Golf, swimming and water polo top producers of Sun Devils in Paris
(Tempe, AZ) Below are the Sun Devil student-athletes, coaches and alumni with some sort of a connection. For a list of Sun Devil history in the Olympics, click here, while here is the azcentral.com Olympic tracker. A good variety of Sun Devils are competing, including five women’s golfers, four from water polo and three current members of the men’s swimming team. Our simple list is below, then scroll down for the history and background of each Sun Devil.
Before you do that, check out how proud Canada is of Ilya Kharun.
SUN DEVILS AND ALUMNI COMPETING IN 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
Promise Amukamara, ’15 BS in communication — Women’s Basketball (Nigeria)
Tiago Behar — Swimming (Switzerland)
Carlota Ciganda — Women’s Golf (Spain)
Lu Dort — Men’s Basketball (Canada)
Alessandra Fanali, ’22 BA in sports business — Women’s Golf (Italy)
Alexandra Försterling, ’22 BA in interdisciplinary studies — Women’s Golf (Germany)
Linn Grant — Women’s Golf (Sweden)
Ilya Kharun – Men’s Swimming (Canada)
Desirae Krawczyk, ’16 BS in family and human development — Women’s Tennis (USA)
Beatrice Nedberge Llano, ’21 BA in interdisciplinary studies, ’22 MS in organizational leadership – Track and Field (Norway)
Léon Marchand — Men’s Swimming (France)
Max McCusker, ’24 MSLB in sports law and business — Swimming (Ireland)
Blaire McDowell, ’22 BSE in engineering — Polo (Canada)
Azahara Muñoz, ’09 BA in psychology — Women’s Golf (Spain)
David Puig, ’23 BS in communication — Men’s Golf (Spain)
Dubem Nwachukwu, ’23 BS Computer and Information Systems — Men’s Track (Nigeria)
Jon Rahm, ’16 BA in communication — Men’s Golf (Spain)
Gabi Rennie, ’23 BA in interdisciplinary studies — Women’s Soccer (New Zealand)
Bente Rogge, ’21 BS in biomedical sciences – Water Polo (Netherlands)
Lieke Rogge, former student-athlete – Water Polo (Netherlands)
Mia Rycraw, ’18 BA in interdisciplinary studies – Water Polo (France)
Tolu Young, incoming freshman – Men’s Swimming (Fiji)
Jorinde van Klinken, ’22 MGM in global management – Track and Field (Netherlands)
Kevin Yu, ’21 BA in liberal studies— Men’s Golf (Chinese Taipei)
SUN DEVILS WHO COMPETED AT ASU IN 2023-24 AND QUALIFIED FOR PARIS
TIAGO BEHAR, MEN’S SWIMMING (SWITZERLAND)
Tiago Behar currently wrapped up his junior season with the Sun Devils primary swimming in the 50 free, 100 free and the 200 free for majority of the season. Behar will swim in the 4x200m free relay for Switzerland and at the Long Course Swiss Championships he swam a 1:50.64 in the leadoff portion of the relay and placed second in prelims in the 200m free with a time of 1:50.49. He placed seventh at the Pac-12 Championships in the 200 free and competed in every race for the Sun Devils this past season. At the 2024 NCAA Championships, he was a recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award for men’s swim and dive, for the highest cumulative GPA out of all qualified teams at the championships.
ILYA KHARUN — SWIMMING (CANADA)
The sophomore in 2024-25 qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics on May 17 with a time of 1:54.41, winning the 200m fly with the second-fastest time in the world. Two days later, he qualified for the 100m fly with a time of 51.66. He is a two-time NCAA Champion first as a part of the 400 medley relay that set an NCAA record time of 2:57.32, and also winning the 200 fly helping the Sun Devils win their first NCAA Championship in 2024. The Canadian already is a six-time Pac-12 Champion, claiming awards in the 100 fly, 200 fly 400 medley relay, 400 free relay, 200 free relay and the 200 medley relay. He also holds the school record for the 100 fly (44.33) and the 200 fly (1:37.93).
Photo – Olympian and NCAA Champion Ilya Kharun/asu.edu
LEON MARCHAND — SWIMMING (FRANCE)
Tokyo 2020 result: 6th in men’s 400m individual medley (4:11.16), 1:55.68 in 200m butterfly, 1:58.30 in 200m IM, 3:33.41 in 4x100m medley
Marchand won eight NCAA individual titles — the most by any Sun Devil across all sports — and led ASU to the 2024 NCAA title. His parents (Xavier Marchand and Celine Bonnet) both competed for France in the Olympics.
