Penn State Delivered Plenty of Memorable Moments at the Paris Olympics

From 'Pommel Horse Guy' to Alyssa Naeher's shutout run, the Nittany Lions had a phenomenal two weeks in Paris.

United States goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher makes a save against Brazil during the second half of the women's soccer gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. / Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Athletes and coaches representing Penn State won 14 medals at the Paris Olympics, completing a memorable Games in which one Nittany Lion solidified her legacy and another became a national folk hero. Here's a look at Penn State's highlights of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where a school-record 30 Nittany Lions competed for 13 countries.

Alyssa Naeher saves gold for the U.S.

U.S. Women's National Team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher punctuated an exceptional Olympics performance with a gold-medal save in stoppage time. The moment helped preserve a 1-0 win over Brazil and the U.S. women's soccer team's first Olympic gold medal in 12 years and cemented the Penn State grad's legacy in USWNT history.

Naeher, a two-time All-American at Penn State, became the first U.S. women's goalkeeper to record shutouts in an Olympics final and a World Cup final. She also became the first U.S. women's goalkeeper to record four shutouts in one Olympics tournament, three of which came in the knockout rounds. Naeher and USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey won Penn State's two gold medals of the Paris Olympics.

Joe Kovacs wins third silver medal

In any other era, Penn State's Joe Kovacs would be the greatest shot-putter of his day. However, Kovacs has spent a decade competing against Ryan Crouser, who became the first three-time Olympic shot-put champ in Paris. And Kovacs won his third silver medal alongside Crouser.

He did so dramatically. The Penn State graduate and two-time world champion hit a throw of 22.15 meters on his final attempt to claim the silver. The 35-year-old Kovacs continued a marvelous career in Paris, winning his ninth international medal since 2015.

Silver medalist Joe Kovacs celebrates in the medal ceremony for the men's shot put during the 2024 Paris Olympics. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

A pommel horse star is born

Did you know about Stephen Nedoroscik before the Olympics? Did you know there was such a thing as a pommel horse specialist? The Penn State graduate, and 2021 world champ, became a first-week star of the Paris Olympics when he won two bronze medals in men's gymnastics.

First, Nedoroscik delivered the pommel horse performance that clinched the U.S. men an Olympics team medal for the first time since 2008. A few days later, Nedoroscik, who competes in just one event, won Team USA's first individual medal in the pommel horse since 2016. In claiming both medals, Nedoroscik became a social media star and assured himself a visit to a Penn State football game this fall.

Stephen Nedoroscik of the United States poses for a photo with his bronze medal on the pommel horse during the 2024 Paris Olympics. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State wins five volleyball medals

The Nittany Lions were all over the volleyball court. Two former Penn State players won silver with the U.S. women's team, and three won bronze with the men's team. Haleigh Washington and Micha Hancock, who won an NCAA title together at Penn State, made significant contributions to the U.S. women's run to the final. Washington was a starting middle blocker, averaging 4.67 kills and 2 blocks per match. Hancock, the U.S. team's official alternate, was activated for two games, both of which the team won. Hancock was part of Team USA's gold-medal run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In the men's bracket. Matt Anderson, Maxwell Holt and Aaron Russell played integral roles as the U.S. men won bronze, their first Olympic medal since 2016. All three Nittany Lions were on that team as well. And Anderson, a 16-year national-team veteran, said he's not done yet.

Wrestler Aaron Brooks wins bronze in first Olympics

Brooks nearly completed an absolute juggernaut of a season with a trip to the gold-medal match in his first Olympics. Brooks was 5 seconds from winning his semifinal bout but gave up a late takedown in his only loss of the Games. Brooks rebounded to win bronze in the 86 kg men's freestyle weight class, a memorable way to cap an exceptional run.

Brooks became a four-time NCAA champion for Penn State in March and, a month later, defeated Penn State legend David Taylor at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials. Brooks and Taylor are the only two Penn State wrestlers to win medals for Team USA. NBC called Brooks, 24, "the new face of American men's wrestling."

Elsewhere, Penn State's Zain Retherford was forced to withdraw from a potential bronze-medal run because of symptoms related to a pre-tournament concussion.

More Penn State medalists

Kayla Canett helped the U.S. women's rugby team to bronze, its first Olympic medal in the sport. Canett played at Penn State from 2016-20 and became the program's first U.S. Olympian at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. Canett, who helped Penn State to a 2017 national championship, also has competed in two Rugby World Cups.

Laura Freigang played for the German team that won bronze in the women's soccer tournament. Freigang was named to the Big Ten all-tournament team in 2017 and scored a hat trick in the Nittany Lions' opening-round win over Stony Brook in the NCAA Tournament.

Renata Knapik-Miazga, an assistant coach with the Penn State fencing teams, won a team bronze in epee with Poland.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.