COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Florida State's Jacinta Monroe (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) will join 36 others, including Pacific-10 Conference Freshman of the Year Jayne Appel (Stanford/Pleasant Hill, Calif.) and two-time Naismith High School Player of the Year Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S./Lawrenceville, Ga.), as well as 10 gold medal winners from the 2006 USA U18 National Team, in competing for a spot on the 2007 USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team at the 2007 USA Basketball Junior National Teams Trials, which will be held May 17-20 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The invitations to 37 of the nation's top 19-and-unders (born on or after Jan. 1, 1988) were issued by the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee, which is chaired by Sue Donohoe, the NCAA's vice president of Division I women's basketball.

USA Basketball will conduct the 2007 Women's Junior National and National Team Trials in order to select finalists for three USA Basketball squads-the U19 World Championship Team, U21 World Championship Team and Pan American Games Team. Trials for all three teams will take place at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

While hopefuls for the U21 World Championship and Pan American Games National Teams will conduct trials together, trials for the U19 World Championship Team are expected to take place independently. Finalists for the three squads will be named following trials, with official 12-member rosters determined prior to their respective competitions.

"Our expectations in the USA are to win gold, and to embrace the process of hard work, ultra competitiveness and total team play necessary to achieve that goal," said USA U19 World Championship Team and DePaul University head coach Doug Bruno. "From this pool of 37 players invited to trials, we definitely have the talent to achieve that goal.

"I'm very excited to see how the players that won gold last year have improved. Now that they have experienced a year of USA Basketball competition, I'm looking forward to observing their dedication to the USA program. And I'm unbelievably excited to see so many new additions, many of whom have had a year of college seasoning."

Bruno will be assisted by collegiate head coaches Cynthia Cooper of Prairie View A&M University (Texas) and Carol Owens of Northern Illinois University.

Serving as trials court coaches are Jacques Curtis of Shaw University (N.C.), Donnita Drain of Langston University (Okla.) and Narleski Wyrick of Southwestern Christian College (Texas).

In addition to Appel and Moore, also returning from the 2006 squad that captured a perfect 4-0 record and the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship are: Vicky Baugh (Sacramento H.S./Sacramento, Calif.); Kelley Cain (St. Pius X Catholic H.S./Atlanta, Ga.); Nikitta Gartrell (North Carolina State/Atlanta, Ga.); Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic H.S./Cleveland, Ohio); Italee Lucas (Centennial H.S./Las Vegas, Nev.); Kayla Pedersen (Red Mountain H.S./Fountain Hills, Ariz.); Brittainey Raven (Texas/Fort Worth, Texas); and Khadijah Rushdan (St. Elizabeth H.S./Wilmington, Del.).

The 26 additional invitees include: Ashley Barlow (Notre Dame/Indianapolis, Ind.); Angie Bjorklund (University H.S./Spokane, Wash.); Jessica Breland (North Carolina/Kelford, N.C.); Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State/Grandville, Mich.); Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy/Wilmington, Del.); Lorin Dixon (Christ the King H.S./Middle Village, N.Y.); Allison Hightower (Louisiana State/Arlington, Texas); Quanitra Hollingsworth (Virginia Commonwealth/Chesapeake, Va.); Alison Jackson (Fenwick H.S./Oak Park, Ill.); Amy Jaeschke (New Trier H.S./Wilmette, Ill.); Brittany Johnson (East Richland H.S./Olney, Ill.); Melissa Lechlitner (Notre Dame/ Mishawaka, Ind.); Demauria Liles (Gulf Coast Community College/Suitland, Md.); Taylor Lilley (Oregon/ Stevenson Ranch, Calif.); Christy Marshall (Georgia/Savannah, Ga.); Drey Mingo (Marist School/Atlanta, Ga.); Porsha Phillips (Louisiana State/Stone Mountain, Ga.); Jeanette Pohlen (Brea Olinda H.S./Brea, Calif.); Danielle Robinson (Archbishop Mitty H.S./San Jose, Calif.); Sydney Smallbone (St. Joseph's H.S./Granger, Ind.); Marah Strickland (Towson Catholic H.S./Mt. Airy, Md.); Jasmine Thomas (Oakton H.S./Fairfax, Va.); Krystal Thomas (The First Academy/Orlando, Fla.); Natasha Vital (California/Stockton, Calif.); Danielle Wilson (Baylor/Bay Shore, N.Y.); and Monica Wright (Virginia/ Woodbridge, Va.).

