Conference contingent will represent 32 different countries in 24 sporting events

Park Ridge, Ill. – As the 2012 Olympic Games commence this week, the Big Ten Conference will boast over 100 participants and coaches in London from July 25–August 12. The group of Big Ten competitors, which includes 27 former Olympians and nine returning medalists, will represent 32 different countries in 24 different sports. Each school will be represented at the games, with Michigan and Penn State leading the way with 19 Olympic participants each this year. The Wolverines and Nittany Lions are followed by Nebraska (14), Ohio State (11) and Wisconsin (9).

The Big Ten contingent of current or former student-athletes, coaches or alumni includes 57 members of the United States Olympic Team, along with participants and coaches from Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, France, Great Britain, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Serbia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Sweden.

This collection of elite performers is highlighted by 27 former Olympians, including nine returning medalists. Former Illinois basketball player Deron Williams, former Michigan water polo player Betsey Armstrong, former Michigan swimming volunteer assistant Michael Phelps, former Michigan swimmer Peter Vanderkaay, former Michigan track and field athlete Nick Willis, former Minnesota volleyball player Lindsey Berg, former Minnesota track and field athlete Barbora Špotáková, former Nebraska swimmer Therese Alshammar and former Northwestern swimmer Matt Grevers have all earned Olympic medals in their careers. Williams and Armstrong return for their second Olympic Games after capturing gold and silver, respectively, in the 2008 Beijing Games. Phelps will be competing in his fourth straight Olympics, and secured eight gold medals in Beijing to become the only athlete in Olympic history to capture eight medals in one Olympic year. Vanderkaay struck gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay and took home a bronze medal in the 200 freestyle, while Willis ran to a bronze in the 1,500-meter run. Berg took home a silver medal in her first games, while Špotáková earned gold in the javelin. Grevers swam to gold in the 4x100 medley and 4x100 freestyle relay, and won a silver medal in the 100 backstroke. Alshammar will compete in her fifth straight Olympics, and captured two silver medals and one bronze in the 2000 Sydney Games.

The Big Ten will also be represented by 15 coaches serving as mentors in the London Games, including four head coaches in Michigan’s Mike Bottom (Serbia men’s swimming) and Steve Fraser (USA Greco-Roman wrestling), Minnesota’s Hugh McCutcheon (USA women’s volleyball) and Nebraska’s Peggy Liddick (Australia women’s gymnastics). Bottom has coached in the last five games and was a member of the 1980 USA Olympic team, while Fraser grappled to a gold medal for the United States in 1984. McCutcheon leads the women’s volleyball team after guiding the USA men’s squad to gold at the 2008 Games, and Liddick returns for her fourth consecutive Olympic Games with the Australian national team.

Big Ten student-athletes and coaches have been a part of the Olympic experience on more than 1,370 occasions, including many making multiple trips to the international event. That list of conference standouts has accumulated at least 460 medals, including 229 gold. Former medalists include Ohio State track star Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, and former Indiana swimmer Mark Spitz won four medals, including two golds, in the 1968 games before claiming seven gold medals during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. The winter games have also been rewarding, as 12 members of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” United States hockey team were from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

2012 OLYMPIC PARTICIPANTS FROM BIG TEN SCHOOLS

Participants include all current and former student-athletes, coaches or alumni (ex. individuals competing inweightlifting who attended a Big Ten school) who are scheduled to participate in the Olympics. If the participant was a current or former coach at a Big Ten institution, their current position appears in parentheses.

