Nine current and former Cavaliers contributed to a total of three gold medals and two bronze medals in this summer’s Olympic Games, and all return home with memories to last a lifetime. The diverse group of Virginia athletes and coaches, both former and present, were involved with a number of sports — including rowing, swimming, softball and soccer — and represented not only the United States, but also Venezuela and Canada.
Perhaps the best-known Cavalier graduate at the games was former women’s basketball player Dawn Staley, arguably one of the most successful women’s basketball players in history. In addition to being named an All-American three times while at Virginia, Staley also had a successful ABL and WNBA career and earned three Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. team. Staley served as an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s basketball team in Beijing, where the team won its fourth consecutive gold medal. Staley will serve as head coach for the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team this season.
Another Cavalier alumna with a significant contribution to a U.S. gold medal is former Cavalier soccer player Angela Hucles, who led the U.S. team with four goals in the Olympics on the way to defeating Brazil.
Former Virginia women’s rower Lindsay Shoop also will bring home gold-medal memories, as the U.S. women’s eight rowing crew took the top finish. Shoop was named an All-American in 2003 and 2004 while at Virginia and won gold medals with the U.S. team at the 2006 and 2007 World Rowing Championships, helping set a world record in the former.
Shoop ranks winning a gold medal at the Olympics as a very high achievement during her lifetime.
“This is the most amazing thing I have ever gotten to be a part of,” she said. “My life is forever changed.”
In men’s rowing, Wyatt Allen competed with the U.S. men’s eight crew, winning a bronze medal. Allen has come a long way, starting out on the Virginia club rowing team before making it all the way to Bejing.
“If you’d asked me when I was at Virginia if I thought this was possible, I would have certainly told you no,” Allen said. “It’s been pretty amazing for me.”
Another former Cavalier rower earned bronze — though for Canada, rather than the United States. Melanie Kok competed in the women’s lightweight double sculls event, finishing behind the Netherlands and Finland, respectively, and beating Greece, China and Germany.
Though the other competing Cavaliers were unable to bring home a piece of metal to commemorate their achievement, they still had the chance to develop lifelong memories.
The Virginia softball program has fallen on hard times lately, but Ruby Rojas, a former Cavalier outfielder, had the opportunity to play softball for Venezuela, which finished in seventh place. Rojas, who was a three-time all-ACC selection while at Virginia, was just happy to compete in the Olympics.
“It’s been a dream of mine since [I was] a little girl,” Rojas said. “And to reach the ultimate goal as an athlete is amazing and I think that it’s priceless. That’s the key word, it’s just a priceless goal that not a lot of people get to experience.”
Other Cavalier competitors included freshman swimmer Erika Stewart, who broke her personal record by over a second racing for the United States in the 200 individual medley, finishing in 2:18.54; former Cavalier swimmer Vanja Rogulj, who failed to advance past the preliminary heats in the 100 breaststroke and 400 medley relay team; and Adam Nelson, a Darden student and volunteer Virginia track assistant coach who followed up his 2004 silver medal performance in the shot put with a return trip to the games. Nelson fell on some hard luck, however, and failed to win a medal.
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