Steve Serio

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Steve Serio

| image = Steve Serio 2011-05-07.jpg

| caption = Serio in 2011

| full_name = Steven Dillon Serio

| nickname = Steve

| nationality = {{USA}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|09|08}}

| birth_place = Mineola, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 5 ft 6 in (2011)

| weight = 180 lb (2011)

| website =

| country = {{USA}}

| sport = Wheelchair Basketball

| event =

| collegeteam = University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

| club =

| team = Briantea 84

| turnedpro = 2010

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's wheelchair basketball }}

{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}

}}

Steven Dillon Serio (born September 8, 1987) is a wheelchair basketball player. As a co-captain of the USA Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team, he led the American men to their first Paralympic gold medal since 1988 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games{{cite web |url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/westbury-s-steve-serio-helps-usa-to-paralympics-gold-medal-1.12331627 |title=Westbury's Serio helps USA to gold medal |date=September 18, 2016 |website=newsday.com |access-date=July 13, 2017 |archive-date=December 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229172411/https://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/westbury-s-steve-serio-helps-usa-to-paralympics-gold-medal-1.12331627 |url-status=dead }} and defended the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/paralympics/news/usa-retain-mens-wheelchair-basketball-paralympic-title-after-dramatic-win-over- |title=USA retain men's wheelchair basketball Paralympic title after dramatic win over Japan |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |access-date=September 9, 2021 |archive-date=September 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909161157/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/paralympics/news/usa-retain-mens-wheelchair-basketball-paralympic-title-after-dramatic-win-over- |url-status=dead }} He currently plays for the New York Rolling Knicks in the [http://www.nwba.org/ NWBA] Championship Division.{{cite web |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/who-will-rule-the-rollstuhl-this-year |title=Who will rule the Rollstuhl this year? |website=FIBA.basketball}}

Biography

Serio grew up in Westbury, New York and graduated from Carle Place High School in 2005. When he was 11 months old, he had surgery to remove a spinal tumor, resulting in the compression of his spinal cord. Consequently, he was left paralyzed and is classified as an incomplete paraplegic.{{cite web |url=http://www.usolympicteam.com/paralympics/39341_47159.htm |title=U.S. Paralympic Athlete Biography |website=usolympicteam.com |access-date=March 31, 2008 |archive-date=April 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405174950/http://www.usolympicteam.com/paralympics/39341_47159.htm |url-status=dead }}

Serio began his wheelchair basketball career as a sophomore in high school with the Long Island Lightning, the only competitive junior wheelchair basketball team in New York State.{{cite web |url=http://www.usoc.org/117_45350.htm |title=United States Olympic Committee Article 3/20/06 |website=usoc.org |access-date=July 6, 2007 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930202317/http://www.usoc.org/117_45350.htm |url-status=dead }} He became a tremendous asset to this team, eventually leading to its first National Championship in 2005. Serio himself was named the tournament's Most Valued Player.{{cite web |url=http://www.usoc.org/paralympics/news_47146.htm |title=USOC Athlete Spotlight: Steve Serio |website=usoc.org |access-date=July 6, 2007 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928004702/http://www.usoc.org/paralympics/news_47146.htm |url-status=dead }} That same year, Serio played on a USA U-23 Team participating at the Australian Junior National Games for the Disabled in Sydney.

Serio also played point guard for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was named a 2nd Team's All-American in both the 2005–6 and 2006–7 seasons at Illinois.{{cite web |url=http://students.uww.edu/bauleriiwm05/cid/cidmvp.htm |title=Past NIWBA All-American Teams |website=students.uww.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929110053/http://students.uww.edu/bauleriiwm05/cid/cidmvp.htm |archive-date=2007-09-29 }} At the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament held at Oklahoma State University on March 15, 2008, Serio led the Illinois to a NIWBA Championship over the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.{{cite web |url=http://www.disability.uiuc.edu/athletics/team.php?sport=1 |title=Fighting Illini Men's Wheelchair Basketball Page |website=disability.uiuc.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221015035/http://www.disability.uiuc.edu/athletics/team.php?sport=1 |archive-date=2007-02-21 }} Serio took home the Championship Game Player of the Game, NWBA Tournament MVP, and the NWBA 31st NIWBT Player of the Year.{{cite web |url=http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2008/03/24/Sports/Mens-Wheelchair.Team.Wins.Championship-3279485.shtml |title=Daily Illini Newspaper Article 3/24/08 |website=dailyillini.com}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} Serio graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May 2010 with a degree in kinesiology.

