bob-hurley-st-anthony-basketball-coach-honored-espys-article-1.3322143

Philly Voice: Union’s Jack Elliott quietly playing himself into Rookie of the Year conversation

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When Montreal and Real Salt Lake passed in the third round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, the Union kept looking for that late-round gem.

They found it with the 77th overall pick, a 6’5″ center back and defensive midfielder from West Virginia University that no one had really heard of.

Jack Elliott was the last of the five Union draft picks to sign a professional contract, but he inked his deal with the senior team and not Bethlehem Steel, where we all thought the 21-year-old London native might start his professional career.

That wasn’t the case, and Elliott quickly found himself higher up the depth chart than anyone had imagined, jumping Ken Tribbett as fourth in line with Oguchi Onyewu already stepping in for the injured Josh Yaro.

If a starter went down, Elliott was the next man up, and that’s exactly what happened on April 1st when Richie Marquez came out at halftime in the 2-1 loss at D.C. United.

Elliott went back to the bench for one game only, then got a chance to start on April 14th and hasn’t relinquished his position since, playing 13 straight games since claiming the RCB job.

The Union now have six wins, four losses, and three draws in Elliott’s 13 starts, conceding 12 goals and scoring 20 for a +8 goal differential. He’s contributed to six clean sheets and hasn’t been carded in nine straight games, forming an unlikely but incredibly successful partnership with a 35-year-old veteran.

Read the full story here: http://www.phillyvoice.com/unions-jack-elliott-quietly-playing-himself-into-rookie-of-the-year-conversation/

RUTH SHERRILL JOINS THE IPZ FAMILY

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Temple Forward Chooses IPZ for Representation

WARREN, NJ, July 3, 2017 – Ruth Sherrill, a staple in the Temple University Owls’ starting lineup for the 2016-2017 season, has signed with IPZ, the company announced today.

The six-foot Alexandria, VA native launched her collegiate career at Hofstra University. She played two seasons with the Pride and in her sophomore campaign, the forward averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Sherrill transferred to Temple University and made her debut with the Owls in 2015. As a senior in the 2016-2017 season, Sherrill led Temple to a 24-8 record and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2010-2011 season. On nine separate occasions, Sherrill secured double-digit rebounds; her finest performance coming against Houston on January 18 when she brought down a career-high 19 boards. She finished the season averaging 4.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest.

“I have dreamed about becoming a professional basketball player since I was a young girl,” said Sherrill. One of the most important decisions you make as a professional athlete is choosing your representation. I chose IPZ because I wanted an agency that was knowledgeable, trustworthy, experienced and accessible.  I immediately felt they were committed to my goals as a player. I can’t wait to begin this new and exciting journey with them by my side!”

“Ruth is the type of player that will excel in whatever role she is given,” said Shawn Farmer, IPZ’s managing director of basketball. “You need her to score? Consider it done. You need her to grab 10-plus rebounds? No problem. She’s the epitome of a team player.”

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

The Ringer: Bob Hurley

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St. Anthony’s Unanswered Prayer

Over 45 years, Bob Hurley turned his Jersey City basketball program into an unlikely national power. Now, after 28 state titles and decades of staving off closure, St. Anthony is shutting its doors, and the Friars family is trying to cope with running out of miracles.

A few minutes before 7 on a warm May night in Jersey City, New Jersey, the first of 200 or so guests arrive for what one event organizer calls “the final celebration of life” for the fabled St. Anthony High School basketball team. They climb up the brownstone steps to White Eagle Hall, the old gym about a mile from the school itself, where head coach Bob Hurley’s Friars, who never had a home gym of their own, practiced for the better part of three decades until 2003. As the attendees pull open the mahogany doors and walk into the main hall, they mostly gasp. They remember White Eagle as a dingy, cramped gym, but a $6 million renovation that began in 2012 and concluded this spring has produced an ornate concert venue. During the renovation, a crew wiping away grime on the ceiling discovered two handcrafted, stained-glass murals, and they ripped up the basketball court and refashioned it as bar counters and balcony flooring. Now, the onstage guitarist, sensitive to the occasion, plays only slow, acoustic jazz and blues.

“Well,” a woman says to her friends as they enter the hall, “they turned the temple of basketball into a whorehouse.”

Hurley, red-faced and beaming, hovers near the entrance and greets seemingly all of the former players, parents, boosters, and fans attending the program’s last supper with a deep-throated, “Look what the cat dragged in,” or, “Good to see you,” and a clap on the back or a hug. “We have so many memories in this place,” the Hall of Famer Hurley exclaims when a longtime St. Anthony booster hands him a wooden-framed, black-and-white photo of a former Friars team.

Read the full story here: https://theringer.com/2017-basketball-st-anthony-high-school-closing-bob-hurley-legacy-3bdea1a5f0

MIAH SPENCER SIGNS WITH TOP TEAM IN POLAND

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IPZ Athlete Will Play for AZS AJP Gorzów

WARREN, NJ, June 19, 2017 – Miah Spencer has signed a professional contract with AZS AJP Gorzów (Basket Liga Kobiet – the highest-tier league in Poland) for the 2017-2018 season.

“Playing professional basketball is something I’ve always dreamed of,” said Spencer. “I’m just thankful for those who have helped me get to this point in my career. This is a great opportunity and a new start to my career. I’m excited.”

Spencer – a First Team All-ACC selection – averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game for the North Carolina State Wolfpack this past season.

“It’s always amazing seeing an athlete’s hard work pay off and Miah is no exception,” said IPZ’s Managing Director of Basketball Shawn Farmer. “She is such a talented player and we are excited to see her compete for a top-tier program like Gorzów.”

View Eurobasket’s announcement of Spencer’s signing here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

ALEXUS COOPER INKS FIRST PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT

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IPZ Athlete Signs with CS B Teleorman Alexandria

WARREN, NJ, June 15, 2017 – Alexus Cooper has signed a professional contract with CS B Teleorman Alexandria (Romania-Liga Nationala) for the 2017-2018 season.

“It’s truly a blessing to have signed my first professional contract,” said Cooper, who competed collegiately at Eastern Kentucky University. “IPZ has made the process enjoyable. I am eager to begin my professional career in Romania and am grateful for the opportunity.”

In her senior year with the Colonels, Cooper averaged 12.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 36.2 percent from three-point territory.

“We – at IPZ – are thrilled for Alexus,” said Shawn Farmer, IPZ’s managing director of basketball. “She’s an amazing player and person; she has worked so hard for this moment and I can’t wait to see what she will accomplish in Romania.”

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs. For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com