Cheryl Abplanalp Thompson (born June 1, 1972) is an American

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

player. She competed in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Early life and education

Abplanalp was born in

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr (, from Welsh language, Welsh for 'big hill') is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue, also known as U.S. Route 30 in Pennsylvania, U.S. ...

. She played field hockey, basketball and softball at

Great Valley High School Great Valley High School is a comprehensive, public high school located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Located on the same campus as Great Valley Middle School at 225 North Phoenixville Pike, it is the only high school in the Great Valley School Distr ...

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially referred to as Chesco, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in ...

. She was a three-sport athlete at

Davis and Elkins College Davis & Elkins College (D&E) is a private college in Elkins, West Virginia, United States. It operates as a nonprofit Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and is affiliated with the Association of Presbyterian College ...

and co-captain of the field hockey, basketball and softball teams. She was named Davis And Elkins College Athlete of the year in 1993-94, and graduated from Davis and Elkins in 1994.

Career

Abplanalp began playing team handball and became the youngest player for

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

at the

in Atlanta. In 2001, she was inducted into the Davis and Elkins College Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Abplanalp married John Thompson and they have a son and daughter together.

References

1972 births Living people American female handball players Davis & Elkins Senators field hockey players Davis & Elkins Senators softball players Davis & Elkins Senators women's basketball players Great Valley High School alumni Handball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic handball players for the United States Sportspeople from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 20th-century American sportswomen {{US-handball-bio-stub