Photo – Leon Marchand/apnews.com
GABI RENNIE, WOMEN’S SOCCER (NEW ZEALAND) /// BA, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, 2023
Gabi Rennie played two seasons at ASU (2022-23) and appeared in 28 games and posted three goals and three assists as ASU made the NCAA Tournament in each of her two seasons. She played in the Tokyo Olympics after starting her career at Indiana (2020-21). Was a member of New Zealand U-17 that captured New Zealand’s first medal at a FIFA World Cup, when it placed third at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay. Scored a goal in New Zealand’s contest vs. Australia at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
TOLU YOUNG, MEN’S SWIMMING (FIJI) /// INCOMING FRESHMAN THIS 2024-25 SEASON
Young had a stellar high school career at Curtis High School, winning a state championship in the 50 free in 2023 and in 2022. Young also trains year-around University Place Aquatics Club and earned gold at the 50 free Federal Way Sectionals in March 2023. Young has swam a personal best in the 50m free at the World Aquatic Championships in 22.87.
SUN DEVIL ALUMNI WHO QUALIFIED FOR PARIS OLYMPICS
PROMISE AMUKAMARA — NIGERIA (WOMEN’S BASKETBALL) /// BS, COMMUNICATION, 2015
The first player to represent Sun Devil women’s basketball in the Olympics when she competed in Tokyo in 2021, Amukamara averaged 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals in Nigeria’s three games. She was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2015 WNBA Draft, and played in every one of ASU’s 131 tilts between 2012-15, recording starts in 97 of those contests. She concluded her Sun Devil career in sixth place on ASU’s all-time steals list with 209 and third in career steals in NCAA Tournament games (10). A two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive selection, Amukamara earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2015. She started every game of her senior season and finished first on the team in steals (1.83 spg – seventh in the Pac-12), third in scoring (10.9 ppg), free throws made (63), field goal percentage (47.2) and free throw percentage (75.0) and fourth in rebounds (3.6 rpg) and assists (2.0 apg). Amukamara earned a pair of Pac-12 Player of the Week awards in 2015, scored in double figures 21 times and led ASU in scoring (13.1 ppg) during the team’s 14-game winning streak (shot 52.5 percent during that stretch). She earned her bachelor of science in communication in 2015.
CARLOTA CIGANDA — WOMEN’S GOLF (SPAIN)
Carlota Giganda played at Arizona State from 2007-11 and was a first-team All-American her final three seasons and became the first back-to-back Pac-10 champion in springs of 2009 and 2010. She defeated Juliana Murcia in a playoff to capture second consecutive Pac-10 Championship at the Eugene Country Club in 2010 and recorded her first collegiate tournament win at the 2009 Pac-10 Championships where she won a playoff against teammate Jennifer Osborn and USC’s Jennifer Song. She shot a career-best 10-under 206 (67-68-71) to take medalist honors at the 2009 NCAA West Regional and finished tied for 11th at the NCAA Championships to help lead the Sun Devils to their seventh NCAA title and first since 1998.
LUGUENTZ DORT — CANADA (MEN’S BASKETBALL)
Making his Olympic debut representing Team Canada in Paris, Dort helped lead Canada to the Bronze Medal at the 2023 FIBA World Championships, defeating Team USA in the third place game. He completed his fifth NBA season and signed a 5-year, $87.5 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder last offseason, as the Thunder finished with the best record in the Western Conference with Dort starting 79 of a possible 82 games. He earned 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors, second-team All-Pac-12 distinction and a spot on the All-Defense team in his lone season at Arizona State. Joined Jahii Carson (Co-Freshman of the Year in 2012-13), Ike Diogu (2002-03), Jamal Faulkner (1990-91) and Byron Scott (1979-80) as Sun Devils to win Pac-12 Freshman of the year. Became just the fourth Sun Devils to earn a spot on the All-Defense team since it was created in 2007-08. ASU never trailed in the NCAA Tournament win over St. John’s and had the lead for the final 37:45, with Dort’s 21 points leading the way, which was ASU’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2009. He scored 20 or more points nine times.
ALESSANDRA FANALI — WOMEN’S GOLF (ITALY) /// BA, SPORTS BUSINESS, 2022
Alessandra Fanali played at ASU from 2018-22 and earned third-team All-America honors by Golfweek in 2019-20 and WGCA honorable mention the same season and had five top-20 finishes. She posted three top-10 finishes and two top-five finishes in 2020-21 and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. She played in all eight events in 2020-21.
ALEXANDRA FÖRSTERLING — WOMEN’S GOLF (GERMANY) /// BA, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, 2022
Alexandra Forsterling was a consistent presence in the lineup her first three years (2018-21), performing admirably for a top-10 Arizona State team. During a breakout senior campaign (2021-22), she took her game to another level, becoming one of the best golfers in the nation. She did it while maintaining a 3.95 GPA and graduating with a degree in Film, and was a unanimous first-team All-American and earned the 2022 Most Improved Player by Golfweek. The No. 5-ranked golfer in the nation (top-ranked senior) was the 2022 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Forsterling won the 2021 PING/ASU Invitational and made the ASU Dean’s List in each of her eight semesters and was a Pac-12 Academic Spring Honor Roll selection all four seasons.
LINN GRANT — WOMEN’S GOLF (SWEDEN)
Two-time first-team All-American Linn Grant made the most of her time in Tempe, putting together one of the best two-year (2019-21) careers of any player in NCAA history. The native of Viken, Sweden completed one of the best freshman seasons by a Sun Devil and built upon that with a brilliant sophomore season, as she reached the No. 1 spot in the Golfstat Rankings heading into the 2021 NCAA Championship, the first in program history to do so. The two-time WGCA Player of the Year candidate led Arizona State to their second NCAA Match Play appearance in program history at the 2021 NCAA Championships, with the Sun Devils finishing tied for fifth, the highest finish since the 2017 National Championship run. The consistency shown by Grant was a big reason why she racked up so many accolades, as she finished in the Top-10 in 12 of 16 career events. At the 2021 Clover Cup, Grant became only the second Sun Devil in program history to win four consecutive tournaments. She joined Brandie Burton from the legendary 1989-90 season, which resulted in Arizona State’s first women’s golf NCAA Championship. Grant put together a debut 2019-20 season that put her on the national collegiate map and belongs in the discussion of one of the top freshman campaigns in school history. She was recognized as a WGCA first-team All-American after finishing in the Top-10 at five of her seven tournaments. She took home individual medalist honors while leading her team to a victory at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, the only Sun Devil to pick up an individual win in 2020.
DESIRAE KRAWCZYK — WOMEN’S TENNIS (UNITED STATES) /// BS, FAMILY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, 2016
Four-time major champion in mixed-doubles Desirae Krawczyk will appear in her first Olympic games in Paris after being named among the 11 USA selections. The women’s team is made up of singles world No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Jessica Pegula, No. 11 Danielle Collins and No. 17 Emma Navarro with Krawczyk. For doubles, Krawczyk will be paired with Collins while Gauff and Pegula will make up the other doubles pair. The mixed doubles team will be taken from the qualified players and named at a later date. Krawczyk played for ASU from 2013-2016 and earned All-American honors in singles her senior season in 2016 after going 28-13, finishing No. 28 in the country in singles to lead the Sun Devils to a year-end team ranking of No. 22 that year. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Family and Human Development in 2017. In her time as a Sun Devil, she is fourth all-time in wins with a 99-45 record and has the sixth most wins in a season with 28, which she achieved twice in 2014 and 2016. The California native has had profound success on the WTA tour with 10 doubles titles in her career, compiling a 243-173 career record and reaching a career-high No. 8 in the world in August 2023. In grand slams she has a career record of 37-20 in doubles play, and a record of 37-12 in mixed-doubles. In 2021, Krawczyk became the first player to win three grand slam mixed-double titles in the same year, winning three straight beginning at the French Open, then Wimbledon and then the U.S. Open to reach No. 17 in the world in doubles rankings. One year later, she won her second consecutive Wimbledon title in mixed doubles for her fourth grand slam title and was a semifinalist in the doubles draw, breaking through the top-10 in the doubles rankings on July 11, 2022. In 2024, she’s reached the mixed doubles final in the first two grand slam at the Australian Open and the French Open and is currently ranked No. 11 in the world in doubles and will return to Paris to compete for a gold medal where she won her first grand slam title at Roland Garros on clay. Krawczyk is the second Sun Devil women’s tennis player to be named to an Olympic roster, the first tennis player since Joelle Schad was named to the Dominican Republic national team in women’s tennis in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, who competed for the Sun Devils from 1992-1995.
