It was the experience of a lifetime for Ashley Sessa '22, Jovana Sekulic '21, Ivan Puskovitch '19, and Nick Mead '13 as they competed in the Paris Summer Olympics.
With over 20,000 high schools in the United States, and nearly 600 American Olympians at the games, The Episcopal Academy tied for first for the high school sending the most alumni to the 2024 Olympics.
“We are incredibly proud of Ashley, Jovana, Ivan, and Nick,” beamed Athletic Director Todd Fairlie, Hon. “We cheered from afar for these talented athletes. They were leaders during their years with us at EA, and they made us proud again on the world stage. Sending four alumni to the Olympics is a testament to our teacher/coach/mentor model, and our commitment to supporting student-athletes at all levels.”
Nick rowed to gold with the coxless men's four through the waters of the state-of-the-art Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. It was the first gold for the men's four since 1960.
“It was literally unbelievable; it was crazy,” Nick shared with The Philadelphia Inquirer hours after the stellar race.
With Great Britain gaining momentum, teammate Liam Corrigan shouted, “Red!” Nick sat in the powerful bow seat as he and his teammates picked up the pace. With a final push in the last 200 meters of the demanding 2,000-meter (2k) race, the American men held the lead, edged New Zealand by 0.85 seconds, and crossed the finish line with a winning time of 5:49.03. Great Britain finished close behind in third.
Nick was a "lifer" at EA. He launched his rowing career as a freshman with Coach Molly Konopka, Hon. “I texted Nick before the preliminary heat and before the Grand Final,” recalled Coach Konopka. “I just told him to be confident and to enjoy the excitement.”
In addition to winning Olympic gold, a surprise accolade was being selected to carry the American flag in the Closing Ceremony alongside swimmer and 14x Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky. “I’ve got chills!” smiled Nick. He was chosen as the flag bearer by his Olympic peers.
In a statement to the USOPC, Nick shared, "I believe there is merit in elevating the sport of rowing as we close out the Paris Olympic Games. Rowing has never been represented by an American flag bearer despite being one of the founding Olympic sports and embodying the essential spirit of the Olympics." Read more of Nick's statement and his experience meeting the descendants of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics.
Ivan braved the waters of the Seine in the men's 10-kilometer open-water marathon swim.
“It was definitely unlike anything else I’ve ever competed in,” said Ivan. “That current [in the Seine] is like no other, especially when we were going around those turns on the short stretches and had a wall of water coming at you from the side.”
Ivan finished 19th overall with a time of one hour, 57 mins, 52.5 seconds, and 6:59.8 behind the winner from Hungary. He was only the fifth American man to swim the marathon since it was added to the Olympics in 2008.
“I’m very proud of the tactical approach to the race. I think that I was making up a lot of ground in some areas that my competitors were kind of lacking,” recalled Ivan after the grueling race.
Water polo player Jovana was all smiles as she made her Olympic debut with USA Women's Water Polo.
The talented center scored two goals in the team’s opener against Greece (15-6). The three-time defending gold medalists won four of their seven games but came up short against the Netherlands in the battle for bronze.
“It never crossed my mind that this would be a possibility,” Jovana told The Philadelphia Inquirer before heading to Paris.
Former EA coach and friend Lauren Berry Maloney ’10 traveled to cheer on Jovana at the Paris Aquatic Centre and Paris La Defense Arena.
“It was absolutely surreal to see her play at the Olympics,” remarked Lauren. “I had tremendous pride for how well she played, including scoring several goals and drawing many ejections. I had even more pride for her making it to that point. It was a grueling year of training, and I was so happy that she was able to see her hard work pay off. I wouldn't and couldn't miss it!”
“I had goosebumps and was very emotional when she first saw action during the USA’s first game against Greece,” said Maddi DeMund ’10, former EA water polo coach. “Jovana was always very vocal about her dreams, and there was never a day of coaching her where I questioned her ability to make her dreams a reality.”
For the first time in eight years, Team USA Field Hockey stepped back into the Olympic arena with an all-rookie team, making their Olympic debut at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium. For 20-year-old Ashley, the youngest member of the team, playing in the Olympics has been a life-long goal. “This has been a dream of mine since picking up my very first stick,” Ashley posted after being named to the team. “I am excited to grow and perform with an amazing group of girls!”
Ashley wasted no time sharing her stellar talents during the team’s opening game against familiar opponent #2 Argentina as she fired in the first Olympic goal for the United States.
Upon her departure for Paris, Ashley reflected to the Delco Daily Times, “I don’t have much pressure on me. I think one of my mottos is just to go out there and have fun. I don’t do this as a job. This is something I do because I love it.”
As a member of the 1984 U.S. Women’s Field Hockey team, retired long-time EA Athletic Director Gina Buggy, Hon. was in Paris to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their bronze medal finish. Coach Buggy and her 1984 teammates attended all four games to cheer on Ashley and Team USA.
“The energy and spirit at the field hockey stadium was electric!” said Coach Buggy. “Watching our USA team compete was thrilling and nerve-racking. It was heartwarming to watch. We are a young team, and we battled fiercely. Although we didn’t come away with a medal, we are making huge strides toward getting to the next level.”
The EA Olympians enjoyed life in the Olympic Village, meeting fellow athletes from around the world, and squeezed in a quick hug and hello at the Closing Ceremonies.
Ashley, Jovana, Ivan, and Nick are not the first EA alums to compete in the Olympics. The EA legacy dates back to 1912 when Donald Lippincott, Class of 1911, earned two medals in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, winning silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m. David McMullin, Class of 1925, played on the Men’s Field Hockey team in the 1932 Los Angeles Games and the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. McMullin’s 1932 team won the bronze and marked the first appearance at the Olympics by the U.S. National Men’s Team.