The 2012 Summer Olympics is only 3 days away! If you’re like me, your eyes are on London for this massive event. What you might not know is that countless members of Team USA have Indiana ties. And you can experience part of their athletic beginnings by visiting spots around the state. Perhaps you’ll catch the next Indiana Olympians in action.
- Kayla Bashore-Smedley is an Indiana University graduate and a member of the U.S. Field Hockey team. If you’d like to get a feel for this sport and her former team, check out IU’s field hockey team this fall in Bloomington. Their season kicks off in August.
- Diver David Boudia grew up in Noblesville and went on to compete and study at Purdue. He’ll compete in the 10m and synchro competitions. Purdue’s men’s diving team will begin competing in October in West Lafayette. Many diving competitions also take place regularly at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis.
- Shannon Boxx, a midfielder on the U.S. Women’s Soccer team, led Notre Dame’s soccer team to glory in the late 90s. The Fighting Irish start their season the second week of August in South Bend.
- Participating in the hammer throw for USA’s track and field team, Amber Campbell graduated from Pike High School on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Pike’s track and field season will begin in the spring.
Perhaps the most well known of Indiana’s Olympians, Tamika Catchings of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever is an extremely important member of the USA Women’s Basketball Team. Catchings is hoping for a third gold medal in London. The WNBA season pauses for the Olympics, but the Fever will be back on August 16.- Lauren Cheney, a Ben Davis High School graduate who grew up in Indianapolis, will seek her second gold medal as a member of the U.S. Women’s Soccer team. The Ben Davis girls soccer team will begin their season in August.
- Distance runner Molly Huddle was a Notre Dame grad before joining Team USA’s track and field team. She’ll compete in the 5000m race. Notre Dame’s track and field season will begin in December and run throughout the spring.
- Current Notre Dame student Courtney Hurley is on the U.S. fencing team. The Notre Dame fencing team will begin their season in October and compete throughout the winter. Hurley will be joined in London by an incoming Notre Dame freshman, Lee Kiefer and a Notre Dame alum, Mariel Zagunis.
- Christina Loukas is an Indiana University grad who will compete in 3m diving. IU’s swimming and diving team kick off their season in October.
- Evansville native John Nunn is a member of the US Track and Field team and will compete in the 50 km walk. While walking is not an IHSAA event for high school track and field, so you can’t watch it at a Harrison High School meet, where Nunn went to school, you can learn more about the sport via the Indiana Race Walkers Club.
- Javelin-thrower Kara Patterson, another Purdue grad, is a member of USA Track and Field. Purdue’s track and field season begins in January.
- Morgan Uceny from Plymouth, Indiana, will run the 1500m event for USA Track and Field. Plymouth High School’s track and field team will compete this spring.
Photo courtesy of USA Basketball.
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