EUGENE, Ore. – Fresh off the heels of her NAIA National Championship, senior Anika Rasubala has been selected to compete for the USA Team at the World University Games in Naples, Italy in early July.
The World University Games are an international university sports and cultural event that is staged every two years in a different city. These games draw more than 10,000 students and officials from over 150 countries together to compete, making it one of the largest multi-sport events in the world.
Organized by the International University Sports Federation, the event features 18 sports and is open to men and women between the ages of 17-24 who are currently or have been in the past year a student at a college or university. The 12-day competition is broadcast to more than 100 countries, drawing over 300 million viewers.
NCU Head Coach Tom Boldon said, “Anika worked very hard through the pre-season and regular season to get back to the national championships this year. It wasn’t easy because she competed in the strongest conference in the NAIA and had a target on her back for much of the later part of the season. She ran nearly flawless races at conference and in both the national prelim and final.
“We are all so proud of the athlete and person that she is. Anika represents our team and university with the utmost of passion, integrity, and a heart for serving the Lord and others. This opportunity to race in the World University Games is a chance for her to showcase that spirit to people around the world. It also gives her international race experience, which can be quite valuable if she continues to run competitively after college.”
This has been a banner year for Rasubala who won both the CCC and NAIA Championships in the 3000m Steeplechase, broke the school record, held the top time in the NAIA, and was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year, the first Beacon to ever earn that prize.
“I have been running for ten years in both cross country & track,” said Rasubala. “It is what I have always loved to do and still continue to love. I found my passion for the Steeplechase in college. This season has been a true blessing from God. I was able to have success in winning both our conference and national championships and I am very grateful for the gift of running that He has so graciously given me and the opportunities that have come from it. I never dreamed of having an opportunity like this.”
Rasubala is set to compete in the preliminary races on July 9 and hopefully in the finals on July 11. If you would like to donate to Anika’s trip, visit http://give.nwcu.edu. Simply type “Anika” into the first field on the donation form.
To find official results, check out @usateam on twitter. For more updates, follow USA Team on Facebook (@WUGUSA), Twitter (@usateam), and Instagram (@usateam_) or follow the Beacons @GoBEACONS on all social channels. More information can also be found at http://www.universiade2019napoli.it/en/