June 27, 2007

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. --- North Carolina women's tennis head coach Brian Kalbas has been tabbed to lead the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13-29. Kalbas will front a team of four of the nation's best collegiate players, including Atlantic Coast Conference standouts Audra Cohen of Miami and Kristi Miller of Georgia Tech.

Kalbas recently led the Carolina women to their third consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 berth. He also coached seniors Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long to the NCAA doubles title, the first NCAA doubles championship in ACC history.

The Pan Am Games are held every four years in the year immediately prior to the Olympic Summer Games. This year, an estimated 5,500 athletes from 42 countries are expected to compete in 33 sports. Past tennis standouts to have represented the United States include Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, Luke Jensen, Patrick McEnroe, Chanda Rubin and Pam Shriver.

The United States claimed a record five medals at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, including a gold and silver in the men's singles, a silver and a bronze in the women's singles and a bronze for Bob and Mike Bryan in the men's doubles. In the last Pan Am Games, in 2003 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the U.S. claimed three medals. Sarah Taylor won a silver medal in women's singles, while Ansley Cargill claimed a bronze in women's singles and Alex Kim took the bronze in men's singles.

Since the inception of the Pan American Games in 1951, the United States has won 20 gold medals in the tennis competition and 41 medals in total.