Five current privatestudents, along with four alumni coaches and staff, participated in the 2024 U21 (Under 21) World Deaf Basketball Championships July 17-27 at the National Center of High Performance Athletics (CeNARD) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Team USA won the gold medal, defeating the Dominican Republic, 81-72. The other four participating teams were host country Argentina, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. 

The Gallaudet students on the team were Zachary Bippus, Jaheim Crayton, Kyle Florio, Jaylen Johnson and Luke McBrine. All but Johnson were members of the 2023-24 Gallaudet men’s basketball team.

Bippus, Florio, Johnson, McBrine and Maryland School for the Deaf student Keanu Boren were starters for Team USA. In the championship game, Boren had 32 points, while his fellow starters combined for 29 points. McBrine had 11 of the team’s 47 rebounds. The team as a whole had 48 points in the paint and 15 off turnovers. Luisaury Peña led the Dominican Republic team with 23 points, while Yojansel Filion Carrasco had 16 and Nowel Cuevas contributed 13. 

The Dominican Republic team led 45-42 at halftime, but the United States team outscored them in the third quarter, 22-15, and never looked back.

During group play, the United States team defeated Ukraine, 82-58; Lithuania 91-53; Poland, 100-47; Argentina, 84-38; and Dominican Republic, 78-72. They defeated Lithuania, 83-59 in the semifinal match to advance to the gold medal match against the Dominican Republic squad.

Ukraine won the bronze medal, besting Lithuania, 59-46.

The United States team had four coaches: Sekoe White, ’10; Leonardo Gutierrez, E-’02; Michael Kent, E-’09; and Dante Paulone, ’21. Steve Valencia-Biskupiak, ’20, was team leader. All four played basketball at Gallaudet. White is a current assistant coach at Gallaudet, and Kent is a member of the privateAthletics Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to all!