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Arizona Wildcats and Tucson athletes in the London Olympics: How they finished

Sunday, August 12th, 2012

Brigetta Barrett shows off her silver medal in the high jump on Saturday in London. Clive Brunskill – Getty Images

 

Twenty athletes with ties to Tucson or the University of Arizona competed in the 2012 XXX London Olympic Games. Between them, they brought home nine medals – including five gold.

 

MEDAL COUNT

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

TOTAL

USA

46

29

29

104

UA/Tucson

5

3

1

9

 

ANDRE IGUODALA – BASKETBALL – GOLD

Won the first Wildcat to win a gold medal in basketball for Team USA in the Lute/post-Lute Olson modern era. Iguodala scored 32 points in eight games.

 

BRIGETTA BARRETT – HIGH JUMP – SILVER

The enigmatic rising UA senior waited until the Games’ penultimate day before receiving its second-highest honor. Her leap of 6 foot, 8 inches was the best jump ever for a college athlete at the Olympics.

 

ALYSSA ANDERSON – SWIM: FREESTYLE RELAY - GOLD

Anderson earned her gold as a member of the qualifying team in the 4X200-meter freestyle relay.

 

NICK THOMAN – SWIM: BACKSTROKE - GOLD & SILVER

Thoman claimed silver, split seconds behind Tucson Ford Aquatics teammate Matt Grevers in the 100-meter backstroke. He took gold as a qualifying member of the men’s 4X100-meter medley relay.

 

MATT GREVERS (TUCSON FORD DEALERS AQUATIC) – SWIM: BACKSTROKE - GOLD (2) & SILVER

The Northwestern alum and Tucson resident followed up an individual gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke by winning gold as a member of the 4X100-meter freestyle relay and silver in the 4X100 freestyle relay.

 

CAITLIN LEVERENZ (SAHUARO HIGH SCHOOL) – SWIM: IM - BRONZE

The Tucson native and California Golden Bear won the first medal of her career in the 200-meter individual medley.

 

Georganne Moline used a personal best effort in the 400-meter hurdles to finish with the fifth best time in the world at the 2012 Olympics. Michael Steele – Getty Images.

GEORGANNE MOLINE - 400-Meter Hurdles – 5th

Ran a personal best 53.92 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles; but it wasn’t enough to land her on the medal stand. Moline finished 5th overall.

 

JULIE LABONTÉ (CANADA) - SHOT PUT – 23rd Q

Her tosses of 17.48 and 17.32 weren’t enough to qualify her for the finals.

 

JILLIAN CAMARENA-WILLIAMS – SHOT PUT – 16th

Her best put of 18.22 wasn’t good enough to land her inside the top 15.

 

ROLAND SCHOEMAN (SOUTH AFRICA) - SWIM: FREESTYLE - 5th & 6th

Schoeman finished the 50-meter freestyle in 21.80, good for 6th place. His South African team finished 5th in the 4X100 freestyle relay.

 

DARIAN TOWNSEND (SOUTH AFRICA) - SWIM: FREESTYLE RELAYS - 5th

Failed to advance past the preliminary rounds in the 200-meter medley; finished 5th as member of South Africa’s 4X100 freestyle relay and 7th in the 4X200-meter freestyle relay.

 

(more…)

Iguodala first Arizona Wildcat to win Olympic gold medal with Team USA

Sunday, August 12th, 2012

Former Wildcat Andre Iguodala is an Olympic champion. Streeter Lecka – Getty Images

 

There aren’t too many “firsts” to check off the University of Arizona basketball program’s “to do” list.

On Sunday, however, the red pen came out.

Andre Iguodala became the first Wildcat to win an Olympic gold medal when Team USA defeated Spain 107-100 in the title game of the XXX London Games.

The hardware makes him now eligible for induction into the Arizona’s Ring of Honor.

Iguodala didn’t score in the championship tilt and only saw 2:45 of action (1 rebound, 1 turnover and 2 fouls), but he did finished with 32 points for the tournament – including 13 against Argentina in the qualifying round.

Iggy became an NBA All-Star for the first time in his eight-year career this season. His No. 8 seeded Philadelphia 76ers upset No. 1 Chicago Bulls in the first round of the this year’s playoffs. Earlier this week, the Sixers dealt him to the Denver Nuggets as part of a four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

Iguodala’s first Tweet hours after winning the gold medal:

Wildcats have had success on the international scene for Team USA, but not as much as you’d expect from one of the more storied programs of the modern era.

(A testament to Lute Olson and Sean Miller’s “team first” mantras, perhaps?)

Richard Jefferson won a bronze medal as a member of Team USA for the 2004 Greek Games.

Sean Elliot and Steve Kerr were teammates on the Lute Olson-led World Games-winning United State’s squad in 1986.

Ex-Cat Robertas Javtokas played for the 2004 and 2008 Lithuanian national teams.

Iguodala was also a member of Team USA’s 2010 World Games championship team.

Technically, Iggy is the first Wildcat to win an Olympic gold medal in the Lute Olson and post-Lute Olson era.

Former Wildcat Leon Wood won a gold medal at the ’84 Los Angeles Games. Wood transfered to Cal-State Fullerton after the 1979-80 season, his first and only in Tucson, where he shot 38.7 percent and averaged 4.4 ppg.

Wild year for new Denver Nugget Iguodala continues

Friday, August 10th, 2012

The wild year for Andre Iguodala continues.The University of Arizona alum will need to go house hunting when he returns from competing in the Olympic Games for Team USA Basketball.

The Denver Nuggets acquired Iguodala late Thursday night in a four-team trade, the centerpiece being Dwight Howard joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

Iguodala averaged 12.4 ppg last season, nearly three points fewer than his career average. He finished right around his career 6.1 rebound average.

The effort was enough to land his first NBA All-Star nod. In the playoffs, the shooting guard was instrumental in the No. 8 seeded Philadelphia 76ers’ upet of the No. 1 Chicago Bulls.

Before he could rest, he was in Team USA’s training camp and shipping off to London for the XXX Olympic Games. He’s scored 32 points in six games, including 13 versus Argentina and nine against Nigeria in pool play.

 

With a semifinals win today over Argentina, Team USA will advance to the gold medal game against Spain.

And if they beat Spain, Iguodala will need a new house in Denver with extra space for some new hardware.

 

WHO IS GOING WHERE?

Lakers: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark

Magic: Arron Afflalo, Nicola Vucevic, Al Harrington, Josh McRoberts, Moe Harkless, Chritian Eyenga, a conditional Lakers’ first-round pick, a conditional 2015 second-round pick, the lower of the Nuggets’ two 2014 picks, a 2013 second-round pick, and a protected pick from the Philadelphia 76ers

Nuggets: Andre Iguodala

76ers: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson