Patriot League Olympians and Paralympians


Patriot League Olympians and Paralympians by Year
 

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

 
Participant Julimar (Avila) Mancia
School, Graduate Date Boston University (2019)
Olympic Event/Sport Swimming (Honduras)

Avila is a three-time All-Patriot League honoree and two-time Academic Honor Roll recipient. She captured First-Team All-League honors following the 2019 Patriot League Championships after winning the 100-meter butterfly (56.76). She also helped the Terriers' 200-meter medley relay and 400-meter freestyle relay squads to second-places finishes. She was a Second-Team All-League selection in 2016 and 2018.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Avila Mancia competed in the 200-meter freestyle finishing 22nd overall with the time of 02:04.88. This marked her second consecutive Olympic Games appearance for Honduras.

Participant McKenzie Coan
School, Graduation Date Loyola Maryland (2018)
Paralympic Event/Sport Women's Para-Swimming (USA)

Coan was a three-time gold medalist at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro after winning the 50m, 100m and 400m free events, and she is a 10-time medalist (five gold, five silver) at the World Championships.
50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly
Classification: S7, SB6, SM7

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Coan finished with two medals; a silver in the 100-meter freestyle S7 and gold in the 400-meter freestyle S7. She also qualified and competed in the 50-meter freestyle S8, 100-meter backstroke S7, and 50-meter butterfly S7. She garnered a silver medal at the 2024 Games in the women's 400-meter freestyle (S7) and finished 13th in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S7.
 
Participant Emelie Eldracher
School, Graduation Date MIT (2023)
Paralympic Event/Sport Women's Para-Rowing (USA)

Eldracher was the coxswain for the USA Mixed Coxed Four PR3 boat at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, which captured a silver medal. She earned a spot on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll four times, and was the coxswain on MIT's third-place Varsity Eight boat at the 2023 Patriot League Championship
Classification: PR3
 
Participant Amanda (Magadan) Golini  
School, Graduate Date Lafayette College (2017)
Olympic Sport Field Hockey (USA)
 
Golini played at the 2024 Paris Olympics and played for the U.S. field hockey team which posted a 1-3-1 mark in pool B.
 
At Lafayette, she earned All-Patriot League honors in each of her final three seasons, including first-team laurels as a junior and senior. Golini led the Leopards in scoring in 2015 and 2016 with 10 and eight goals, respectively,  and received Third-Team All-America honors in 2016.

 
Participant Ally Hammel 
School, Graduate Date Boston University (2018)
Olympic Sport Field Hockey (USA)
Hammel played at the 2024 Paris Olympics and played for the U.S. field hockey team which posted a 1-3-1 mark in pool B.
 
The only two-time first-team All-American in BU history, Hammel a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-Patriot League performer (2017-18). She guided the Terriers to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and was named the 2018 Patriot League Tournament MVP. 
 
Participant Rayven Sample
School, Graduation Date Bucknell (2024)
Paralympic Event/Sport Men's 100 meters (USA)

Sample competed on the Bison track and field team before earning a spot at the Paris Paralympic Games.  He placed 14th in the T47 100 meters and is also competing in the 400 meters. 

Sample was a member of the fourth-place  4x400 at the 2023 Patriot League Indoor Championship (3:19.76). He placed seventh in the 400 meters (51.07) at the 2022 Patriot league Outdoor Championship, and earned third (4x400-meter relay) and fifth (400m) at the 2022 Patriot League Indoor Championship.
 
Participant Regine Tugade-Watson
School, Graduation Date Navy (2020)
Olympic Event/Sport Women's 100 meters (Guam)

Regine Tugade-Watson earned second-team all-Patriot League accolades in 2018 and 2019. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she finished third in the preliminary round in the 100 meters (12.34). She became the first plebe to compete at the Olympic Games.
 