In all, 20 athletes recently completed their final year of high school eligibility, 16 will be college sophomores in 2007-08 and one will be a college junior in the fall. The 17 collegiate athletes hail from 15 schools and eight different conferences. While Hollingsworth will be a college junior in 2007-08, Appel, Barlow, Breland, DeHaan, Gartrell, Hightower, Lechlitner, Liles, Lilley, Marshall, Monroe, Phillips, Raven, Vital, Wilson and Wright will be college sophomores.

 Among the 26 invitees with previous USA Basketball experience, 15 attended in the 2006 USA U18 National Team Trials, including Breland, Delle Donne, Hightower, Hollingsworth, Jackson, Jaeschke, Johnson, Marshall, Mingo, Phillips, Robinson, Smallbone, Jasmine Thomas, Wilson and Wright.

Nine athletes also donned a USA jersey at the 2005 Youth Development Festival, including Appel, Gartrell, Hightower, Liles, Marshall, Phillips, Raven, Wilson and Wright.

With current players from seven NCAA conferences and one NJCAA conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) leads the way with four representatives; the Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference (SEC) boast of three athletes each; the Big East Conference and Big 12 Conference have two players on the invitee list; and the Big Ten Conference, Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and Panhandle Conference (NJCAA) each have one player.

Of the 17 athletes who competed at the college level in 2006-07, 12 earned postseason conference honors. Wright was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and Monroe was selected to the ACC All-Freshman team; Barlow and Lechlitner were selected to the Big East All-Freshman team; Hollingsworth received All-CAA second team honors; Appel was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Vital listed on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team and Lilley earned Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention; the SEC All-Freshman team included Hightower and Marshall, who also was the SEC Co-6th Woman of the Year; DeHaan captured Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten second team and All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors; and Wilson was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team.

Of the 20 females who completed their high school careers in 2006-07, 12 were recognized by USA Today, including the 2007 USA Today, Naismith and Gatorade Girls High School Player of the Year, Moore. Joining Moore on the All-USA first team were Baugh, Bjorklund and Jasmine Thomas; included on the second team were Lavender, Lucas, Pedersen and Krystal Thomas; and listed on the third team were Cain, Delle Donne, Rushdan and Strickland.

            The entire 10-member Parade Magazine All-America first team will attend trials, including Baugh, Bjorklund, Delle Donne, Lavender, Lucas, Moore, Pedersen, Jasmine Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Rushdan. Listed on the second team were Cain, Jaeschke, Pohlen and Strickland; Dixon was a third team selection; and Mingo and Robinson earned fourth team honors.

Representing the East Team at the 2007 McDonald's All-America Game were Cain, Dixon, Lavender, Mingo, Moore, Rushdan, Strickland, Jasmine Thomas and Krystal Thomas; while Baugh, Bjorklund, Jackson, Jaeschke, Lucas, Pedersen and Pohlen played for the West squad.

Gatorade honored 12 trials participants as a State Player of the Year, including Bjorklund (Washington), Dixon (New York), Johnson (Illinois), Lavender (Ohio), Lucas (Nevada), Moore (Georgia), Pedersen (Arizona), Pohlen (California), Rushdan (Delaware), Strickland (Maryland), Jasmine Thomas (Virginia) and Krystal Thomas (Florida).

Born Jan. 7, 1988, Strickland is the oldest athlete, while Jasmine Thomas, born Sept. 30, 1989, is the youngest. At 5-4 Lorin Dixon is the shortest in the group, and the 6-9 DeHaan is the tallest.

2007 USA Basketball U19 World Championship

Team Trials Schedule

Thursday, May 17

4:30 p.m.  Session I    USOTC Sports Center II

Friday, May 18

8:30 a.m.  Session II    USOTC Sports Center II

4:00 p.m.  Session III   USOTC Sports Center II

Saturday, May 19

8:30 a.m.  Session IV  USOTC Sports Center II

4:00 p.m.  Session V   USOTC Sports Center II        

Sunday, May 20

8:30 a.m.  Session VI  USOTC Sports Center II                    

TBD          Announcement of USA team finalists

NOTE:  All times listed are local, Mountain Daylight Time. Trials sessions last approximately two hours and are subject to change.