2012 Olympians
Matt Anderson - Men's Volleyball (United States of America)
Anderson, a two-time AVCA All-American and the 2008 AVCA co-National Player of the Year, led Penn State to the 2008 NCAA title where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship. After leaving early to pursue a professional volleyball career, Anderson has become a fixture on the U.S. Men's National Team. Most recently, Anderson led the U.S. Men to a gold medal in the NORCECA Men's Continential Olympic Qualification Tournament where he was also named "Best Spiker". He is making is first Olympic Games appearance.
Felix Aronovich - Men's Gymnastics (Israel)
Felix Aronovich will compete as an individual in the all-around, representing his native country of Israel. Interestingly, Aronovich qualified twice for the Olympics, first meeting the Olympic committee requirements at a test event in London in January and then meeting the Israeli Olympic committee conditions by placing 11th in the all-around at the European Championships in May. In 2012, Aronovich was a key member of a Penn State squad that finished third at the National Collegiate Championships. He earned his first two career All-America honors, placing seventh in the all-around during the team finals and placing fifth in the parallel bars at the individual finals. At the 2012 Big Ten Championships, Aronovich placed fourth in the all-around, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors. The former Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year had his best collegiate season in 2012, setting career highs in five of six events and the all-around. The five-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Week has recorded 55 top three finishes, including 29 title wins, during his collegiate career.
Dominique Blake - Track & Field (Jamaica)
Blake - an NCAA Champion in the 4x400-meter relay as a Nittany Lion - earned herself a spot in the Jamaican relay pool on the heels of a sixth-place finish in the women's 400 final. She enjoyed an outstanding weekend overall posting three sub-52 seconds efforts through the rounds of the event, including a lifetime-best 51.72 in the semi-finals. Blake already has some international experience under her belt, competing for Jamaica in the open 400 at the World Indoors, where she finished as a semi-finalist.
Miles Chamley Watson - Men's Fencing (United States of America)
Miles Chamley-Watson took the collegiate season off to pursue a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. It paid off as he qualified for the third spot on the U.S. Men's Foil Team. This follows his junior season at Penn State in '10-11 that saw him fence his way to All-American honors for the third straight time.The junior was the runner up at the NCAA Championships this year and finished the regular season 14-7. As a sophomore the year prior ('09-10), Chamley-Watson tied for third at NCAAs, duplicating his performance as a freshman in '08-09. In all, the three-time Lion All-American has placed third twice and second once at nationals.
Shana Cox - Track & Field (Great Britain)
Cox, who was an NCAA Champion in the 400- and 4x400-meter relay as a Nittany Lion, ran 51.84 to finish second in the 400 and guarantee herself an Olympic spot at the Aviva London Olympic Trials. Cox is also a likely candidate for her squad's 4x400, after assisting on Great Britain's winning relay at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, and placing fifth individually in the 400. Cox - a 2008 graduate and 11-time All American as a Nittany Lion - owns a seasonal best of 51.54.
Bridget Franek - Track & Field (United States of America)
Franek qualified for her first career Olympic berth, placing second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Franek, who was an NCAA champion in the event in 2010, matched her highest-ever US finish in the effort, thanks to a finishing time of 9:35.62. A 10-time NCAA All-American while wearing the Blue and White, Franek clinched a spot on her third U.S. squad, having traveled to the IAAF World Championships in 2009, and 2011.
Daniel Gomez-Tanamachi - Men's Fencing (Mexico)
Daniel Gomez Tanamachi will be making his first appearance at the Olympics for his home country of Mexico. Gomez-Tanamachi enjoyed a stellar junior campaign, going 24-8 and placing first at the Mid-Atlantic/South Regional to qualify for the National Championships. He defeated 13 opponents to claim 10th in the nation and was an Honorable Mention All-American. After the season, Gomez-Tanamachi claimed a spot on the Mexico Men's Foil Team for the 2012 Olympics in London and will return to Penn State as a senior this year.
Christa Harmotto - (United States of America)
Harmotto is making her first appearance in the Olympic Games after debuting with the U.S. senior team in 2009. She has made 90 appearances in U.S. International matches, including most recently helping the U.S. women to the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix title. A four-time AVCA All-American, Harmotto led Penn State to the 2007 and 2008 NCAA National Championships. Harmotto is second in the Penn State career records in hitting percentage at .433 and fourth all-time in total blocks at 682. Harmotto also excelled off the court as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and the 2008 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year.