Representing Guam for the second consecutive Olympics, Tugade-Watson placed fourth in heat two in the 100 meters with a time of 12.02 to finish 17th overall at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
 


Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympic Games

-
Participant Julimar Avila
School, Graduate Date Boston University (2019)
Olympic Event/Sport Swimming (Honduras)

Avila is a three-time All-Patriot League honoree and two-time Academic Honor Roll recipient. She captured First-Team All-League honors following the 2019 Patriot League Championships after winning the 100-yard butterfly (56.76). She also helped the Terriers' 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay squads to second-places finishes. She was a Second-Team All-League selection in 2016 and 2018.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Avila competed in the 200-meter butterfly (2:15.36).

Participant McClain Hermes
School, Graduation Date Loyola Maryland (2023)
Paralympic Event/Sport Women's Para-Swimming (USA)

Hermes finished among the top eight in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2016 Rio Paralympics before enrolling at Loyola Maryland. She also claimed gold in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2017 world championships.

At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Hermes competed in the 100-meter backstroke S11, 200-meter medley SM11, 100-meter breaststroke SB11, and 400-meter freestyle S11. She qualified for the 400-meter freestyle S11 finals, finishing 6th overall.
 
Participant Emelie Eldracher
School, Graduation Date MIT (2023)
Paralympic Event/Sport Women's Para-Rowing (USA)

Eldracher is the coxswain for the USA PR3 4+ boat at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. She earned a spot on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll four times, and was the coxswain on MIT's third-place Varsity Eight boat at the 2023 Patriot League Championship
Classification: PR3
 
Participant Rayven Sample
School, Graduation Date Bucknell (2024)
Paralympic Event/Sport Men's 100 meters (USA)

Sample competed on the Bison track and field team before earning at spot at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Sample competed in the 400-meter T47 finals.
 
Participant Brad Snyder
School, Graduation Date Navy (2006)
Paralympic Event/Sport Men's Paratriathlon (USA)

U.S. Naval Academy graduate Brad Snyder will compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games as a member of the United States paratriathlon team. Paratriathlon made its debut as a medal event at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016.  At the Paralympic Games Tokyo, triathletes will cover a 750-meter swim, non-drafting 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run. Snyder finished the 2020 Tokyo Games with a gold medal in the PT5 triathlon.

Snyder, who served as the captain of the Navy men's swimming team as a senior, was guided by Greg Billington, who was a member of Team USA in the triathlon at the 2016 Olympics. Snyder lost his eyesight in a 2011 IED explosion while serving in Afghanistan.  One year to the date of losing his vision, he won a gold medal in swimming at the Paralympic Games London 2012.  Now a five-time gold medalist and two-time silver medalist in swimming from the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, 

Snyder earned second-team all-Patriot League honors (2004) after finishing third in the 1650 free, ninth in the 500 free and 10th in the 200 fly at the Patriot League Championship.

At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Snyder captured three gold medals (50-, 100- and 400-meter freestyle), along with a silver medal (100-meter backstroke). He broke the world record in the S11 50- and 100-meter freestyle. Snyder also placed fourth in the 100m fly. At the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, he captured a gold medal in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle, in addition to a silver medal performance in the 50-meter freestyle. Snyder won three gold medals at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships (50m free, 100m free, 400m free).
 
Participant Veronica Toro
School, Graduation Date: MIT, 2016
Paralympic Event/Sport: Rowing (Puerto Rico)

Toro became the first Puerto Rican female rower to qualify and compete in the Olympics when she took to the water in the Women's Single Sculls in Tokyo. She finished 4th in the single sculls final D. 
 
She was a three-time Academic All-Patriot League selection, three-time Academic Honor Roll recipient and two-time CRCA Scholar Athlete during her four-year career at MIT. She was a member of the Engineers V8 that finished third in the grand final of the 2016 Patriot League Championship. 
 
Participant Joey Lye
School, Graduation Date Bucknell, head coach
Olympic Event/Sport Softball (Canada)

During her three seasons as the head softball coach at Bucknell, Joey Lye's squads qualified for two Patriot League Championships and the Bison posted an overall record of 63-61-1 and 27-8 in League action during her tenure.

