By Catherine Dilworth Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations For most people, the Olympic Games conjure up images of the world’s fastest man in the 100-meter dash, a petite gymnast landing a perfect vault or a swift swimmer shattering a world record. For one recent Ole Miss graduate, the chance for Olympic gold will look a little different. Former Rebel soccer great Kelly Renie, who graduated in December, is one of the newest members of the United States Team Handball Women’s National Team. The all-around athlete from Carmel, Ind., only recently began competing in handball, but it has been a natural transition due to her love for all sports since she began playing recreational soccer at age nine. “I was actually looking to change sports just for fun when I was done with soccer in the fall,” Renie said. “When their coach called, I thought, ‘It’s a new sport, it could be fun.’ I enjoyed my tryout and I enjoyed learning the game, so I thought that maybe I could excel at it. I decided to move to Cortland, N.Y., to join the team.” By joining the U.S. squad, Renie becomes one of a handful of recent Ole Miss athletes to say they competed for their country on a full national team – including USA Baseball team members Zack Cozart, Stephen Head and Seth Smith and USA Track and Field competitors Tony Dees (1992 Olympic Silver Medalist) and Savante’ Stringfellow. While at Ole Miss, Renie was a leader for the Rebel soccer team. After scoring 18 goals in her rookie season she was named the 2002 SEC Freshman of the Year while helping the Rebels advance to their first NCAA tournament. She helped Ole Miss to two more NCAA berths (2003 and 2005) and the 2005 SEC West title. As a junior in 2004, she was named to the SEC All-Tournament squad. Team handball is a sport that combines elements of basketball and soccer. Six players for each team try to score by passing and bouncing a ball slightly smaller than a volleyball down a court somewhat larger than a basketball court and past a goalie into a net that measures 6 feet 7 inches high and 9 feet 10 inches wide. U.S. Team Handball does not have a youth pool to draw from such as other sports have. Instead, they contact coaches around the country looking for strong athletes that they can convert into handball players. Such is the case with Renie, after Ole Miss soccer coach Steve Holeman received an e-mail from Women’s Team Handball national coach Christian Latulippe. “One day I got an e-mail from the coach,” Holeman remembered. “He asked if we had any graduating seniors or former players that might be interested. I wasn’t familiar with team handball so I asked what characteristics they were looking for. When he described the sport and that they were looking for girls who are athletic, fast, can throw and catch and have kind of a wild side, I immediately thought of Renie. She’s been one of the fastest players in our conference, and I’ve seen her throw. In one of our team-building activities – sprout ball – all the girls were afraid of her. She can wing the ball and has a very accurate arm. I told him we have a girl who fits the bill.” Renie then contacted Latulippe and two months later she was off to New York to join the squad. Despite her natural ability to throw, she still has to work on that aspect of the game that is not so similar to her collegiate sport. “Unlike soccer, in handball you use your arms,” Renie said. “They advise you to work on your arms so that they are not as sore after every practice.” After just one game played, Renie is already proving herself a quick learner. “I had a goal and a couple of assists and a couple of steals,” she said. “It was a nice start. I look forward to getting better and becoming more competitive.” Holeman recalled the moment he found out she was actually joining the U.S. Team Handball squad. “When she told me she would be heading to national camp, I said ‘What?’ I couldn’t believe it. I told her, ‘If the U.S. qualifies, you’ll be in the Olympics. The only thing I ask is if you end up in the Olympics, you have to get me a ticket.’” Depending on how the Red, White and Blue fares in qualifying, Holeman may be heading to Beijing next year. http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2600&ATCLID=863935