Who is Anna Hall? What to know about NCAA champion and Team USA heptathlete

Team USA has nearly 600 athletes representing the U.S. in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games . Many stars are making their Olympic debuts, like Team USA flag bearer Coco Gauff . Another athlete making their debut in Paris is heptathlon athlete Anna Hall.

Hall, a Colorado native, got a shoutout from NBC commentator and former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning during the broadcast of the opening ceremony today.

"Anna is from Denver, a Broncos fan," Manning said. "Although her father was a three-sport athlete at Michigan, she grew up a Tom Brady fan. I told Anna I forgive her for that."

Manning said when he asked her what she'd be thinking about on the boat during the Parade of Nations, she told him "it would be very emotional considering all she's had to overcome. An injury knocked her out of the trials three years ago, this past January she had knee surgery."

She recovered from the surgery in time to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Here's what to know about Hall ahead of this Olympics.

Where is Anna Hall from?

Hall is from Highlands Ranch in the Denver metropolitan area. Her father David played quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines football team, guard for the basketball team , and competed in decathlon.

She attended Valor Christian High School and was a three-time New Balance Nationals pentathlon champion from 2017-2019.

Where did Anna Hall go to college?

Hall competed for the Georgia Bulldogs out of college and earned SEC All-Freshman Indoors honors in 2020. She missed the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 because she broke her foot during the Olympic trials in the 100 meter hurdles.

After she recovered from the injury, Hall transferred to the University of Florida. She won the NCAA women's pentathlon and heptathlon titles in 2022 and helped the Gators win their first NCAA women's Indoor team title and first Outdoor team title.

Anna Hall statistics

Personal bests:

• Heptathlon: 6,988
• Pentathlon: 5,004*
• 400 meters: 50.82
• 400 meter hurdles: 54.42

*=American record

Medal record:

World championships

• 2023 Heptathlon: Silver
• 2022 Heptathlon: Bronze

Pan American U20 championships

• 2019 Heptathlon: Gold

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Anna Hall? What to know about NCAA champion and Team USA heptathlete