Penn State’s star-studded wrestling program will lead the university’s contingent of former (and current) athletes into the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Five national-championship wrestlers who either dominated for coach Cael Sanderson or who are key members of the State College-based Nittany Lion Wrestling Club will compete in the upcoming Olympic Games (July 26-August 11).
They will be joined by plenty of other Olympic athletes with Penn State ties during the upcoming two weeks in France. From volleyball to field hockey, track and field to fencing …
Six former Nittany Lion athletes won medals at the Tokyo Olympics Games in 2021 — including a PSU-record four golds.
Follow along here for updates on how these current Penn State Olympians are performing:
Aaron Brooks, wrestling
Aaron Brooks, 24, will look to continue his stunning ascension at quite possibly the perfect time. In the past eight months he’s won an Under-23 world title, a fourth national championship at Penn State and the Olympic Trials by upsetting reigning 86 kilogram gold medalist David Taylor.
Now, he faces a loaded Olympic field that includes Iranian Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani (gold medal in 2016, silver in 2021). Can Brooks pose the same kind of trouble for Yazdani — and rising 26-year-old Russian Artur Naifonov — as the vanquished Taylor did over the years?
Zain Retherford, wrestling
Zain Retherford, Penn State’s three-time national champ, nearly gave up wrestling last year for a financial career. Now, he’s Olympic-bound thanks to an inspired run through April’s team trials at the Bryce Jordan Center and an even more remarkable performance a few weeks later at the World Olympics Games Qualifier in Turkey. He won four matches on the deciding day in Istanbul to place third in the 65 kg freestyle weight class and clinch his trip to Paris.
Kyle Snyder, wrestling
The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club standout will make his third trip to the Olympics — in search of his second gold medal. Snyder is a Woodbine, Maryland native and a three-time NCAA champ at Ohio State. Though he, blasted through April’s Olympic Trials at Penn State in the 97 kilo division, he should face stiff competition in Paris, particularly from longtime rival Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia.
Snyder, 28, is on the U.S. team for a stunning 10th consecutive year, since becoming the youngest American wrestler ever to win a world championship in 2015. He’s just the second American to wrestle in three Olympic Games before the age of 30.
Kyle Dake, wrestling
The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club’s Kyle Dake is a gold-medal favorites at 74 kilograms. It may come down to Dake, the four-time world champion, and Russia’s defending Olympic gold medalist Zaurbek Sidakov, who’s known for late-match heroics. Sidakov pulled a come-from-behind victory over Dake in last year’s world finals.
Dake, a four-time national champ from Cornell University, has lost just two matches over the past six years.
Roman Bravo-Young, wrestling (Mexico)
The two-time national champion from Penn State will represent Mexico in the 57 kilos division.
Roman Bravo-Young qualified for the Summer Games by winning February’s Pan-American tournament in Acapulco, Mexico. He owns dual citizenship and is wrestling for Mexico to honor the heritage of his mother’s family.
Bravo-Young came to Penn State from Tucson, Arizona, where he was an undefeated, four-time state-title winner. At Penn State, he was 101-10 overall, twice winning NCAA championships at 133 pounds before finishing second as a senior in 2023.
Joe Kovacs, track and field
Joe Kovacs, a two-time world champion in the shot put, will be competing in his third Olympic games. He is expected to dual, once more, with American Ryan Crouser for his elusive gold medal.
Crouser most recently defeated Kovacs in the Olympic Track & Field Trials.
And yet Kovacs does own the top throw of the 2024 season (23.13 meters) and has been among the world’s best in the shot put for nearly a decade. He won his first world title in 2015, a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and a second world championship in 2019.
His wife, Ashley, will coach him in Paris as well as the women throwers for Team USA.
Cheickna Traore, track and field (Ivory Coast)
Cheickna Traore made the most of his one graduate transfer year at Penn State, capping a brilliant sprinting season with a 200 meters title at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Traore began his college track and field career by breaking records and winning NCAA Championships during four years at Division III Ramapo in New Jersey. His introduction to Penn State track and field? He immediately broke the school’s 60m and 200m dash records during this past indoor season.
He’s currently ranked 16th in the world in the 200 meters. He will run for his native Ivory Coast in Paris.
Haleigh Washington, women’s volleyball
Haleigh Washington, 28, will help Team USA defend its Olympic gold medal in Paris. Washington, who won a national title with the Nittany Lions, is one of the key middle blockers on America’s 12-member team.
Washington was a three-time All-American at Penn State, helping it win the 2014 NCAA championship. She’s been a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2018 and plays professionally in Italy.
Matt Anderson, men’s volleyball
Outside hitter Matt Anderson will be making his fourth Olympic games appearance in men’s volleyball. He won a bronze medal in 2016 in Rio.
He’s been a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2008 — shortly after leading Penn State to a national championship. He’s been the U.S. Men’s leading scorer every season since 2011.
Max Holt, men’s volleyball
Middle blocker Max Holt will be making his third Olympic games’ appearance in men’s volleyball. He and fellow Penn State grad Matt Anderson helped Team USA win bronze at the 2016 games in Rio.
Holt has been a member of the U.S. national team since 2009 — a year after helping the Nittany Lions win a national championship. The two-time AVCA First Team All-American has played professionally in Italy, Russia and China.