BEATRICE LLANO, WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD (NORWAY) /// BA, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, 2021 AND MS, ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 2022
A first-time Olympian, Beatrice Llano will represent Team Norway in the hammer throw at the Summer Games in Paris. Arriving in Tempe in 2018, Llano earned three All-American honors in the hammer (2022/3rd, 2021/5th, 2019/7th). Her mark of 72.10m in the hammer remains the second-best mark in Women’s Outdoor team history, while also holding as a Norwegian national record. A six-time Norwegian champion in the event, joined the Sun Devils after transferring from Georgia, where she placed third nationally in the hammer in 2017 for the Bulldogs. The winner of the 2016 World Junior Championships (hammer throw), Llano will have a chance to represent her country — and the Sun Devils — this summer in Paris.
MAX McCUSKER, MEN’S SWIMMING (IRELAND) /// MSLB, SPORTS LAW & BUSINESS, 2024
Max McCusker qualified for the Olympics by swimming a 51.90 in the 100m fly, setting a national record and earning his spot on the Olympic Team and will compete on the 4x100m medley relay team this month. In his only season with the Sun Devls, he helped ASU finish runner-up in the NCAA Championships in 2023 and was part of the 200y and 400y-medley relay teams that helped ASU win their first Pac-12 Championship. In 2022, McCusker won the Irish National Championship in the 50m free, 50m fly, 100m free and 100m fly.
BLAIRE MCDOWELL, WOMEN’S WATER POLO (CANADA) /// BSE, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, 2022
Blaire McDowell is playing in her first Olympics after being selected for the Canadian national team. McDowell played for ASU from 2019 – 2022 where she accumulated 66 goals in her career, along with 54 assists for 120 points. She also was a defensive force with 108 steals in four years donning the Maroon and Gold. On the International stage she was selected to train with the Canadian national team in 2020, and has played for Canada in numerous internation tournaments, taking part in the World Aquatic Championships in Doha earlier in 2024 and in Fukuoka last year. McDowell was a member of the junior team and will represent Canada at the Olympics in Paris.
AZAHARA MUNOZ — WOMEN’S GOLF (SPAIN) /// BA, PSYCHOLOGY, 2009
Azahara Munoz competed at Arizona State from 2005-09 and captured the 2008 NCAA title in dramatic fashion, winning in a playoff to become the ninth Sun Devil to win the NCAA title. She buried a clutch 25-foot putt to defeat UCLA’s Tiffany Joh in the winner-take-all playoff. She also led Arizona State to the 2009 NCAA title (she finished fourth), its seventh in school history and first since 1998. She was the third four-time All-American program history. She earned first-team All-Pac-10 in each of her four seasons and compiled an incredible 31 top-10 finishes in 39 career appearances. She was the first two-time recipient of the prestigious Edith Cummings Munson Award, given to the top collegiate female golfer nationally who also excels in academics. Munoz graduated summa cum laude with a 3.98 in psychology. She earned 2009 Pac-10 Scholar of the Year, was a four-time NGCA Academic All-American and two-time ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-American. She finished as the runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur, won the 2009 Ladies British Amateur Championship and competed for Spain in the 2006 Women’s World Amateur. Represented Spain at the Rio Olympics, one of five Sun Devils competing for their country in the 2016 Summer Games.
DUBEM NWACHUKWU — MEN’S TRACK & FIELD (NIGERIA) /// BS COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS, 2023
One of the top sprinters to come through the Sun Devils’ program in the past decade, Dubem Nwachukwu will bring a decorated resume and background to his first Summer Games in Paris. In the 2023 Outdoor season, he helped the 4×400 relay (3:01.57) to a gold medal at the Pac-12 Championships. Nwachukwu played an integral part in the Sun Devils’ historic showing at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships, helping the Men place fifth for their best finish since 2010. ASU’s relay of Dubem Nwachukwu, Jeremiah Curry, Jalen Drayden, Justin Robinson became the school’s first 4×400 All-Americans since 2010, taking second nationally at a program-record 2:57.78. In addition to owning the school’s Outdoor 4×4 record, he’s also posted the fourth-fastest Outdoor 400m (44.81) and the 10th-best Indoor 400m (46.40).
