UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A school-record 12 former Nittany Lion student-athletes won medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Penn Staters earned 13 total medals in Paris — two gold, three silver and eight bronze — with United States gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik leading the count with a pair of bronze medals to his name.

Highlighting the 2024 Olympics for Penn State was the gold-medal efforts for former Nittany Lion women’s soccer stars Alyssa Naeher and Sam Coffey, who helped the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team earn a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the gold medal match. Naeher’s strong effort in net was a big reason for the team’s success, as her clutch save in stoppage time prevented an equalizing goal from Brazil.

Nittany Lion student-athletes posted three silver-medal performances in Paris. Representing Team USA, Joe Kovacs claimed his third consecutive Olympic silver medal in the men’s shot put with a clutch throw in the sixth and final round of the event. Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington’s efforts helped propel Team USA to a silver-medal finish in the women’s volleyball tournament. Washington started each of Team USA’s contests in Paris and played well as the squad’s primary middle blocker.

Penn State student-athletes won eight bronze medals in Paris, with Nedoroscik doing so in both the individual pommel horse event along with the team artistic gymnastics competition. The trio of Matt Anderson, Max Holt and Aaron Russell helped the United States men’s volleyball team claim bronze, while Kayla Cannett, Team USA, women’s rugby – sevens; Aaron Brooks, USA, wrestling; and Laura Freigang, Germany, women’s soccer, also earned bronze in their respective events.

The Nittany Lions boasted seven repeat medalists with the select group totaling 15 medals through three Olympiads. Kovacs’ back-to-back-to-back Olympic silvers in the men’s shot put give him the largest individual medal total among Penn State athletes competing in Paris.

Additionally, current Nittany Lion assistant fencing coach Renata Knapik-Miazga took bronze with Poland’s epee team and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club member Kyle Dake claimed bronze.
 
The 13 medals bring Penn State’s total medal count to 56 all-time, including 11 gold-medal efforts from its 143 Olympic athletes.

Penn State sent a school-record 30 current and former student-athletes or club athletes representing 13 countries to compete at the Paris Olympics. Among those, six current student-athletes represented their respective Nittany Lion teams in Paris.

For exclusive content and in-depth coverage of Penn State's Olympians, visit GoPSUsports.com's Olympics website.