LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. -- George Washington rising sophomore men's water polo player John-Claude Wright (Pembroke Pines, FL/Williston Northampton) will play for Jamaica at the 2007 FINA Men's Junior World Championships in Los Alamitos and Long Beach, CA, August 18-26.

Jamaica is one of 24 nations competing in the bi-annual event comprised of athletes age 20 or younger. Wright's Jamaican squad begins play in Group B on Aug. 18, along with 2005 runner-up Croatia and Top 10 finishers United States and France, as well as Puerto Rico and Canada. Other teams in the tournament include Serbia, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Australia, Russia, Japan, Slovakia, Egypt, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Iran, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Argentina, Germany and Kuwait.

Wright led all GW rookies and finished fourth on the team in goals (34) and points (53) in 2006. He also was named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association and Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-Academic Teams.

Ninth-year head coach Scott Reed and the 2007 team began preseason training Thursday and will open the schedule at Navy's Labor Day Open on Sept. 1 and 2. The Colonials, who return six starters and 13 letterwinners this fall, finished 2006 with a 14-12 overall record, which included victories against nationally ranked programs Santa Clara (13-11) and Bucknell (7-6).

For more information and results from the 2007 FINA Men's Junior World Championships, please visit: http://jwc2007.zortal.com/Home/tabid/64101/ZortalPortal.aspx.