Penn State Sports Magazine
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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Nedoroscik had been named to the team to compete in his specialty, and the two-time NCAA pommel horse champ delivered for Team USA. On the team's final routine of the night, he earned a score 14.866 to give the United States the bronze medal. "I knew he had it as soon as I saw him do his arm swings and take his warmup," Penn State gymnastics coach Randy Je- pson said in a news release. "It's just all about the first circle he does. As soon as he got that, I knew his tempo was right and he was off to the races." The Americans finished behind China and Japan, but their medal in the team competition was the first since 2008 for the U.S. men. Nedoroscik called it "just the greatest moment of my life." His role in that performance captured the imagination of Olympics watchers all over the world, many of whom fixated on the thick-rimmed glasses he wore on the sideline before taking them off, Clark Kent-style, and elevating Team USA to the medal stand. A 2020 Penn State grad, Nedoroscik quickly became known on social media as "Pommel Horse Guy," an identity he fully embraced. "I'm glad people are making memes of me. I think it's so funny," he said. "It's almost surreal to finally wind down after a day of working out and go on TikTok and see that someone made a meme of me." Nedoroscik followed his performance in the team competition by winning an individual bronze medal in the pommel horse with a score of 15.300. It was the U.S. men's first medal since 2016 in an individual gymnastics event. Afterward, Nedoroscik announced via Instagram that he intends to continue chasing his Olympic dreams in Los An- geles. "I am just a man shaped by those who surround me. I couldn't have done it without any of you," he wrote. "Onto the next chapter … #2028." MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: Joe Ko- vacs saved his best for last and earned a silver medal in the shot put. It was the third consecutive Olympics in which he finished second behind countryman Ryan Crouser. Kovacs was in fourth place after his first five throws but heaved a 22.15-meter throw on his sixth and final attempt to finish second. Crouser was first with a throw of 22.9 in a battle that was affected by the wet, slick conditions at Stade de France. "With that rain coming down and being in fourth place, I definitely had to attack and find a way to make it happen," Kovacs told reporters. "I didn't want to come home empty- handed. … Three silvers in a row, you're never happy with that, but at the same time, I'm really happy. I found a way and made sure I fought in the end." Kovacs joined an exclu- sive club by winning his third Olympic medal. Prior to this year's games, the only three-time medalist in Penn State track and field history was sprinter Bar- ney Ewell, who won a gold and two silver medals at the London Games in 1948. WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: Alexis Holmes ran the anchor leg of the 4x400-meter relay for the gold-medal- winning American team. There were no other runners near her when she was handed the baton for her leg of the race. Holmes protected that lead, helping Team USA set a national record with a time of 3:15.27. Second-place Netherlands was four seconds off the blistering pace set by the American quartet. The day before, Holmes finished sixth in the 400-meter final. Her time of 49.77 seconds was a personal best. WRESTLING: Penn State alum Aaron Brooks had hoped to add an Olympic championship to a stellar year in which he won his fourth NCAA crown and claimed the Hodge Trophy as college wrestling's top performer. He ended up falling just short of that goal, but he didn't leave Paris empty- handed. With a 5-0 victory over Javrail Shapiev of Uzbekistan in the third-place match at 86 kilograms, Brooks captured the bronze medal. The former Nittany Lion had seen his gold medal hopes dashed when he gave up two exposure points with five seconds to go in his semifinal match against Ma- gomed Ramazanov of Bulgaria, falling 4-3. Brooks had led 3-0 in the first period after a shot clock point and a double leg takedown, but Ramazanov rallied with a takedown in the second period before winning in the final seconds. Brooks had opened the tournament by defeating top-seeded Azamat Daulet- bekov of Kazakhstan, 4-3, and followed with an 11-1 technical fall over Hayato Ishiguro of Japan. In addition to Brooks, the Penn State wrestling team was represented in Paris by former NCAA champions Zain Reth- erford and Roman Bravo-Young. Retherford, competing at 65 kg, was forced to withdraw prior to his match against Albania's Islam Dudaev due to a head injury. Bravo-Young, wrestling for Mexico, lost his first match and was quickly eliminated from the bracket at 57 kg. ■ Greg Pickel contributed to this report. Stephen Nedoroscik, who won NCAA titles on the pommel horse in 2017 and '18, became an internet sensation after helping propel Team USA to its first Olympic medal in the team competition since 2008. PHOTO BY JOHN CHENG/USA GYMNASTICS