UCO alumni dominate Paris Paralympic Games

UCO alumni took home medals in five events at the Paralympic Games, including two golds last week. 

The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team won their third Paralympic Games gold medal in a row on Saturday after defeating China 3-1. Five of the team’s players, Heather Erickson, Lexi Shifflett-Patterson, Bethany Zummo, Katie Holloway Bridge, and Monique Matthews, have all attended UCO. Kat King, their athletic trainer, is also a UCO graduate.

Erickson had the most scoring and digs out of any player at the games, and was named MVP and Best Attacker. She won the same honors at the 2016 Paralympic Games.

“Going into this gold medal match, I really just wanted to go have fun,” Erickson told USA Volleyball. “I knew that they were going to bring their best and we were going to bring our best. I just wanted to enjoy every single moment and stay in that moment.”

Zummo, the team’s libero, had four successful receptions and three digs. Matthews also had a big game with five blocks, five kills, 11 points, and an ace, while Holloway Bridge had two blocks, 12 kills, 15 points, and an ace.

UCO alumni Jeremy Campbell, who graduated earlier this year, won a gold medal Thursday in the Men’s Discus Throw F64. He launched the discus 61.14 meters on his last throw to beat his previous one, even though he had already secured the win. 

Campbell now has four gold medals in the event along with the world record throw of  65.86 meters. He also won gold in the Pentathlon P44 at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

UCO alumni Derek Loccident won silver in the Men’s High Jump T64 with a jump of 2.06 meters and another silver in the Men’s Long Jump T64 with a jump of 7.79 meters.

Loccident was a defensive back for the UCO football team who returned to the field in 2021 after a train accident took his left foot in 2018.

Evan Medell, another UCO graduate, won the bronze in Para Taekwondo Men’s +80kg K44. Medell started taekwondo in 2008 and also won a bronze in 2020.