Orange in the Olympics
The games of the XXXII Olympiad are here! Six former Syracuse University student-athletes are geared up to go for gold in the Tokyo Olympics.
“Having our alumni compete in the Olympic Games brings great pride for all of us in Orange Nation,” says Syracuse University Director of Athletics John Wildhack ’80. “Making an Olympic team is a testament to the commitment they displayed at Syracuse and their dedication to competing on a worldwide stage at the Olympic Games. We wish each of them all the best in their pursuit of Olympic excellence.”
KAYLA ALEXANDER
Canada - Women's Basketball
First-time Olympian Kayla Alexander was a member of the 2020 International Basketball Federation Olympic Qualifying Tournament team that went undefeated (3-0) and locked up Canada’s third straight Olympic appearance.
The 6-foot-4 center is Syracuse's all-time leader in points (2,024), blocks (350), field goals (736), free throws made (552), free throws attempted (750) and games played (140). She also owns the Syracuse single-season marks in scoring (573, 2012-13), field goals (151, 2012-13) and blocks (96, 2011-12).
Alexander was the second ever Orange player to be selected in the WNBA Draft, when she was the eighth overall pick in 2013 by the San Antonio Stars. Since then, she’s played with the Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx. She’s also played internationally with professional teams in Australia, Belgium, France, Poland, Russia and South Korea, and has represented Canada at the junior, developmental and senior national levels.
The Canadian team opens against Serbia on July 26 in group-stage play.
JENNA CAIRA
Canada - Softball
First-time Olympian Jenna Caira '12 has been representing Canada in international competitions since 2007, when she competed in the Junior Women’s World Championships. In 2009, she moved up to the senior national team and was part of three bronze-medal performances in the world championships. The Syracuse All-American, known for her fierce change-up, helped lead Team Canada to a gold in the 2015 Pan Am Games. The team clinched its Olympic berth in September 2019, when it finished second in the Americas Olympic Qualifier in Surrey, British Columbia, where it registered a 7-1 record.
On the diamond for Syracuse (2009-12), Caira relentlessly racked up records and accolades. She helped lead the Orange to two straight Big East tournament crowns—earning Most Outstanding Player honors in 2010 and 2011—and three consecutive NCAA appearances. She is the only player in Big East history to register more than 1,000 strikeouts, and she collected conference honors as 2009 Rookie of the Year and 2011 Pitcher of the Year. The two-time team captain was a third-team All-America selection in 2012 and is the Orange’s all-time leader in multiple categories, including career wins (97), lowest earned run average (1.87), strikeouts (1,051) and lowest opponent batting average (.190). Following her Syracuse playing career, she also served as an assistant coach for two years.
Team Canada opened preliminary play on July 21 with Caira pitching a scoreless inning in a win vs. Mexico.
JERAMI GRANT
USA - Men's Basketball
Jerami Grant came into his own during the 2020-21 NBA season, displaying skills that proved he had an all-around game. Evidence: The Detroit Pistons forward was one of 12 elite players selected to represent Team USA, which is aiming for its fourth consecutive gold.
This season, in his first year with the Pistons, Grant was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 22.3 points per game, and he contributed 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. His efforts earned him a nod as a finalist for the NBA Most Improved Player award. The 6-foot-8 forward entered the 2014 NBA Draft after two seasons with the Orange and was a second-round pick (39th overall) by the Philadelphia 76ers. Grant also logged time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, where he became known as a defensive specialist and helped the Nuggets advance to the 2020 Western Conference finals.
As a Syracuse freshman, Grant was a member of the 2012-13 NCAA Final Four team that posted a 30-10 record. He played in all 40 games that season, with nine starts. In his sophomore campaign, he averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the 28-6 Orange, had 20 starts in 32 appearances, and totaled seven double-doubles. He also played on two gold medal-winning USA Basketball teams (2012 Under-18 and 2013 Under-19 squads).
JUSTYN KNIGHT
Canada - Men's Track & Field
Justyn Knight '18 is primed for the Tokyo Olympics. Earlier this year, the Team Canada distance runner turned in personal bests—and qualifying Olympic standard times—in both the 1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters. In May, at the USA Track & Field Golden Games in Walnut, California, he finished second in the 1,500, posting a blistering 3:33.41. In June, he placed fifth in the 5,000 at a professional Diamond League meet in Florence, Italy, finishing in 12:51.93. Canadian teammate Moh Ahmed crossed the line in third (12:50.12). Their times elevated them to the two fastest North Americans in history at that distance.
Knight, who will run the 5,000 in Tokyo, is considered Syracuse University’s all-time greatest distance runner. As a senior, he won the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championship and the 2018 NCAA 5,000-meter indoor title. He also helped lead the Orange to the 2015 NCAA cross country crown, placing fourth as a sophomore. During his Syracuse career, the Toronto native also collected 11 individual ACC titles and earned All-America honors 10 times.
Knight first represented Canada at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, placing eighth in the 5,000 meters. He followed that up by clinching the 2015 Pan Am Games Junior Cross Country title. In the 5,000 at the 2017 and 2019 IAAF World Championships, he crossed the line in ninth and 10th, respectively.
HATTIE TAYLOR
Great Britain - Women's Rowing
In 2020, Hattie Taylor '17 fulfilled her quest to compete in the Olympics when she was selected for the Great Britain National Rowing Team. Taylor started rowing at age 12 and developed Olympic aspirations several years ago.
For Taylor, the joy of making the national team was short-lived as the COVID-19 pandemic knocked the 2020 Tokyo Games off course by a year—and Great Britain required its rowers to be re-selected. But she met the challenge and will compete for the Great Britain women’s four. Along with becoming an Olympian, Taylor will have the opportunity to build on her international success that includes winning two world championships, two European championships and five world cups.
Taylor competed for the Orange from 2014 to 2017 and was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team selection. She earned medals at the ACC championships, the O’Leary Cup and the Clemson Invitational. She’s also the sixth Syracuse women’s rower to make an Olympic team since the 2004 Athens Games.
The women’s four heats in Tokyo are scheduled for July 24 with the finals set for July 28.
KATIE ZAFERES
USA - Women's Triathlon
As a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic triathlon team, Katie Zaferes '12 finished 18th in the Rio Games. When she lines up in Tokyo at the start of the grueling swim, cycle and run event, she’ll carry a new title with her: World champion. Zaferes captured the International Triathlon Union (ITU) world title in 2019, winning five ITU World Triathlon Series races, including the Grand Final race in Lausanne, Switzerland.
For many, it may seem improbable that she only began competing professionally in elite triathlons in 2013. At Syracuse University, Zaferes (then Katie Hursey) competed in cross country and track and field, where she specialized in the steeplechase. She earned All-America honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2011 and 2012, and was identified through the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Program as a prospect for the three-sport event. She was named the 2013 USA Triathlon Elite Rookie of the Year and began to climb in the World Triathlon Series overall rankings. In 2015, she placed fifth overall; in 2016, she was fourth; in 2017, she collected a bronze; and in 2018, she nabbed silver in the series and the Grand Final. All told, she’s earned 23 medals (including six golds) in the World Triathlon Series and is a five-time ITU Triathlon World Cup medalist (including four golds). She was also the 2018-19 Super League Triathlon women’s overall champion.
The women’s triathlon takes place on July 27. Competitors will swim 1,500 meters, bike 40,000 meters and run 10,000 meters.