Megan Hodge - Women's Volleyball (United States of America)
Hodge is making her first appearance in the Olympic Games after making her U.S. senior team international debut in 2010. Most recently, Hodge helped the U.S. Women win the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix, the team's third straight win, and was selected MBP and Best Scorer of the tournament. After leading Penn State to three consecutive NCAA titles, Hodge was named co-Honda Broderick Cup Award winner for the best female collegiate athlete for 2009-10. The 2009 AVCA National Player of the Year and ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, Hodge was a four-time First Team AVCA All-American. Hodge closed out her Penn State career ranked second all-time in the record books with 2,142 career kills and amassed a career record of 142-5 (97%). She also helped lead Penn State to 102 of its record-breaking 109-match winning streak.
Erin McLeod - Women's Soccer (Canada)
Erin McLeod left Penn State as one of the most accomplished goalkeepers. McLeod earned NSCAA All-America First Team honors leading the Nittany Lions to a No. 1 ranking during the 2005 season and a Women's College Cup berth. McLeod was a two-time All-Big Ten First Team honoree, posting a 0.64 goals against average and a record of 39-2-3. McLeod was also a semifinalist for the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, a rare feat for a goalkeeper.
Carmelina Moscato - Women's Soccer (Canada)
Her Canadian counterpart, Carmelina Moscato, was a defensive stalwart on the 2005 College Cup team. Moscato help lead the Nittany Lions to four Big Ten championships and the 2001 Big Ten Tournament championship. During the 2005 season, Moscato and McLeod teamed up to lead PSU to its best season ever at 23-0-2 with a 19-game winning streak. Along with McLeod, Moscato has been a mainstay in the Canadian National Team defense, earning trips to the 2003 and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments. Moscato is making her first Olympic appearance while McLeod is making her second after three previous World Cup showings (2003, 2007, 2011).
Kirsten Nieuwendam - Track & Field (Suriname)
Kirsten Nieuwendam will represent the country of Suriname during the 2012 London Olympics, competing in the 200-meters. The London Games will be Nieuwendam's second Olympic appearance for her country, having competed in the same event at the Beijing Games in 2008. Nieuwendam, who owns sophomore eligibility indoors, and freshman eligibility outdoors in 2012-13, already has extensive international experience on her resume, with trips to the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2008 and 2010, as well as a go around at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Nieuwendam enjoyed outstanding success in 2012, finishing second in both the 400-meters and 4x400-meter relay at the Big Ten Indoor Championships, before adding another silver medal in the 4x400, as well as a third-place effort in the 200 at the outdoor conference meet.
Tommy Ramos - Men's Gymnastics (Puerto Rico)
Former Nittany Lion men's gymnast Tommy Ramos ('08) was selected by the Puerto Rico Gymnastics Federation in late June as the lone competitor that will represent his native country at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Ramos, along with current Nittany Lion Felix Aronovich, who will compete as an individual for Israel, gives Penn State two Olympic performers at the same games for the first time since 1992 when Terry Bartlett and Ian Shelley represented Great Britain in Barcelona. A six-time All-American under the tutelage of Penn State head coach Randy Jepson, Ramos played a prominent role in helping the Nittany Lions to the program's NCAA-record 12th national championship in 2007 and a Big Ten title in 2008. A two-time Big Ten still rings champion, he held the Penn State record in the event (16.000), set at the 2008 National Collegiate Championships, until Scott Rosenthal broke it in the 2012 season opener against Army, scoring a 16.300. ?A world-class still rings competitor, Ramos also excels in the parallel bars and the high bar. Boasting an extensive international competitive resume, which includes participation in the Pan American games and World Cup and World Championships events, he placed fifth in the still rings at an Olympic test event in London in January.
Ryan Whiting - Track & Field (United States of America)
Whiting - the defending World Indoor Champion in the shot put - also earned his first Olympic spot, via a second-place finish in his signature event. One of the top throwers in the world as well as a volunteer coach on the Nittany Lion track and field staff, Whiting recorded a toss of 71-0.75 (21.66) to finish second-to-only Reese Hoffa's 72-2.25 (22.00). Whiting is also no stranger to qualifying for U.S. teams, representing his country at the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Championships, and 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. The Harrisburg, Pa., native was a six-time NCAA Champion while competing at Arizona State.
Doris Willette - Women's Fencing (United States of America)
Four-time All-American, two-time national champion Doris Willette competed for Penn State from 2006-2011 and his making her second straight appearance in the Olympic games. She competed for the U.S. in Beijing in 2008. Willette left Penn State with a 117-14 dual record and won the NCAA title in the women's foil in 2007 and 2009 and was an All-American in 2010 and 2011. Willette left Penn State as one of the all-time greats in school history as both a four-time All-American, multiple NCAA champion and among the top ten in the school's all-time winning percentage list in the women's foil.