Aaron Russell, men’s volleyball
The 2015 Penn State grad and outside hitter has been a member of the U.S. National Team for a decade. The Maryland native and former PSU All-American has played professionally in Italy and Japan.
Alyssa Naeher, women’s soccer
Top Team USA goalie Alyssa Naeher will be making her third Olympic Games appearance.
The former Nittany Lion All-American (50-19-5 career record) has been the primary goalie for the U.S. since the completion of the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She helped Team USA earn a bronze medal in the Tokyo Games in 2021.
The Connecticut native suffered a thigh injury in May while playing for the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars − putting her Olympic status in doubt. But she returned to the net for the Red Stars on June 8 and has been cleared for Paris.
The women’s team will open Group B play on July 25 – one day before the Opening Ceremonies – against Zambia.
Sam Coffey, women’s soccer
Former Penn State soccer star Sam Coffey (2019-21) will play in her first Olympic Games.
She’s been on the rise coming into these games, despite a recent ankle injury. Coffey, 25, emerged as a top defensive midfielder for the USWNT, starting eight of 10 games.
Coffey scored 25 goals in 61 starts of her Nittany Lion career. She now plays for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, where she’s scored two goals this season.
The U.S. will open Group B play on July 25 — one day before the Opening Ceremonies — against Zambia.
Gabe Castano-Garcia, swimming (Mexico)
The Allentown Central High grad and former Penn State All-American will swim for Mexico in his second Olympics. Gabe Castano-Garcia, who specializes in the 50-meter freestyle, lives and trains in Texas and came out of retirement to prepare for his second Olympic games.
Emma Harvey, swimming (Bermuda)
Former Nittany Lion swimmer Emma Harvey, 22, will be representing her native Bermuda in the 100 backstroke. She qualified for her first Summer Games in May by swimming a 1:01.21 in Spain, which set a Bermuda national record.
Jack Harvey, swimming (Bermuda)
Current Nittany Lion Jack Harvey will swim the backstroke − just like his older sister, Emma − for his native Bermuda in Paris.
He, too, recently set a Bermuda national record in the 100 backstroke (55.19 seconds) to qualify for the Summer Games.
Stephen Nedoroscik, gymnastics
Pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik is one of five members of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team.
The former Nittany Lion and Massachusetts native qualifies for his first Olympics after falling short of making the U.S. team three years ago in Tokyo. That year, Nedoroscik was the pommel horse world champion.
He and former PSU teammate Sam Zakutney (Team Canada) are first Penn State men’s gymnasts in the Olympics since Felix Aronovich competed for Israel at the 2012 Summer Games in London.
Sam Zakutney, gymnastics (Canada)
The former Penn State gymnast (2017-20) is a Quebec native and will be one of five members of Canada’s men’s team.
This is the first Olympic Games for Sam Zakutney, 25.
At Penn State, Zakutney was a four-time All-American and a 2019 Big Ten title winner in the parallel bars − the same year he helped lead the Nittany Lions to the league title.
Sophia Gladieux, field hockey
Penn State field hockey star Sophia Gladieux is a three-time All-American and a Big Ten Player of the Year. She’ll compete in Paris ahead of playing her fifth and final season with the Nittany Lions in the fall.
The Boyertown, Pa., native becomes the fourth Nittany Lion field hockey player to be named to a U.S. Olympic field hockey team − and the first since 1984.
Gladieux led the Lions with 45 points off 21 goals and three assists during the 2023 season. She scored six game-winning goals.
Jenny Rizzo, field hockey
Former Penn State goalie Jenny Rizzo is a “provisional” athlete or U.S. team alternate for her first Olympic Games. She will travel with the team to Paris.
Rizzo was a four-year letter winner at Penn State, earning All-Big Ten honors twice and was part of three NCAA tournament teams.
The Hershey High graduate helped lead the United States to its Olympic-clinching victory over Japan in January. Rizzo was recently named to the field hockey coaching staff at the University of Maryland.
Miles Chamley-Watson, fencing
Miles Chamley-Watson will be making his third Olympic Games appearance in the foil competition.
Chamley-Watson, 34, won bronze at the 2016 Rio Games − four years after completing his superb Penn State career and competing for Team USA in his native London Olympic Games.
He helped Penn State win the 2008-09 NCAA National Championship.
Margherita Guzzi Vincenti, fencing
The 33-year-old who grew up in Italy will represent Team USA in epee competition. The four-time All-American at Penn State won a national championship in epee as a freshman. She followed that with a runner-up and two third-place finishes at NCAAs.
Samantha Catantan, fencing (Philippines)
Penn State 2024 team captain Samantha Cantantan will represent her native Philippines in foil fencing — the first Olympian fencer from her country in 32 years.
She recovered from a torn ACL last year, just returning to top form this spring. She finished strong in the NCAA Championships last March, then won an Olympic qualifying event in the United Arab Emirates in April. She began fending again, fully-healed, in January.
Catantan’s fencing career began to take off after attending a youth training camp in Malayasia hosted by Nittany Lion great Nonpatat Panchan, a two-time NCAA champion in foil. That experience eventually led to a PSU scholarship offer.
Kayla Canett, rugby
Former Nittany Lion and California native Kayla Canet, 26, will be playing for the U.S. women’s rugby team in her second Olympics. The U.S. finished sixth at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State sports for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State Nittany Lion tracker for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris
