Ten Missouri athletes are representing team USA in Paris. Who are these young stars?
Here’s a little introduction:
Napheesa Collier: Basketball
Paris isn’t Napheesa Collier’s first Olympic experience. The basketball standout previously competed in Tokyo, where she helped Team USA remain undefeated since 1992. At this year’s games, the USA women’s team is off to a solid start, beating Japan 102-76 before defeating Belgium Thursday, 97-74. Collier is seeking her second gold medal.
Collier was born in O’Fallon, Missouri and played for Jefferson City High School during her freshman year. The remainder of her high school career was spent at Incarnate Word Academy, in Bel-Nor, Missouri. Collier left the state to play for UConn in 2015 and was drafted in 2019 by the Minnesota Lynx, where she has remained.
Tyler Downs: Diving
Tyler Downs made his Olympic diving debut at Tokyo when he was just 17 years old, earning him a considerable following on social media. The now 21-year-old was set to compete in the synchronized 3-meter springboard final with fellow Olympian Greg Duncan on Friday.
Downs was born in St. Louis but considers Ballwin, Missouri home. He graduated from Laurel Springs Online School in 2021.
Quincy Hall: Track and Field
Raytown South High School alum Quincy Hall qualified for the Paris Olympics after finishing first in the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in the 400m flat. At 25 years old, Hall is currently the 9th fastest American in history. Hall will be making his first Olympic appearance on Sunday.
Brandon Miller: Track and Field
Brandon Miller is another O’Fallon native turned Olympian. The track star graduated from John Burroughs High School and then Texas A&M, where he won two NCAA championships. Now he’s set to debut at the Olympics in the men’s 800m on Saturday.
Chris Nilsen: Pole Vault
Chris Nilsen is seeking gold after taking silver in pole vault in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nilsen is a Kansas Citian, Park Hill High School graduate and South Dakota alum. He qualified for the 2024 Olympics after clearing 19 feet 3 inches in the Olympic Trials and is set to compete on Saturday.
Deanna Price: Hammer Throw
Deanna Price is a three-time Olympian, finishing eighth in the hammer throw in the last two Olympics (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020). Her 2021 80.31m throw at the Olympic trials still stands as the United States women’s hammer throw record.
Price is from Troy, Missouri where she attended Troy Buchanan High School. She went on to graduate from Southern Illinois University. Price can be viewed at the women’s hammer throw qualifying rounds, which will begin Sunday.
Patrick Schulte:Soccer
Patrick Schulte is making his first Olympic appearance as the goalkeeper for the United States men’s soccer team. Although the American men had a rough start, losing 0-3 to France, they have since secured their spot in the quarterfinal with a 3-0 victory over Guinea. The U.S. men were to start in the quarterfinal against Morocco on Friday.
Schulte is from St. Charles, where he graduated from Francis Howell High School. He attended Saint Louis University before entering the 2022 MLS Superdraft. He has since played for the Columbus Crew.
Jayson Tatum: Basketball
Jayson Tatum is making his second Olympic appearance as a member of the United States men’s basketball team, having brought home gold in Tokyo in 2020. The team has had a strong start in the 2024 Olympics, defeating Serbia 110-84 and South Sudan 103-86, and will play Puerto Rico on Saturday to finish group play.
Tatum is from St. Louis, where he attended Chaminade College Preparatory School. After high school, Tatum played one season at Duke before being picked third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, where he remains.
Rachel Tozier: Shooting
Staff Sgt. Rachel Tozier, an instructor/shooter with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Shotgun Team, is stationed at Fort Moore, Georgia. A newcomer to the Olympics, Tozier is from Pattsonburg, MIssouri, where she attended Pattonsburg High School. In Paris, Tozier competed in the women’s trap competition, finishing 18th out of 30 competitors. She shattered 116 clays.
Colleen Young: Swimming, Paralympics
Colleen Young is a three-time paralympic medalist who is legally blind but retained some sight when she was younger. Young swims in the S/SB13 division, meant for athletes with the least severe vision impairment. At 14 years-old, Young was the youngest representative of team USA in the 2012 Paralympics. Although she didn’t medal in London, she went on to earn a bronze in Rio and a silver and bronze in Tokyo.
A St. Louis native, Young attended Lindbergh High School and later Fairfield University. In Paris, Young swims in the 200m IM.