With Lye competing, Canada has earned two medals at the Pan American Games -- gold in 2015 and silver in 2011 -- and two bronze medals at the World Championships. She has been a mainstay of Canada's Women's National Team since her debut with the squad in 2010.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Lye helped the Canadian softball team earn a bronze medal winning 3-2 against Mexico.
 
Participant Regine Tugade-Watson
School, Graduation Date Navy (2020)
Olympic Event/Sport Women's 100 meters (Guam)

Regine Tugade-Watson earned second-team all-Patriot League accolades in 2018 and 2019. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she finished third in the preliminary round in the 100 meters (12.34). She became the first plebe to compete at the Olympic Games.

A 2020 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Tugade-Watson is the Guam national record holder in the indoor 60 meters, 200 meters and long jump, along with the outdoors 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, triple jump and 4x400m relay.

She is an experienced international competitor after competing at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Tugade-Watson competed in the 100 meters.
 
Participant Anna Weis
School, Graduate Date Boston University (2021)
Olympic Event/Sport Sailing (USA)

Weis competed on the Boston University women's rowing team during the 2017-18 season, sitting in the six-seat 2V8 boat that won a silver medal at the 2018 Patriot League Championship. 
 
In sailing, Weis finished first in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima and claimed first-place accolades in the U.S. Women's Singlehanded National Championship at Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio in 2016. 

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Weis competed in the Narca 17 race finishing ninth.


Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Participant: Gemma Acheampong
School, Graduation Date: Boston University, 2015
Olympic Event/Sport: Women's 4x400 relay (Ghana)

She was the Female Track Athlete of the Meet at both the Patriot League Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships after helping lead the Terriers to second place at both events. Acheampong won the 100 and 200 meters at both events, with her 100m time of 11.49 seconds at the outdoor meet setting a school and Patriot League record. Acheampong also set the 60-meter school record (7.49). She competed in the women's 4x400 relay in Rio for Ghana.

The Patriot League named Acheampong to the conference's 25th Anniversary Team in August 2015. She was a five-time individual event winner in her two seasons in the league with a pair of titles in the 100m dash, an indoor and outdoor crown in the 200m dash, and a 60m dash victory. Acheampong holds meet-record times in the 60 meters, 100 meters and outdoor 200 meters.
 
Participant:  Lauren Schmetterling
School, Graduation Date: Colgate, 2010
Olympic Event/Sport: Women's Eight/Rowing (USA)
A two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recipient, she also captured First-Team All-Patriot League accolades in 2010 after participating on Colgate's fourth-place squad at the League
Championship. Schmetterling became the first Olympic gold medalist during the Patriot League era as a member of the United States' women's eight.
 
Participant: Caylee Watson
School, Graduation Date American, 2017
Olympic Event/Sport: Women's Swimming (U.S. Virgin Islands)
A competitor at past Patriot League Championships, Watson competed in the women's 100-meter backstroke in Rio, where she finished 30th. She also competed at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships.
 
Participant: Robyne Johnson
School, Years Coaching Boston University, 2005-19
Olympic Event/Sport Women's Track and Field (USA, Assistant Coach)
In July, 2015, Johnson was named an assistant coach of the 2016 USA Track & Field Olympic Team that competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
 
Participant: Brad Snyder
School, Graduation Date Navy, 2006
Paralympic Event/Sport: Freestyle/Swimming (USA)
Snyder earned second-team all-Patriot League honors (2004) after finishing third in the 1,650-yard freestyle, ninth in the 500-yard freestyle and 10th in the 200-yard futterfly at the Patriot League Championship.
At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, Snyder captured three gold medals (50-, 100- and 400-meter freestyle), along with a silver medal (100-meter backstroke). He broke the world record in the S11 50- and 100-meter freestyle. Snyder also placed fourth in the 100m fly.
At the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, he captured a gold medal in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle, in addition to a silver-medal performance in the 50-meter freestyle. Snyder won three gold medals at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships (50m free, 100m free, 400m free).
 
