PSU celebrates student athletes, coaches, staff at the Paris Olympics

CENTRE CO, Pa. (WTAJ) – Penn State will be cheering on 30 current and former student-athletes and club athletes who are competing in the Paris Olympics.

The opening ceremonies kicked off on Friday and Nittany Lion athletes will be represented in eight sports, including swimming, volleyball, fencing and soccer. Penn State is also sending an additional 14 professionals to Paris, including a team physician and team scout, as well as an array of coaches.

Penn State celebrated several Penn State athletes who will be competing in their third and fourth Olympic games this year. Matt Anderson (Men’s Volleyball | USA) participated in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games. Other Olympics, including Max Holt (Men’s Volleyball | USA), Joe Kovacs (Men’s Track & Field | USA) and Alyssa Naeher (Women’s Soccer | USA), will be competing in their third Olympic games this year.

Penn State announced their Olympians:

• 6 current student-athletes competing for the following countries: 1 USA, 1 Bermuda, 1 Mali, 1 Chile, 1 St. Vincent & the Grenadines, 1 Italy
• 20 former student-athletes competing for the following countries: 12 USA, 2 Mexico, 1 Ivory Coast, 1 Bermuda, 1 Germany, 1 Canada, 1 Philippines, 1 Ireland
• 1 former club student part of a USA team
• 2 current coaches competing for following countries: 1 Haiti, 1 Poland
• 1 former student-athlete coaching for a Japan team
• 7 current coaches serving as personal coaches: 3 coaching for track & field athletes, 4 coaching for wrestling athletes
• 1 former student-athlete serving as a team scout for USA
• 1 former student-athlete serving as a team physician for USA
• 2 former student-athletes on a traveling roster as provisional or alternate athletes for USA

Athletes:

• Myles Chamley-Watson (Fencing | USA)
• Margherita Guzzi Vincenti (Fencing | USA)
• Arianna Proietti (Fencing | Italy)
• Samantha Catantan (Fencing | Philippines)
• Phia Gladieux (Field Hockey | USA)
• Jenny Rizzo (Field Hockey | USA) (Provisional)
• Sam Zakutney (Men’s Gymnastics | Canada)
• Stephen Nedoroscik (Men’s Gymnastics | USA)
• Momo Cisset (Men’s Soccer | Mali)
• Jack Harvey (Swimming | Bermuda)
• Eduardo Cisternas (Men’s Swimming | Chile)
• Shane Ryan (Men’s Swimming | Ireland)
• Gabe Castano (Men’s Swimming | Mexico)
• Matt Anderson (Men’s Volleyball | USA)
• Max Holt (Men’s Volleyball | USA)
• Aaron Russell (Men’s Volleyball | USA)
• Kayla Canett (Women’s Rugby | USA)
• Cheickna Traore (Track & Field | Ivory Coast)
• Handal Roban (Track & Field | St. Vincent & the Grenadines)
• Joe Kovacs (Track & Field | USA)
• Roman Bravo-Young (Wrestling | Mexico)
• Aaron Brooks (Wrestling | USA)
• Zain Retherford (Wrestling | USA)
• Laura Freigang (Women’s Soccer | Germany)
• Sam Coffey (Women’s Soccer | USA)
• Alyssa Naeher (Women’s Soccer | USA)
• Emma Harvey (Women’s Swimming | Bermuda)
• Haliegh Washington (Women’s Volleyball | USA)
• Micha Hancock (Women’s Volleyball | USA) (Alternate)

Coaches and Support Staff

• Tom Hovasse (Head Coach, Men’s Basketball | Japan)
• Tanisha Wright (Scout, Women’s Basketball | USA)
• Ellen Casey (Team Physician, Women’s Gymnastics | USA)
• Cael Sanderson (Personal Coach, Wrestling | USA)
• Cody Sanderson (Personal Coach, Wrestling | USA)
• Casey Cunningham (Personal Coach, Wrestling | USA)
• Nick Lee (Personal Coach, Wrestling | USA)
• Ryan Foster (Personal Coach, Track & Field | Ivory Coast)
• Brandon Rizzo (Personal Coach, Track & Field | St. Vincent & the Grenadines)
• Dane Miller (Personal Coach, Track & Field | St. Vincent & the Grenadines)

Current Coaches Competing

• Lynzee Brown (Women’s Gymnastics | Haiti)
• Renata Knapik-Miazga (Fencing | Poland)

Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters .

For more information about current and former Penn State athletes, coaches, and support staff, view their bios and images here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.