2025 FISU World University Games Feature Several NY Metro Region Athletes

Test
6 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 27 minutes ago

Warren Rosenberg and Leon Libin, MetroSports Magazine - July 30, 2025

Earlier this month, over 8,000 athletes in 18 sports and representing nations across the globe gathered at several locations in Germany for 12 days of athletic competition at the International University Sports Federation (FISU, Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire).

*Above: Opening Ceremony on July 16. Photo credit - Mikuláš Celta / Rhine-Ruhr 2025*

The FISU World University Games are not only a major sporting occasion, but also a multi-faceted, intercultural event. With its origin dating back to 1960, in addition to the athletic competition, the event includes the FISU World Conference, which is a core element and the academic highlight of the FISU World University Games.

In the final medal count, the United States came out 1^st among all nations in total medals won and 3rd among all 55 nations in the number of Gold medals won, behind only Japan and China. Representing the United States were several athletes from universities in the New York Metro tri-state region.

Of the 18 sports, the compulsory program comprises 15 sports: archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, basketball, diving, fencing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, and water polo and three optional sports, 3 on 3 basketball, beach volleyball, and rowing, all with both mens and womens divisions. The 3 on 3 basketball also hosted a wheelchair division for the first time in the event's 75 year history..

Among the NY Metro area university athletes were:

Women’s Rhythmic Gymnastics, Evita Griskenas - Columbia University

*Above and Below: Women's Rhythmic Gymnastics competitor, Evita Griskenas of Columbia University. Photo credit - Leon Libin*

Men’s 3 on 3 Basketball, Avery Mack Brown - Columbia University, Nicholas Townsend - Yale University, Jackson Francis Hike - Princeton University and Chandler Dewayne Pigge - Harvard University

*Above: USA Men's 3 on 3 Basketball Team. Photo credit - Steffie Wunderl / Rhine-Ruhr 2025 and Below, Avery Mack Brown of Columbia University advancing the ball on offense. Photo credit - Leon Libin*

Women’s 3 on3 Wheelchair Basketball, Anesia Jah’nae-sylania Glascoe - City University of New York

*Above and Below: CUNY 's Anesia Glascoe showing her offensive skills (above) and defensive skills (below) in Women's 3 on 3 Wheelchair Basketball. Photo credits: Steffie Wunderl / Rhine-Ruhr 2025*

Men’s Basketball, Samson Ayomide Oladele Aletan - Yale University

*Above: Team USA Men's Basketball (white uniforms). Photo credit - Leon Libin*

Men’s Taekwando, Justin Fredricks - SUNY Old Westbury, Young Suk Ethan Gun - County College of Morris, Sugnhyun Eric Gun and Brian Choi - Rutgers University,

*Above: Team USA Men's Taekwando. Photo credit - Leon Libin, Below: Kaitlyn Marie Reclusado of Princeton receiving her bronze medal. Photo credit - Conny Kurth / Rhine-Ruhr 2025*

Women’s Taekwando, Jessica Gniedziejko, Hannah Rebecca Erika Keck and Logan Avery Weber - City College of New York, Kaitlyn Marie Reclusado, Princeton University

Men’s Discus, Casey John Helm - Princeton University,

Men’s Long Jump, Marc Joseph Morrison - University of Connecticut,

Men’s 110 m Hurdle, Christopher Ryan Serrao, Rutgers University,

Men’s 1500 meter, Harrison Matthew Witt, Princeton University,

Men’s 100 meter, Jadon Everett Asa Spain,

Princeton University,

Women’s 4 x 4 Relay, Paige Kathleen Floriea and Charlee Nicole Crawford, State University of New Jersey,

Men’s 4 x 4 Relay, Xavier Robert Donaldson II and Joseph Alexander Grant, Princeton University

Women’s Diving, Katerina Nicloe Hoffman, Rutgers University

Women’s Table Tennis, Anastasia Wang, New York University