Illinois Country Sport

Robert Archibald* Great Britain Men’s Basketball

Nikkita Holder* Canada Women’s Track and Field

Gia Lewis-Smallwood* USA Women’s Track and Field

Andrew Riley* Jamaica Men’s Track and Field

Deron Williams* USA Men’s Basketball

Emily Zurrer* Canada Women’s Soccer

Indiana Country Sport

Kayla Bashore-Smedley* USA Women’s Field Hockey

Margaux Farrell* France Women’s Swimming

Christina Loukas* USA Women’s Diving

Dorina Szekeres Hungary Women’s Swimming

Nicholas Schwab Dominican Republic Men’s Swimming

Derek Drouin Canada Men’s Track and Field

Orianica Velasquez Colombia Women’s Soccer

Iowa Country Sport

Kineke Alexander St. Vincent and the Grenadines Women’s Track and Field

Heather Arseth Mauritius Women’s Swimming

Caroline Nichols USA Women’s Field Hockey

Diane Nukuri-Johnson* Burundi Women’s Track and Field

Roman Trussov Kazakhstan Men’s Swimming

Michigan Country Sport

Betsey Armstrong* USA Women’s Water Polo

Nate Brannen* Canada Men’s Track and Field

Syque Caesar Bangladesh Men’s Gymnastics

Tyler Clary* USA Men’s Swimming

Geena Gall* USA Women’s Track and Field

Janine Hanson* Canada Women’s Rowing

Charlie Houchin* USA Men’s Swimming

Connor Jaeger USA Men’s Swimming

Sam Mikulak USA Men’s Gymnastics

Tom Peszek* USA Men’s Rowing

Michael Phelps (volunteer coach) USA Men’s Swimming

Krista Phillips* Canada Women’s Basketball

Jeff Porter* USA Men’s Track and Field

Tiffany (Ofili) Porter* Great Britain Women’s Track and Field

Nicole (Edwards) Sifuentes* Canada Women’s Track and Field

Davis Tarwater* USA Men’s Swimming

Sarah Trowbridge* USA Women’s Rowing

Peter Vanderkaay* USA Men’s Swimming

Nick Willis* New Zealand Men’s Track and Field

Michigan State Country Sport

Franklin Gomez* Puerto Rico Wrestling

Minnesota Country Sport

Lindsey Berg* USA Women’s Volleyball

Kelci Bryant USA Women’s Diving

Barbora Špotáková Czech Republic Women’s Track and Field

Jillian Tyler* Canada Women’s Swimming

Lindsay Whalen* USA Women’s Basketball

Nebraska Country Sport

Therese Alshammar Sweden Women’s Swimming

Chelsey Aubry* Canada Women’s Basketball

Jordan Burroughs* USA Wrestling

Ade Dagunduro* Nigeria Men’s Basketball

Gyorgyi Farkas Hungary Women’s Track and Field

Jordan Larson* USA Women’s Volleyball

Karina Leblanc Canada Women’s Soccer

Janis Leitis Latvia Men’s Track and Field

Aleks Maric* Australia Men’s Basketball

Chantae McMillan* USA Women’s Track and Field

Carl Myerscough* Great Britain Men’s Track and Field

Amber Neben* USA Women’s Cycling

Ineta Radevica* Latvia Women’s Track and Field

Brittany Timko* Canada Women’s Soccer

Northwestern Country Sport

Matt Grevers* USA Men’s Swimming

Jake Herbert* USA Wrestling

Ohio State Country Sport

Katie Bell* USA Women’s Diving

Louise Bond-Williams* Great Britain Women’s Fencing

Samantha Cheverton* Canada Women’s Swimming

Roger Espinoza Honduras Men’s Soccer

Amanda Furrer USA Women’s Shooting

Dorde Markovic* Serbia Men’s Swimming

Mona Shaito Lebanon Women’s Fencing

Zain Shaito Lebanon Men’s Fencing

Margot Shumway* USA Women’s Rowing

Margarita Tschomakova* Bulgaria Women’s Fencing

Claudia Wurzel* Italy Women’s Rowing

Penn State Country Sport

Matt Anderson* USA Men’s Volleyball

Felix Aronovich* Israel Men’s Gymnastics

Dominique Blake* Jamaica Women’s Track and Field

Miles Chamley-Watson USA Men’s Fencing

Shana Cox* Great Britain Women’s Track and Field

Natalie Dell* USA Women’s Rowing

Nicole Fawcett* USA Women’s Volleyball

Bridget Franek* USA Women’s Track and Field

Alisha Glass* USA Women’s Volleyball

Daniel Gomez-Tanamachi Mexico Men’s Fencing

Christa Harmotto* USA Women’s Volleyball

Bobby Lea* USA Men’s Cycling

Megan Hodge* USA Women’s Volleyball

Erin McLeod* Canada Women’s Soccer

Carmelina Moscato* Canada Women’s Soccer

Kirsten Nieuwendam Suriname Women’s Track and Field

Tommy Ramos* Puerto Rico Men’s Gymnastics

Doris Willette* USA Women’s Fencing

Ryan Whitling (volunteer assistant) USA Men’s Track and Field

Purdue Country Sport

David Boudia USA Men’s Diving

Nedzad Mulabegavic* Croatia Men’s Track and Field

Kara Patterson* USA Women’s Track and Field

Lauren Sesselmann* Canada Women’s Soccer

Wisconsin Country Sport

Mohammed Ahmed Canada Men’s Track and Field

Kristin Hedstrom* USA Women’s Rowing

Evan Jager* USA Men’s Track and Field

Gwen Jorgensen* USA Women’s Triathlon

Grant James* USA Men’s Rowing

Ross James* USA Men’s Rowing

Egle Staisiunaite* Lithuania Women’s Track and Field

Hilary (Edmonson) Stellingwerff Canada Women’s Track and Field

Matt Tegenkamp* USA Men’s Track and Field

*Alumnus

2012 OLYMPIC COACHES AND STAFF FROM BIG TEN SCHOOLS

Illinois (current position) Country Olympic Position

Tonja Buford-Bailey (head coach) USA Sprints/Hurdles Coach

Jerry Colangelo (former student-athlete) USA Basketball Managing Director

Michigan (current position) Country Olympic Position

Mike Bottom (head coach) Serbia Men’s Swimming Head Coach

Bob Bowman USA Men’s Swimming Assistant Coach

Steve Fraser USA Men’s Wrestling Head Coach (Greco-Roman)

Mark Hill (volunteer coach) Ireland Men’s Swimming Coach

Jon Urbanchek USA Men’s Swimming Special Assistant Coach

Dr. Josh White (assistant coach) Barbados Men’s Swimming Coach

Minnesota (current position) Country Olympic Position

Wenbo Chen (head diving coach) USA Diving Staff Assistant

Hugh McCutcheon (head coach) USA Women’s Volleyball Head Coach

Nebraska (current position) Country Olympic Position

Jan Bidrman Canada Women’s Swimming Assistant Coach

Peggy Liddick Australia Women’s Gymnastics Head Coach

Mark Manning (head coach) USA Men’s Wrestling Assistant Coach (Freestyle)

Ohio State (current position) Country Olympic Position

Vince Panzano (head diving coach) USA Diving Assistant Coach

Lou Rosselli (associate head coach) USA Volunteer Men’s Wrestling Coach (Freestyle)

Purdue (current position) Country Olympic Position

Adam Soldati (head diving coach) USA Diving Staff Assistant