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Oliver makes most of 2nd chance
Published: Monday, July 6, 2009
By Martin Cooper
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Pottstown graduate Gina Oliver helped the U.S. Women's Lacrosse Team to the 2009 World Cup championship.
POTTSTOWN ? When Gina Oliver was cut from the U.S. Women's Lacrosse Team prior to the 2005 World Cup, she thought that just maybe the dream had died.
She was 22 and looking at four more years of intense training with no guarantee she would even make the U.S. team for the 2009 World Cup.
But the graduate of Pottstown High School and Ohio State University chose to persevere, dedicating her life for the next four years to following her championship dream.
When Oliver was named to the U.S. team that would compete for the 2009 World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic, her dream was within her grasp.
"When I made the team again, I said to myself, 'I'm going to be the person to hold up the (World) Cup at the end of the game. I'm not going to fail,'" said Oliver. "I made a challenge to myself to do the best I can and help us be world champions. And here I am."
Here she is, back home in Pottstown after helping the United States win the World Cup last weekend with an 8-7 victory over archrival Australia in Prague.
Oliver, a three-sport star at Pottstown and a three-time All-America lacrosse midfielder at Ohio State, is a world champion.
"It hasn't set in yet," said Oliver, an assistant lacrosse coach at Duquesne University. "But every day I wake up, I'm a world champion. Every day people call and people congratulate me, it feels surreal. Some of my neighbors just came over to congratulate me. I feel so supported. A lot of people are behind me. It's setting in each and every day."
After a standout career in lacrosse, basketball and field hockey at Pottstown, Oliver was a four-year letterwinner at Ohio State. A four-time first-team American Lacrosse Conference selection, Oliver was the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2002 and Player of the Year in 2003.
Oliver is Ohio State's all-time career leader in ground balls (236) and caused turnovers (21) and is second in draw controls (121). She ranks third in career points with 166, second in goals (125) and sixth in assists (41).
Oliver, who finished her second season as Duquesne's defensive coordinator after serving as an assistant coach at Ohio State for two years, played with the 2004-05 and 2005-06 U.S. Women's Lacrosse Developmental Team and was a member of the 2006-07 U.S. Women's Elite Team.
Oliver makes most of 2nd chance - The Mercury Sports: Pottstown, PA and The Tri County areas of Montgomery, Berks and Chester Counties (pottsmerc.com)