Buckeye excellence is not exclusive to the football field or the basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed of the amazing things happening with the other 34 varsity sports on campus.
Buckeyes in Rio
The 2016 Olympics Games in Rio are set to begin August 5 and with the multitude of Buckeyes competing it feels like Ohio Against the World, literally. 12 Buckeyes are set to represent eight different countries in the games. Here is everything you need to know about the Ohio State athletes making the trip to Rio.
Jason Pryor
Team USA
Jason Pryor, former Ohio State fencer, is currently ranked number one in the U.S. in men's epee. Pryor, now 28, led the Ohio State fencing team to an NCAA National Championship in 2008. The Cleveland, Ohio native secured his spot on Team USA at the Westend Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary on March 18-20. He will be the only men's epee fencer representing Team USA in the Olympics.
Nate Ebner
Team USA
Nate Ebner, former Ohio State football player, is one of the 12 athletes selected for the Men's Sevens Rugby team. Ebner currently plays for the New England Patriots and already has a Super Bowl under his belt. Originally from Hilliard, Ohio, he didn't even play football in high school. Ebner played rugby internationally in 2007 and 2008 before walking on to the Ohio State football team in 2009.
Kyle Snyder
Team USA
Kyle Snyder, NCAA and World Champion wrestler is now looking to add an Olympic gold medal to his trophy case. After going 11-0 and winning a National Championship at Ohio State, Snyder qualified for the Olympics in April. He defeated 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Jake Varner, at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to punch his ticket to Rio. Snyder will compete on the final day of the Olympics, August 21.
Eleanor Harvey
Team Canada
Eleanor Harvey, a rising junior fencer at Ohio State, is set to represent Team Canada in women's foil at the games. Harvey secured her spot on the team at the Grand Prix in Havana, Cuba on March 13. As a sophomore at Ohio State she won a National Champion title.
Nichelle Prince
Team Canada
Nichelle Prince, a rising senior soccer player, is the first women's soccer player in Ohio State history to compete in the Olympic games. Prince has already made 16 appearances with the Canada national team and scored six goals including a hat trick in the team's win over Guatemala. Prince is a key player for the Ohio State women's soccer team and is currently ranked ninth on the Buckeye's career points list.
Michelle Williams
Team Canada
Michelle Williams, former Buckeye swimmer, will be representing Team Canada in the 50 freestyle and 4x100 freestyle relay. She helped Canada secure the gold medal at the Pan American Championships in the 4x100 freestyle relay.
Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino
Team France
Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino, former Ohio State rower, earned herself a spot on Team France in double sculls last summer at the 2015 Rowing Championships. In her time as a Buckeye she was a part of the 2014 National Championship team.
Shoutout to former #Buckeye rower Elodie Ravera-Scaramozzino on qualifying the French 2x for the Rio @Olympics! pic.twitter.com/I718r7VOcz
— OSU Women's Rowing (@OhioState_WROW) September 6, 2015
Aina Cid Centelles
Team Spain
Aina Cid Centelles, a rising senior rower, it set to represent Spain in women's pair rowing. She qualified by snatching first place at the 2016 Final Olympic Qualification alongside rowing mate Anna Boada Peiro. She is a three time NCAA and Big Ten Champion at Ohio State.
Misha Koudinov
Team New Zealand
Only three gymnasts will represent New Zealand at the 2016 Olympic Games and Misha Koudinov, former Ohio State Buckeye, is one of them. Koudinov is a part of the first Olympic New Zealand gymnastics team since the 2000 games in Sydney. He is set to compete in all six events in Rio. While at Ohio State, Koudinov was named a team captain and an All-American.
Dustin Tynes
Team Bahamas
Dustin Tynes, a rising sophomore swimmer at Ohio State, qualified to represent the Bahamas in Rio at the 2016 Toronto Pan American Games and shattered records in the meantime. Tynes broke the Bahamas national record in the 100 and 50 breaststroke at the event. Tynes is the 58 Olympian to come out of the Ohio State men's swimming program.
Proud to say that I am the 58th Olympian of the @OhioState_MSwim program. I came here 2 years ago and haven't looked back! #GoBucks
— Dustin Tynes (@Dtynes242) July 7, 2016
Isle Paulis
Team Netherlands
Isle Paulis, former Ohio State women's rower, will compete in the women's lightweight doubles for the Netherlands. Paulis and teammate, Maaike Head, won first place at the 2016 Final Olympic Qualification to represent their country in Rio.
Congratulations to Buckeye rowers Aina Cid-Centelles and Ilsa Paulis on qualifying for the #Olympics!
— OSU Women's Rowing (@OhioState_WROW) May 24, 2016
Mona Shaito
Team Lebanon
Mona Shaito just finished up her final season on the Ohio State fencing team and is now headed to represent Lebanon in the Olympics for the second time. Shaito qualified for women's foil at the Gran Prix in Havana, Cuba in March. In her time at Ohio State she was named a First Team All-American, won a gold medal at the Midwest Conference Championship, and won bronze at the NCAA Championships.
Good luck to all of the Ohio State Athletes competing in the games. Go Bucks!
