The 2012 London Olympics are over, and five Penn Staters, as well as an honorary Nittany Lion, are coming back to the United States with shiny new medals.

In Women’s Volleyball, Megan Hodge and Christa Harmotto each earned a silver medal with Team USA, making it to the final match between the United States and Brazil. The team lost to Brazil 1-3. In the game, Hodge had four kills, one ace and one block. Harmotto had three kills and one block. Both women contributed ten points to help Team USA in the finals.

Team Canada’s Erin McLeod and Carmelina Moscato earned a bronze medal in Women’s Soccer. The team won 1-0 against France in the medal game. McLeod was the goalie, while Moscato was one of the team’s starting defenders. McLeod made four saves in the game, keeping France scoreless.

In Rowing, Natalie Dell earned a bronze medal in the women’s quadruple sculls for the United States. She was the first Penn Stater to row in the Olympics.

Finally, Jake Varner, who trains with Cael Sanderson, and competes with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, earned a gold medal for the United States in Wrestling. He might not be an official Penn Stater, but he could be considered an honorary one. Coach Sanderson has had Varner under his tutelage for the past seven years. To win gold, he defeated Ukrainian Valerie Andriitsev 1-0, 1-0 in the 96 kilogram freestyle class.

Congratulations to all of the athletes who competed in the games from Penn State, and to all six of these athletes who earned medals!