Samuel Cook of West Seattle has been chosen as a member of the USA National U19 Ultimate Frisbee Team.

Cook is a junior at the Northwest School and played on the West Seattle High School baseball team as a sophomore last year. He helped the Wildcats earn a runner up spot in the 2013 Class 3A baseball state championship game played in Pasco.

Cook and his teammates will represent the U.S. at the World Flying Disc Federation’s World Junior Ultimate Championships (WJUC) this July in Lecco, Italy.

More than 250 athletes from across the United States applied to be considered for the open and women’s U-19 National Teams. Invitations to participate in one of two tryout camps, either in Atlanta or Seattle, were extended to 180 applicants. Both tryout camps were a chance for the nation’s best youth ultimate players to showcase their abilities. And thanks to continued growth and increased playing opportunities in the youth division, the selection process for national teams continues to increase in difficulty.

The team will gather for a week-long training camp in July before traveling to Italy. The World Junior Ultimate Championships are schedule for July 20-26. Forty teams and approximately 1,000 athletes will make the trip to the shores of Lake Como for this year’s WJUC.

The World Junior Ultimate Championships are held every two years. The first event was held in 1983 with just three teams in the junior boys division. The United States first competed at WJUC in 1988 when Bronx Science High School claimed a bronze medal. Since that time, U.S. teams have earned eight gold, three silver and five bronze medals.