He also plays on the U.S. Paralympics Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team, which came in second place at the World Championships in Amsterdam in the summer of 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.usoc.org/paralympics/news_47915.htm |title=2006 U.S. Paralympics Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team Defeated by Canada in IWBF Gold Cup Final |website=usoc.org |access-date=July 6, 2007 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928005610/http://www.usoc.org/paralympics/news_47915.htm |url-status=dead }} In the summer of 2007, the U.S. National Team won a gold medal at the Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Serio made his Paralympic debut with the U.S. National Team in 2008 in Beijing.{{cite web |url=http://usocpressbox.org/usoc/pressbox.nsf/600975efad23ab78872565410013e138/127141f304214571852572bf00599eba |title=Newsfeed |website=usocpressbox.org}}{{dead link|date=July 2023}} The team finished in fourth place, just missing a medal. Since that disappointing Paralympics, the U.S. National Team has taken the gold medal at the 2009 America's Cup in Richmond, Canada{{cite web |url=http://www.nwba.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1613:usa-wins-gold&catid=23:usa-mens-national-team&Itemid=38 |title=USA Wins Gold |website=nwba.org |access-date=2009-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719024648/http://www.nwba.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1613:usa-wins-gold&catid=23:usa-mens-national-team&Itemid=38 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |url-status=dead }} and finished third at the 2010 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Birmingham, England.{{cite web |url=http://www.gbwba.org.uk/gbwba/index.cfm/wwbc2010/schedule/day-ten-finals/ |title=Day Ten - Finals - British Wheelchair Basketball |website=gbwba.org.uk |access-date=January 26, 2011 |archive-date=July 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719125458/http://www.gbwba.org.uk/gbwba/index.cfm/wwbc2010/schedule/day-ten-finals/ |url-status=dead }}

Serio is a co-captain of the USA Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team. He led the American men to their first Paralympic gold medal since 1988 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. and defended the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Serio has lived in Germany and played for RSV Lahn-Dill. His contract was extended through the 2016 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.rsvlahndill.de/index.php?id=60&L=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=588&cHash=bfb17de9be269ad41f3027daebf63b42 |title=Details - RSV Lahn-Dill |last=die.interaktiven |website=rsvlahndill.de}} He currently plays for the New York Rolling Knicks in the [http://www.nwba.org/ NWBA] Championship Division.

Along with sitting volleyball player Nicky Nieves, Serio served as one of two flag bearers for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony in Paris.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-23 |title=Team USA’s Paralympic Games flag bearers have been revealed |url=https://www.today.com/news/paris-olympics/paris-paralympic-games-flag-bearers-team-usa-rcna167882 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}}

Major achievements

= Juniors =

2005: First place - Junior National Wheelchair Basketball Championships
2005: Tournament MVP - Junior National Wheelchair Basketball Championships
2005: Gold medal - World Junior Basketball Championships

= Intercollegiate =

2008: National Champion - U.S. Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball
2008: MVP - NWBA College Division

= US National Team =

2006: Silver medal - IWBF Gold Cup (World Championships), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2007: Gold medal - Parapan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2008: Fourth place - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
2008: First place - North American Cup, Birmingham, Alabama
2009: First place - America's Cup, Richmond, BC, Canada
2010: Third place - Wheelchair Basketball World Championship, Birmingham, England, UK
2012: Bronze Medal - Paralympic Games, London, UK
2016: Gold Medal - Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2021: Gold Medal - 2020 Summer Paralympics, Tokyo, Japan

= Professional =

2011: German DRS Cup Champion
2011: German Championship
2011: IWBF Champions League Silver Medal
2012: German DRS Cup Champion
2012: German Championship
2021: IWBF Champions Cup Champion{{cite web |url=https://rsvlahndill.de/2021/05/02/zum-siebten-mal-den-europaeischen-thron-bestiegen/?lang=en |title=Ascended to the European throne for the seventh time |website=rsvlahndill.de}}

Notes

External links

{{Team USA|new_id=steve-serio|name=Steve Serio|old_id=SE/Steve-Serio|archive=20230623004823}}
{{IPC athlete|steve-serio|Steve Serio}} (2008, 2016)
{{IPC athlete|steven-serio|Steven Serio}} (2012)
{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802180505/http://paralympics.teamusa.org/athlete/athlete/1956 |date=mdy |title=Steve Serio at the U.S. Paralympic Team}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:American men's wheelchair basketball players

Category:Paralympic wheelchair basketball players for the United States

Category:Paralympic gold medalists for the United States

Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States

Category:Paralympic medalists in wheelchair basketball

Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2020 Summer Paralympics

Category:Wheelchair basketball players at the 2024 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics