A total of 91 former and current Atlantic Coast Conference student-athletes and coaches will represent 26 nations in the upcoming 2012 London Olympics. The group, which includes seven current student-athletes and more than 40 All-Americans, represents all 12 ACC member institutions. Twenty-seven of this year’s ACC Olympians previously competed in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and accounted for seven medals.
“The ACC is proud to have so many athletes and coaches representing their countries on a global stage,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We look forward to watching their events and celebrating their successes.”
Fans can access the ACC’s Olympic coverage at theACC.com/olympics or on Twitter by following @ACCinLondon12 and using the hashtag #ACCOlympics.
A complete school-by-school list of 2012 ACC Olympians is as follows:
BOSTON COLLEGE,
Laura Georges, Women’s Soccer, France
CLEMSON,
Warren Fraser, Men’s Track & Field, Bahamas, 100m
George Kitchens Jr, Men’s Track & Field, USA, Long Jump
Patricia Mamona, Women’s Track & Field, Portugal, Triple Jump
Marlena Wesh, Women’s Track & Field, Haiti, 400m
DUKE,
Drew Johansen, Diving, USA, Coach
Chris Collins, Men’s Basketball, USA, Advance Scout/Court Coach
Kevin Cullen, Men’s Basketball, USA, Video Coordinator
Luol Deng, Men’s Basketball, Great Britain, Athlete
Mike Krzyzewski, Men’s Basketball, USA, Coach
Martynas Pocius, Men’s Basketball, Lithuania, Athlete
Steve Wojciechowski, Men’s Basketball, USA, Advance Scout/Court Coach
Nick McCrory, Men’s Diving, USA, 10m Syncho, 10m
Abby Johnston, Women’s Diving, USA, 3m Synchro
Rebecca Smith, Women’s Soccer, New Zealand, Athlete
Shannon Rowbury, Women’s Track & Field, USA, 1500m
Jillian Schwartz, Women’s Track & Field, Israel, Pole Vault
Eric Boateng, Men’s Basketball, Great Britain, Athlete
FLORIDA STATE
Mateo DeAngulo, Men’s Swimming, Colombia, 400m Freestyle
Gonzalo Barroilhet, Men’s Track & Field, Chile, Decathlon
Jonathan Borlee, Men’s Track & Field, Belgium, 400m
Kevin Borlee, Men’s Track & Field, Belgium, 400m
Kemar Hyman, Men’s Track & Field, Cayman Islands, 100m
Maurice Mitchell, Men’s Track & Field, USA, 200m
Ciaran O’Lionaird, Men’s Track & Field, Ireland, 1500m
Dorian Scott, Men’s Track & Field, Jamaica, Shot Put
Hannah England, Women’s Track & Field, Great Britain, 1500m
Lacy Janson, Women’s Track & Field, USA, Pole Vault
Barbara Parker, Women’s Track & Field, Great Britain, 5000m OR 3000m Steeplechase
Kimberly Williams, Women’s Track & Field, Jamaica, Triple Jump
GEORGIA TECH
Alade Aminu, Men’s Basketball, Nigeria, Athlete
Andrew Chetcuti, Men’s Swimming, Malta, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle
Angelo Taylor, Men’s Track & Field, USA, 400m hurdles
Chaunte Howard Lowe, Women’s Track & Field, USA, High Jump
MARYLAND
Missy Meharg, Field Hockey, USA, NBC Commentary
Katie O’Donnell, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Keli Smith-Puzo, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Ekene Ibekwe, Men’s Basketball, Nigeria, Athlete
Andrew Valmon, Men’s Track & Field, USA, Coach
Nataly Arias, Women’s Soccer, Colombia, Athlete
MIAMI
Randy Ableman, Diving, USA, Assistant Coach
Reuben Ross, Men’s Diving, Canada, 3m Synchro
Zach Railey, Sailing, USA, Finn Class
Brittany Viola, Women’s Diving, USA, 10m
Murielle Ahoure, Women’s Track & Field, Ivory Coast,
T’Erea Brown, Women’s Track & Field, USA, 400m hurdles
Amy Deem, Women’s Track & Field, USA, Coach
Lauryn Williams, Women’s Track & Field, USA, Member of relay pool
Savannah Leaf, Women’s Volleyball, Great Britain, Athlete
Ciara Michel, Women’s Volleyball, Great Britain, Athlete
NORTH CAROLINA
Illse Davids, Field Hockey, South Africa, Athlete
Rachel Dawson, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Katelyn Falgowski, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Jesse Gey, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Jaclyn Kintzer, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Amy Swensen, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Vikas Gowda, Men’s Track & Field, India, Discus
Robyn Gayle, Women’s Soccer, Canada, Athlete
Tobin Heath, Women’s Soccer, USA, Athlete
Meghan Klingenberg, Women’s Soccer, USA, Athlete, *Alternate
Heather O’Reilly, Women’s Soccer, USA, Athlete
Shalane Flanagan, Women’s Track & Field, USA, Marathon
Alice Schmidt, Women’s Track & Field, USA, 800m
Katie Bowen, Women’s Soccer, New Zealand, Athlete, *Alternate
NC STATE
Bob Alejo, Beach Volleyball, USA, Coach
Cullen Jones, Men’s Swimming, USA, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 4×100 Freestyle Relay
Jamill Kelly, Wrestling, USA, Coach
Jesse Williams, Men’s Track & Field, USA, High Jump
VIRGINIA
Will Coleman, Equestrian, USA, Athlete
Paige Selenski, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Michelle Vittese, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
David Karasek, Men’s Swimming, Switzerland, 200m IM
Matt McLean, Men’s Swimming, USA, 800m Freestyle Relay
Scot Robison, Men’s Swimming, USA, 400m Freestyle Relay, *Alternate
Somdev Devvarman, Men’s Tennis, India, Singles
Inge Janssen, Women’s Rowing, Netherlands, Athlete
Lori Lindsey, Women’s Soccer, USA, Athlete, *Alternate
Becky Sauerbrunn, Women’s Soccer, USA, Athlete
Katya Bachrouche, Women’s Swimming, Lebanon, 800m Freestyle
Lauren Perdue, Women’s Swimming, USA, 800m Freestyle Relay
Yannick Kaser, Men’s Swimming, Switzerland, 200m Breaststroke
VIRGINIA TECH
Marcel Lomnicky, Men’s Track & Field, Slovakia, Hammer throw
Katarina Filova, Women’s Swimming, Slovakia, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle
WAKE FOREST
Lauren Crandall, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Michelle Kasold, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Claire Laubach, Field Hockey, USA, Athlete
Al-Farouq Aminu, Men’s Basketball, Nigeria, Athlete
Chris Paul, Men’s Basketball, USA, Athlete
Darius Songaila, Men’s Basketball, Lithuania, Athlete
Brent LaRue, Men’s Track & Field, Slovenia, 400m hurdles
Hunter Kemper, Triathlon, USA, Athlete
You forgot Ola Sesay from North Carolina representing sierra leone in long jump
Yes, I don’t know why she was missed by the ACC offices but I suspect it’s because her name is listed two ways and it wasn’t picked up on that she was the person who did track and field at Carolina more than a decade ago.
I wrote this piece for the UNC Alumni Association about Sesay a week ago.
Add Another Tar Heel to the Olympic Lineup
We’ve discovered another Tar Heel who will be competing in the Olympics. (It would be easier if there were a central clearinghouse that cross-referenced Tar Heels and Olympics.)
Ola Sesay ’01 has been named to the Sierra Leone Olympic team as a long jumper. She is one of only two members of the Sierra Leone Olympic team.
Sesay trained in the U.S. and flew to London recently. She and fellow Sierra Leone team member Ibrahim Turay, a sprinter, have been staying in East Sussex as guests of the Hastings Sierra Leone Friendship Link, which was started a decade ago as a way of helping the civil-war-torn nation.
Sesay and Turay, whose travel and participation in the Games are being funded by the Olympic organization, will move into the London Olympic Village after torch celebrations.
Sierra Leone made its Olympic debut in 1968 and has never won a medal. The country’s 5 million citizens undoubtedly will be watching Sesay and Turay closely. Of all the Tar Heels in the Olympics, Sesay might feel the most pressure to succeed for her native country.
Sesay, 33, was quoted in an article about the 2012 Games being the first real social-media dominated Games. “Definitely, definitely,” she said. “We were just in the mall trying to get a laptop or iPad so that [Turay] can use his Facebook.”
She said this is her way of keeping in touch with those at home during the Olympics. “I use Facebook a lot, mostly just to communicate with my family and give them updates on how I’m going and how my training’s going,” she said.