Neilsen, Wallack added to men’s team coaching staff; Adams, Tunnell to women’s

Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 18, 2019)—USA Ultimate announced today the assistant coaches that will represent the U.S. National Team at the WFDF 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships (WJUC).

Andy Neilsen (Chicago, Ill.) and Russell Wallack (Amherst, Mass.) will assist head coach Reid Koss (Seattle, Wash.) with the men’s under-20 team, and Jason Adams (Boston, Mass.) and Leila Tunnell (Amherst, Mass) will support women’s under-20 head coach DeAnna Ball (Columbus, Ohio.)

Neilsen, Wallack and Adams return to the WJUC sidelines as assistants after helping lead their respective teams to gold medals at WJUC in 2018 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

A longtime member of the Chicago ultimate community, Neilsen also founded the men’s club team Haymaker before competing for, and later coaching, Machine.

A late addition to the WJUC coaching roster last summer, Wallack also won WJUC gold as an athlete in 2008. A fixture on the Massachusetts club scene for many years, Wallack played competitively for Ironside, winning a national title in 2016. In the college ranks, he also coaches University of Massachusetts Zoodisc.

Adams, who is currently serving as an assistant for the women’s U-24 team at the WFDF 2019 World Under-24 Ultimate Championships, gets his third U.S. National Team coaching assignment. He has been involved as a player and coach at both the college and club levels since his introduction to the sport at the University of Delaware. Adams currently serves as head coach of the Northeastern University Valkyries and the club women’s division’s Boston Siege.

Tunnell returns to the sidelines for the U.S. National Team after an eight-year hiatus, last coaching the stars and stripes to a silver medal at WJUC in 2012. As a player, Tunnell has represented the U.S. on three occasions, winning gold at WJUC in 2006 and WUGC in 2016 and silver at WJUC in 2004.

The 2011 Callahan Award and 2014 Kathy Pufahl Spirit of the Game Award winner is also a two-time national champion, capturing a pair of titles with Boston Brute Squad. Currently Tunnell coaches both the Amherst Regional High School boys’ team and the Valley Ultimate U-20 girls’ YCC team.

Head coaches Koss and Ball were announced earlier this year.

The WFDF 2020 World Junior Ultimate Championships are scheduled for July 18-25 in Malmö, Sweden.