DAVID PUIG — MEN’S GOLF (SPAIN) /// BS, COMMUNICATION, 2023
David Puig won the Southwestern Invitational in both 2021 and 2022, as a back injury slowed him in 2021-22 before he joined the LIV Tour in September of 2022. He won the 2021 Southwestern Invitational and the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in back-to-back weeks, and posted seven top-10 finishes in 11 stroke play events in 2020-21. Puig played in 11 tournaments that year and notched a tie for 11th at the NCAA Championships. He also had top-five finishes at the 2022 Maui Jim Intercollegiate (T3) and fall of 2021 OFCC/Fighting Illini Invite (T2). He earned second-team All-American in 2020-21, as he finished that season with a 70.29 stroke average and during his freshman season, he only competed in four tournaments before the season was cut short due to COVID-19.
BENTE ROGGE, WOMEN’S WATER POLO (NETHERLANDS) /// BS, BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, 2021
Rogge is competing in her second Olympics for the Dutch as she played for the Sun Devils from 2017-2021, and earned All-American honors in 2018 with a career-high 35 goals her sophomore year.. Along with her success playing at the collegiate level, she has represented the Netherlands since playing at the junior level, collecting a silver metal at the FINA World Water Polo Super Finals as part of the senior team. This past year alongside with her sister, Lieke, they won gold at the World Aquatic Championships at Fukuoka.
LIEKE ROGGE, WOMEN’S WATER POLO (NETHERLANDS)
Lieke Rogge is competing in her first Olympics and played one year with the Sun Devils in 2019, tallying 37 goals, 4 assists and 28 steals as a freshman. She’s reprsented the Netherlands by becoming a Dutch junior champion in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017 and earned a silver medal at the 2017 European Junior Championships. She’s played for the Dutch national team since 2015 and played alongside her sister which won the gold medal at the World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka in 2023, and earned a silver medal at the Women’s Water Polo World Cup in 2023.
MIA RYCRAW, WOMEN’S WATER POLO (FRANCE) /// BA, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, 2018
Mia Rycraw is appearing in her second Olympics after playing for France in the Tokyo Olympics. She represented the Maroon & Gold from 2014-2018 where she was a force in the cage, racking up 814 career saves, second in ASU history and becoming the 15th MPSF goalkeeper to reach the 800 save mark. She was named a ACWPC All-American for three straight years, the second in program history to be named to three All-American teams and earned All-MPSF honors for three straight years (2016-2018). In her senior season she finished atop the MPSF conference with 219 saves and had 10 double-digit save games. After graduating from ASU, she’s competed overseas and has played professionally, recently joining the Olympiacos, a professional water polo club.
JORINDE VAN KLINKEN, WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD (NETHERLANDS) /// MGM, GLOBAL MANAGEMENT, 2022
One of the most decorated throwers in Sun Devil history, Jorinde Van Klinken is Olympics-bound for the second time in her career. Competing for the Netherlands this summer in the shot put, Van Klinken’s resume as a Sun Devil includes multiple national championship titles (2023/discus, 2022/discus, 2022/shot, 2021/discus) and numerous Pac-12 Conference accolades, including two-time Women’s Field Athlete of the Year honors and earning three conference championship titles. The 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-American, she was also named ASU’s Heather Farr Student-Athlete of the Year in 2022, an award in honor of one of the most successful female student-athletes in school history. She has her fingerprints all over the Sun Devils’ record books, holding the school record in the Outdoor discus (70.22m), the second-best mark in the Indoor shot (19.08m) and the third-best mark in the Outdoor shot (18.45m). No stranger to competing on the sport’s biggest stage, Van Klinken previously qualified for the discus in the 2021 Tokyo Games.
KEVIN YU, MEN’S GOLF (CHINESE TAIPEI) /// BA, LIBERAL STUDIES, 2021
Kevin Yu — who went with Chun An Yu and “Chev” to his teammates in his time at ASU — had a 70.46 career scoring average which was second on ASU career list in the Golfstat era only to Jon Rahm (2012-16) who posted 70.21, and had his score count in 139 of 151 career rounds while at ASU. He finished third at the 2019 NCAA Championships in Arkansas, which earned him first-team All-America honors and he earned third-team honors in 2021. Amateur titles included the 2019 Players Amateur in South Carolina and the 2019 Australian Masters of the Amateur title. He also claimed the 2019 Thunderbird Collegiate. He won his third college tournament in February of 2017 in Tucson at the National Invitational after joining the program in January of 2017.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Doug Tammaro
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