Cavaliers Set to Compete at London Olympics
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July 24, 2012
Charlottesville, Va. – A total of 11 individuals with ties to the University of Virginia are set to compete in six different disciplines at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London from July 25 to August 12. Opening ceremonies are slated for Friday, July 27.
A total of 10 current, former and incoming UVa student-athletes are slated to compete, including Paige Selenski (Class of 2013 – United States) and Michelle Vittese (’13 – United States) in field hockey, Inge Janssen (’10 – Netherlands) in rowing, Becky Sauerbrunn (’07 – United States) in women’s soccer, Katya Bachrouche (’11 – Lebanon), David Karasek (’12 – Switzerland), Yannick Kaeser (’16 – Switzerland), Matt McLean (’11 – United States) and Lauren Perdue (’13 – United States) in swimming and Somdev Davvarman (’08 – India) in tennis. In addition, former UVa student Will Coleman (’06) will compete in equestrian events for the United States.
VirginiaSports.com will feature coverage of all 11 Cavaliers throughout the Olympiad. The networks of NBC Universal will provide television coverage of the Olympic Games and for the first time, every Olympic event will be available online at NBCOlympics.com.
2012 University of Virginia Olympians
Varsity Sports
Field Hockey
Paige Selenski (senior) – United States
Selenski, a three-time All-American at UVa, scored a goal in the United States’ 4-2 win over Argentina to win the gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games. Entering her final season of eligibility, she ranks third in both career points (171) and goals (73) in program history. She is also a three-time first team all-region and three-time all-conference selection. Selenski was selected as the 2008 National Freshman of the Year and the ACC Freshman of the Year.
Michelle Vittese (senior) – United States
Vittese also scored a goal for the U.S. in the 2011 Pan American Games gold medal match against Argentina and was named the 2012 United States Player of the Year at the U.S. National Championships in June. She is a two-time All-American, including a first-team selection as a junior in 2010. She has 16 career goals and 19 career assists for 51 points in a Virginia uniform. She is also a three-time all-region honoree and has twice been named an all-conference performer.
Rowing
Inge Janssen (’10) – Netherlands – women’s double sculls
Janssen was a part of the Varsity Four that won the NCAA Championship for the Cavaliers in 2010. In 2011, she competed her native Netherlands in the women’s pair at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships and earned bronze. She qualified for the Olympics in the women’s double sculls with a second-place finish at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, in May.
Soccer (Women’s)
Becky Sauerbrunn (’07) – United States
Sauerbrunn was a three-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American defender for UVa, was named a Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American in 2007 and was the 2007 NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Player of the Year and the 2003 ACC Freshman of the Year. A member of the United States 2011 Women’s World Cup team, she has made 20 appearances as a defender for the national team since her debut in 2008.
Swimming
Katya Bachrouche (’11) – Lebanon – women’s 800m freestyle
Bachrouche was a two-time All-American at UVa, in the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle in 2011. She qualified in those two events at the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Championships, as well as the 400-yard individual medley in 2010. A four-time ACC selection, she is a former school record holder in the 500 free.
David Karasek (’12) – Switzerland – men’s 200m individual medley
Karasek was named the ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2012 and finished as an eight-time All-American and a five-time ACC Champion. He was honored on the All-ACC Academic squad three times. He competed for Switzerland at the 2009 and 2011 World University Games as well as the 2011 World Championships.
Yannick Kaeser (incoming freshman) – Switzerland – men’s 200m breaststroke
Kaeser, an incoming first-year at UVa, broke the Switzerland national record in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke (2:12.99) at the 2012 Swiss Championships in March and finished seventh in the event at the European Aquatics Championships in May.
Matt McLean (’11) – United States – men’s 800m freestyle relay
McLean, a 15-time All-American and a 17-time ACC Champion at Virginia, won the 2011 NCAA Championship in the 500-yard freestyle. Honored three times as the ACC Swimmer of the Year (2008, 2009 and 2011), he holds UVa and ACC records in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 free events and is a part of two more relays that hold the school and conference records (400 and 800 free relays). He competed for the U.S. at the 2011 World University Games.
Lauren Perdue (rising senior) – United States – women’s 800m freestyle relay
Perdue was named the 2010 and 2011 ACC Swimmer of the Championships, the 2011 ACC Swimmer of the Year and the 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year. She is a 12-time All-American and 17-time ACC Champion. She holds the school record in the 50, 100 and 200 free events and is the conference record holder in the 100 and 200.
Tennis
Somdev Devvarman (’08) – India – men’s singles
Devvarman was the NCAA men’s singles champion in 2007 and 2008 and was a three-time singles and two-time doubles All-American at UVa. He was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008 and was the ITA Senior Player of the Year in 2008. He was also honored as the 2008 ACC Player of the Year and the 2005 ACC Rookie of the Year. Since turning pro in 2008, he has climbed as high as No. 62 in the world rankings.
Non-Varsity Sports
Equestrian
Will Coleman (’06) – United States – individual and team eventing
Coleman finished fourth at the 2012 Rolex/United States Equestrian Federation National Championship along with horse, Twizzel. Coleman and Twizzel competed against 11 other horses and riders and were selected for one of the five spots to represent the United States in London.