Celebrating CHSAA Athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics
AURORA – As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games begin on Friday with the opening ceremony, 13 of the American athletes in attendance will be representing the United States in the same sport they competed in during their high school careers in Colorado.
Learn more about these 13 athletes with some highlights from their respective high school careers:
Valarie Allman, Silver Creek, Track and Field
Valarie Allman, the defending Olympic gold medalist in the women’s discus, graduated Silver Creek as a co-valedictorian and decorated track star in 2013. As a junior, she won the 4A girls discus state championship and set a Colorado preps record (164-00) in the event. Then, as a senior, she improved upon that mark (183-03) on her way to capturing another state title and setting another state meet record (167-03). Both of those senior records still stand to this day.
Canyon Barry, Cheyenne Mountain, 3×3 Basketball
The son of NBA Hall of Fame inductee Rick Barry, Canyon Barry played three seasons of varsity basketball at Cheyenne Mountain, during which he averaged 13.7 points per game and was named a 4A boys basketball all-state honorable mention in both 2011 and 2012. Since graduating, Barry has played basketball professionally in China, the Czech Republic, Finland, and the United States and was named to Team USA’s 3×3 men’s basketball team for the 2020 Summer Olympics, though he was unfortunately sidelined with a back injury.
Wyndham Clark, Valor Christian, Golf
This year, Valor Christian alum Wyndham Clark will be making his Olympic debut for Team USA. As a high school student, Clark won two team state championships, two individual state championships, and never finished worse than second at the state meet. As a senior, Clark won the state championship by eight strokes and was named the CHSAA Player of the Year for boys golf. Since joining the PGA Tour, Clark has had three tournament wins, highlighted by his 2023 U.S. Open victory.
Valerie Constien, Battle Mountain, Track and Field
Although she’ll only compete on the track at the Olympics, Valerie Constien was a four-sport athlete as a high school student, as she participated in cross country, nordic skiing, soccer, and track and field. She also was a member of her school’s band and pep band all four years of high school. Constien qualified for the track and field state championships three times and medaled in two different events (800-meter run and triple jump). She also earned one first-team all-state nod for track and field, and two for cross country.
Elise Cranny, Niwot, Track and Field
Niwot’s Elise Cranny is headed back to the Olympics after finishing second in the 5,000-meter run at the U.S. Olympic Trials. During both her junior and senior seasons running for the Cougars, Cranny won the 4A girls cross country individual state title and captured three track and field individual state championships (800-meter run, 1,600-meter run, and 3,200 meter run). The Denver Post named her the 4A girls track athlete of the year for her junior season accomplishments, and then the girls track athlete of the year across all classifications her senior season.
Anna Hall, Valor Christian and Arapahoe, Track and Field
After medaling at the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships, Anna Hall will be looking to achieve that same feat at her first Olympics. While attending Valor Christian, Hall medaled 10 different times across four different track and field events (200-meter run, 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, long jump), and won seven individual state titles in three events (100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, long jump). Hall’s performances helped Valor Christian’s girls track and field team win the 2018 and 2019 CHSAA state championships.
Woody Kincaid, Columbine, Track and Field
William ‘Woody’ Kincaid is headed back to the Olympic Games after previously appearing on Team USA’s roster for the Tokyo Games. At Columbine in 2010, Kincaid won CHSAA’s 5A boys individual cross country championship and finished one spot shy of medaling in 2009. Kincaid also medaled four times at the CHSAA track and field championships, including a third-place finish in the 5A boys 3200-meter run in 2011.
Jordyn Poulter, Eaglecrest, Volleyball
After helping the Team USA women win gold in volleyball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Jordyn Poulter is returning to help defend the crown. While competing in high school, Poulter tallied 2,529 assists, 716 kills, 385 blocks and 208 aces over 101 high school matches. She was named the 5A Player of the Year in 2014 and was a two-time first-team all-state player. Poulter was also named to Under Armor’s All-American team and was on MaxPreps’ National Player of the Year watchlist for volleyball in 2014.
Sophia Smith, Fossil Ridge, Soccer
Fresh off a first-place finish at the 2024 W CONCACAF Gold Cup, Sophia Smith is set to make her Olympic debut. The 2020 NWSL No. 1 overall pick, 2022 NWSL Championship MVP, and 2023 NWSL Golden Boot winner started her career at Fossil Ridge, where she scored 10 goals and four assists in just eight games as a freshman, earning her first-team all-conference honors.
Mallory Swanson, Mountain Vista, Soccer
After last competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Mallory Swanson (formerly Mallory Pugh) is set to make her return to Team USA for the 2024 games. While at Mountain Vista, Swanson helped the Golden Eagles win their third soccer state championship, in 2013. She tallied 47 goals and 21 assists in merely 32 games for Mountain Vista, on her way to being named first-team All-Colorado by The Denver Post in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, Swanson was also named Gatorade’s National Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
Haleigh Washington, Clear Creek and Doherty, Volleyball
Alongside fellow Coloradan Jordyn Poulter, Haleigh Washington is looking to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals for Team USA in women’s volleyball. While competing in high school, Washington was a four-time first-team all-state selection, was twice named Gatorade’s Colorado Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, was named an Under Armor All-American, and was CHSAA’s Girls Volleyball Player of the Year in 2012. That same season, Washington helped Doherty capture the 5A state championship.
Emma Weber, Regis Jesuit, Swimming
Emma Weber will be making her Olympic debut for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. During her time at Regis Jesuit, Weber won three individual state titles, with two coming in the 100 breaststroke and one in the 200 IM. Weber also set a state record in the 100 breaststroke during her junior season; a mark that still stands to this day (59.93). She was also a first-team all-state selection two times.
Derrick White, Legend, Basketball
A little over a month after celebrating his first NBA championship, Colorado’s own Derrick White is headed to Paris to try and reclaim the gold for Team USA basketball. While at Legend, White averaged 12.9 points per game as he led the Titans to playoff appearances in 2011 and 2012, with them advancing all the way to the Sweet 16 during White’s senior campaign. White was also an all-state honorable mention and a first-team all-conference selection during his final year at Legend.
In addition to those 13 Olympians, there are also a handful of Olympic qualifiers who attended a CHSAA member school and will be competing in a non-CHSAA sanctioned sport in Paris.
Durango graduate Christopher Blevins qualified for Team USA’s men’s cycling team, while Mountain Vista graduate Jessica Thoennes qualified for the women’s rowing team. In high school, Blevins was a member of Durango’s boys basketball team, while Thoennes played for Mountain Vista’s girls basketball and volleyball teams.
Riley Amos, who graduated from Las Animas, and Olivia Cummins, who graduated from Rocky Mountain, will also represent the United States in cycling.
Meanwhile, Stargate Charter School graduate Colin Duffy and Fairview grads Natalie Grossman and Brooke Raboutou all qualified for Team USA’s sports climbing squad.
Dakota Ridge graduate Rylan Kissell and D-20 Village High School graduate Jack O’Neill will compete for the the United States in shooting and para-swimming, respectively.
Finally, Lindsay Horan is a graduate of Golden High School. Although she did not play soccer for the Demons, she will join Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson on the pitch for Team USA’s women’s soccer squad.