Participant McKenzie Coan
School, Graduation Date: Loyola Maryland, 2018
Paralympic Event/Sport: Freestyle/Swimming (USA)
In Rio, Coan captured three gold medals and one silver medal, while setting three American records. Her gold medals came in the S7 50-meter, 100- and 400-meter freestyle, and she was a member of the silver medal-winning 4x100-meter freestyle relay. Coan also placed sixth in the 50-meter freestyle.
Coan finished sixth in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. She set the S8 Class American record in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 2016.
 
Participant Alyssa Gialamas
School, Graduation Date: Loyola Maryland, 2018
Paralympic Event/Sport: Freestyle/Swimming (USA)
Gialamas will make her second Paralympic appearance in 2016 after finishing fifth in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2012 London Games. She earned a bronze medal at the 2013 Paralympic World Championships. She earned a pair of top 10 finishes at the Rio Paralympic Games; sixth in 50-meter backstroke and seventh in 200-meter freestyle. She also competed in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events.

London 2012 Olympic Games

Participant: Brad Snyder
School, Graduation Date: Navy, 2006
Paralympic Event/Sport: Freestyle/Swimming (USA)
Snyder earned second-team all-Patriot League honors (2004) after finishing third in the 1650 free,
ninth in the 500 free and 10th in the 200 fly at the Patriot League Championship. At the 2012
Paralympic Games in London, he captured a gold medal in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle, in addition to a silver-medal performance in the 50-meter freestyle.
 
Participant: Keitani Graham
School, Graduation Date Holy Cross, 2003
Olympic Event/Sport: Greco-Roman Wrestling (Federated States of Micronesia)
  • A 2003 graduate of Holy Cross, Graham was a member of the Crusader track and field team. He will compete in Greco-Roman Wrestling representing the Federated States of Micronesia at the London 2012 Summer Games. He competed at 84 kg.
Participant: Fernando Canales
School, Years Coaching: Colgate, 2010-2014
Olympic Event/Sport: Swimming (USA)
  • Canales, the 2011 Patriot League Women's Swimming Coach of the Year, accompanied American swimmer Michael Phelps to the Summer Games in London. He is a three-time Olympian (1976, 1980 and 1984) while competing for Puerto Rico.

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Participant: Stewart Glenister
School, Graduation Date: Army, 2011
Olympic Event/Sport: Swimming (American Samoa)
  • Glenister competed at the 2008 Patriot League Championships during his freshman season in the 100 and 200 butterfly. Glenister won the fourth heat of the 50-meter freestyle competition with a time of 25.45. While he did not advance to the semifinal round, Glenister was one of just 16 swimmers to win a heat in the event.
Participant:  J.R. Holden
School, Graduation Date: Bucknell, 1998
Olympic Event/Sport: Men's Basketball (Russia)
  • Holden was a two-time First-Team All-Patriot League honoree (1997, 1998) and a member of the 1997 Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Holden accumulated 1,327 career points and 311 career assists while at Bucknell. Holden was the fourth-leading scorer at the Olympics and paced the Russian squad with 17.6 points per game. He also led all Olympians in minutes played (38 minutes per game), and led his squad with nearly five assists per contest. He outscored more than three dozen NBA players in the tournament. Russia finished in a tie for ninth place at the Beijing Games.
Participant: Steve Jennings
School, Years Coaching: American, 1999-present
Olympic Event/Sport: Field Hockey (USA, Assistant Coach)
  • Jennings is the head field hockey coach at American University. He is an assistant coach on the 2008 U.S. Olympic squad. The Americans finished in eighth place in the first Olympic appearance for the United States since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Participant: Amy Tran
School, Years Coaching: Lafayette, 2006-07
Olympic Event/Sport: Field Hockey (USA)
  • Tran was the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. squad, which recorded its highest finish since the 1996 Olympic Games. The North Carolina graduate joined the Lafayette coaching staff in 2007 with four years of collegiate experience and 12 years of international experience.
Participant: Kevin Tyrrell
School, Graduation Date: Lafayette, 1992
Olympic Event/Sport: Swimming (U.S. Virgin Island, Head Coach)
  • Tyrrell served as the head coach for the U.S. Virgin Islands Olympic swimming team. A four-year member of the Lafayette swim team (1989-92), he was team capstan during his senior campaign in Easton. He competed in the freestyle and butterfly as a member of the Leopards' program. Tyrrell also coached at the Pan American Games and World University Games.
Participant: Mickey Wender
School, Years Coaching: Army, 2006-2019
Olympic Event/Sport: Swimming (American Samoa, Head Coach)
  • Wender served as the head swimming coach for the American Samoa Olympic squad, which included Stewart Glenister, who is a member of the Black Knights' swim team. Wender was named the 2007 Patriot League Men's Swimming Coach of the Year.

Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games

Participant Lorenzo Smith
School, Graduation Date: Army, 2000
Olympic Event/Sport: Bobsled (USA)
  • Smith was a two-time Patriot League champion in the sprinting events while a member of the Black Knights track and field team. His name still appears on three of Army's all-time top 10 lists, including the 60- and 100-meter dashes and the 4x100-meter relay. Smith helped set the Academy record in the 4x100m relay during the 2000 outdoor season. Smith was a member of the U.S. four-man bobsled squad that placed sixth overall at the Torino Winter Olympics.

Athens 2004 Olympic Games

Participant: Anita Allen
School, Graduation Date: Army, 2000
Olympic Event/Sport: Modern Pentathlon (USA)
  • Former Army cross country and track star Capt. Anita Allen placed 18th in the modern pentathlon at the 2004 summer Olympics. Allen won the riding discipline and earned a total of 4,996 points. Allen earned All-Patriot League honors in cross country (1997), indoor track and field (1999 and 2000) and outdoor track and field (1998).
Participant: Dan Browne
School, Graduation Date: Army, 1997
Olympic Event/Sport: Track and Field (USA)
  • Browne finished 12th in the 10,000-meter run and placed 65th in the marathon on the final day of the 2004 Olympic Games. While at Army, Browne was a five-time Patriot League champion. He won the mile at the indoor meet in 1994 and 1996. He also took first in the 5,000-meter run at the 1996 indoor championship meet. He captured back-to-back titles in the 5,000 at the Patriot League Outdoor Championships in 1996 and 1997. He earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the 1996 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Participant: Jennifer Molina
School, Graduation Date: Colgate, 2003
Olympic Event/Sport: Women's Soccer (Mexico)
  • Molina was a member of Mexico's 2004 Olympic women's soccer team, which advanced to the quarterfinal round. She was twice named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week (2000, 2001).

Sydney 2000 Olympics

Participant: Jerry Quiller
School, Years Coaching: Army, 1995-2008
Olympic Event/Sport: Track and Field (U.S., Assistant Coach)
  • Former Army Cross Country and Track and Field Head Coach Jerry Quiller was an assistant coach for the U.S. Track and Field Team at the 2000 Olympic Games. He worked with the distance runners in Sydney and had four of his athletes advance to the finals in the 1500-meter, 5000-meter and 10,000-meter races. Coach Quiller guided the Black Knights to 37 Patriot League Championship in the sports of cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field and earned the title of Patriot League Coach of the Year 33 times.

Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games

Participant: Andrew Rutherfurd
School, Graduation Date: Lafayette, 1994
Olympic Event/Sport: Swimming (Hong Kong)
  • Lafayette swimmer Andrew Rutherfurd has a strong presence in the Patriot League record books years after his graduation. He finished 29th in 100 breast and 37th in 200 breast, and swam the breaststroke portion of Hong Kong's 20th-place 4x100 medley relay. During his time as a Leopard, Rutherfurd earned all-America honors with a fourth-place finish at the 1992 NCAA Championship (100 breast). He won the 100 breast, 200 breast, and 200 individual medley at the 1991 and 1992 Patriot League Championship, and was named Swimmer of the Meet in 1991 and shared the honor the following year. Rutherfurd was also named to the Patriot League All-Decade team.













  •  

NOTE To be included on this list, a student-athlete must have competed in a Patriot League sport during the existence of the League. A coach can be listed if they were a current coach at a Patriot League institution.