Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 15 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Eduardo Cisternas — Men's Swimming and Diving Competing at the Paris Olympics for his native Chile, Cisternas set a national record in the 400-meter freestyle event, finishing in 3:51.29. The rising junior placed second in his heat, and while he wasn't able to advance to the semifinal round, he did surpass his own Chilean record in the event of 3:53.80, set at the World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July 2023. It was the second Olympic appearance for Cisternas, a native of La Reina, coming three years after he appeared in the Tokyo Games. He was one of two current Penn State swimmers competing in Paris, with rising senior Jack Harvey missing out on the semifinals of the 100 backstroke while representing Bermuda. Mackenzie Gress — Women's Soccer Gress made the U.S. roster for the FIFA U-20 Wom- en's World Cup, which will take place Aug. 31-Sept. 22 in Colombia. A native of Lyndhurst, N.J., Gress is one of 12 collegiate players on the 21-member team. The goalie will be a redshirt sophomore this season and is coming off a 2023 campaign in which she saw 88 min- utes of action in four games as a backup to Katherine Asman. With Asman having moved on to Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Gress is in line for more playing time, but not before she and her U.S. teammates are finished in Colombia. Team USA will open the tournament Sept. 1 against Spain. Sophia Gladieux — Field Hockey The fourth-leading goal-scorer in Penn State field hockey history, Gladieux provided the only U.S. tally in a 1-1 tie with Spain in pool play at the Olympic Games. Gladieux scored late in the first half, firing a shot past Spanish goalkeeper Clara Perez. A four-time first-team All-Big Ten forward, Gladieux was playing in the Olym- pics for the first time and was part of a 13th-seeded U.S. team that went 1-3-1 in Paris. The Boyertown, Pa., native is back at PSU for her super senior season this fall. She has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. Handal Roban — Men's Track and Field Roban, a rising junior from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, represented his homeland at the Olympic Games, competing in the 800-meter race. He opened by running a 1:46.00 to place fourth in the first heat. Roban fell just shy of making the semifinals, finishing 0.19 short of an automatic qualifying time. He was even faster in the repechage round, turning in a time of 1:45.80, but still wasn't able to reach the semis. Nevertheless, Roban made a piece of Penn State history by becoming the school's first Olympic qualifier in the 800, and he's primed to add to his NCAA resume as a junior, having already won All-America honors four times in his first two seasons. — Matt Herb PENN STATE'S TOP PERFORMERS A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 TWO EASY WAYS TO ORDER: ONLINE: www.BlueWhiteOnline.com CALL: 800-421-7751 10:00-4:00 ET, Mon.-Fri. GIVE THE GIFT OF PENN STATE FOOTBALL! Blue White Illustrated's 2024 Football Preview NOW ONLY NOW ONLY $9.95 $9.95 plus FREE shipping SAVE $7! Reg. $12.95 plus $4 shipping (Sales tax added where applicable) While supplies last. With over 100 full-color, action-packed pages of Nittany Lions football information, this magazine is a must-have for the upcoming season! • Player Features • Opponent Previews • Historical Articles • Detailed Position-by-Position Analysis • And much more! SAVE $ 7 While supplies last!