Drown, Edmonds Join USA Weightlifting

COLORADO SPRINGS - USA Weightlifting President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Sicchio has added Christina Drown and Will Edmonds to the National Governing Body’s team. Drown joins as a Membership Services Coordinator, and Edmonds is the Director of Communications. In her role, Drown will work with Membership and Compliance Manager Alex Love to help oversee and manage the needs of USAW’s over 23,000 members. Edmonds will spearhead all communications for USAW in collaboration with Sicchio.

“I’m excited to add great talent to a high-performing team,” Sicchio said. “Christina and Will bring impressive skills and passion for the place the sport has in American society. I’m excited for the impact they will make on the weightlifting community and in service to our USAW members as we continue progressing, growing and publicizing the sport of weightlifting.” 

Drown comes to The Springs from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area. A 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Drown earned her bachelor’s of science degree in supply chain and operations management from the Carlson School of Management. While at UMN, Drown was an active member of the Women in Business Club, Carlson Ambassadors, and various intramural sports. Drown was extremely active and took full advantage of opportunities while in college. Some of her past work experiences include internships at West Monroe (mergers and acquisitions), Thomas Reuters (solutions marketing), Geneva Capital LLC (marketing), FOX Sports (brand ambassador and Women of the Regional Sports Network Leadership Series Program), and the Minnesota Athletics Department (social media department volunteer). 

“I could not be more excited to begin my career in sports at USA Weightlifting,” Drown said. “The chance to be in a city with 25 NGBs provides the best learning and growth opportunity. A special thank you to Matt Sicchio, Alex Love, JP Nicoletta and the whole USAW team for providing a great interview and onboarding process. After receiving an excellent education from the University of Minnesota I am more than ready to use business as a force for good. My background in sports and competitive weightlifting in highschool makes this position even more exciting. I appreciate all the support from mentors, prior coworkers and those who helped me find the right position.”

Edmonds recently completed a three-year stint with the Arizona State Athletics Department as a sports information/communications director, capping off an eight-year career in the collegiate sports information industry that featured stops at Syracuse University, the University of Toledo, and Ohio University. Across his previous roles, Edmonds worked with over 20 individual teams and focused on all things related to media relations, social media management, and multimedia content creation. Edmonds gained additional experience interning with the National Hockey League for two seasons, along with a single season with Columbus Eagles FC. He is also an accomplished photographer who has covered countless professional events, games, and tournaments. Edmonds, a native of Columbus, Ohio, earned his bachelor’s of science in journalism from Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication in 2017.

“Being hired as USA Weightlifitng’s Director of Communications is a huge honor, and I cannot thank Matt Sicchio and the entire USAW team enough for entrusting me with this position,” Edmonds said. “A role like this is something I’ve been striving for for a while and I’m absolutely fired up to be on board. I have a ton of respect and admiration for weightlifters and the overall sport of weightlifting - in my eyes there aren’t too many sports that push your limits the way weightlifting does. I can’t wait to see everyone’s passion up close and learn the ins and outs of the sport. 

“I loved my time working in collegiate athletics and I cannot thank all of the past student-athletes, administrators, coworkers and leaders I’ve worked with enough for helping me prepare for this opportunity,” Edmonds added. “My time at ASU, Syracuse, Toledo and Ohio U made me a better professional and I’m so thankful for those experiences. I wouldn’t be here without them.”