Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana athletes to watch for in the 2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris officially begin July 26.Several local athletes are vying for their shot at Olympic glory. Below is our working list of athletes who are from or have connections to Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana that have qualified for the Olympic games. The athletes are listed alphabetically, by state.We'll be updating their bios periodically as well. Click here for a full list of the Team USA Olympic roster.OHIO Katelyn Abelin, ShootingHometown: Douglasville, GASchool: Ohio State UniversityHunter Armstrong, SwimmingHometown: Dover, OhioMolly Bruggeman, RowingHometown: Dayton, OhioSchool: University of Notre Dame ’14Bruggeman was born and raised in Dayton before going to the University of Notre Dame and then landing a job as a rowing coach at the University of Minnesota.Bruggeman, who will be competing in the women's four, is one of six Olympic veterans making up the team.Nina Castagna, RowingHometown: Cincinnati, OhioSchool: University of Notre Dame ’14Castagna is from Cincinnati and will participate in the women's eight. The Walnut Hills graduate started rowing her freshman year in high school before heading to the University of Washington. Castagna says her mom and dad have given up so much to support her and her dream, so going to Paris and competing on the biggest stage is a testament to them as well.The crew Castagna will helm, the women's coxed eight, won the gold in every Olympic games between 2004 and 2016. In the delayed 2020 games, the U.S. finished in fourth place.Sunny Choi, BreakingHometown: Queens New York and Louisville, KYMarcus Christopher, CyclingHometown: Canton, OHStephen Curry, BasketballHometown: Akron, OhioAnthony Davis, BasketballHometown: ChicagoSchool: University of KentuckyAnnette Echikunwoke, Track and FieldHometown: Pickerington, OHSchool: University of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati graduate and Ohio native Annette Echikunwoke qualified for the Paris Olympics at the US Olympic Track & Field trials in the women's hammer throw competition.Echikunwoke, 27, took down a loaded field for the women's hammer throw competition. She won the women's title with a throw of 245 feet.The Cincinnati Track and Field standout is headed to Paris. She was set to throw for Nigeria in the Tokyo games but a testing protocol error from the African Federation of Nigeria deemed her ineligible to compete.Four years later, she turned heartbreak into a ticket to the 2024 Olympics.Echikunwoke went to Pickerington North High School before attending the University of Cincinnati.The 27-year-old earned numerous honors during her Track & Field days with the Bearcats, including American Athletic Conference Champion in the hammer throw in 2016 and 2017 and the conference champion of the indoor and outdoor shot put events in 2017 and 2018.Carson Foster, SwimmingHometown: Cincinnati, OH / Mason Manta RaysAfter already qualifying for the Olympics in the 400-meter individual medley race on Sunday during the US Olympic swimming trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Carson Foster secured his spot in another event on Friday night. Foster's time of 1:55:65 in the 200-meter individual medley placed first among eight competitors, qualifying him for the Olympic event alongside Shaine Casas. Blake Haxton, Para-rowingHometown: Columbus, OHSchool: Ohio State UniversityMax Holt, VolleyballHometown: Cincinnati, OHSchool: Pennsylvania State UniversityLeBron James, BasketballHometown: Akron, OHLilly King, SwimmingHometown: Evansville, INDuring the Olympic Swim Trials, King finished with a time of 2:21:93 in the 200-meter breaststroke to advance to Paris for her second event. King will join Kate Douglass in representing the US in the women's 200-meter breaststroke.After the event, King had another memorable moment, when she and her boyfriend got engaged.She also finished first in the women's 100-meter breaststroke race with a time of 1:05:43.Ada Korkjim, ShootingHometown: Brookline, MASchool: The Ohio State UniversityRose Lavelle, SoccerHometown: Cincinnati, OHSchool: Mt. Notre DameCincinnati native Rose Lavelle has been named to the U.S. women's national soccer team roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics.Lavelle is one of five midfielders named to the roster and one of four players on the squad to have appeared in 100 games for the U.S. This is the second time Lavelle has been named to an Olympic team, after she was named to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic team. She scored once in the tournament, during a 6-1 group stage win against New Zealand.She's one of eight players from the 2020 roster to make the 2024 squad.Lavelle has battled injuries earlier this year, missing the SheBelieves Cup due to a leg injury but has returned to the pitch in Olympic tune-up matches.The Mt. Notre Dame product notched her 100th cap for the USWNT earlier this month in a 3-0 win for the U.S. over South Korea in St. Paul, Minnesota.Across her 100 appearances for the Stars and Stripes, Lavelle has recorded 24 goals and 24 assists.The USWNT will have two final tune-up matches before kicking off their Olympic run on Thursday, July 25 against Zambia.The U.S. will also play Germany (Sunday, July 28) and Australia (Wednesday, July 31) in Olympic group stage play.Henry Leverett, ShootingHometown: Bainbridge, GASchool: Ohio State University Morelle McCane, BoxingHometown: Cleveland, OHDerrick Mein, ShootingHometown: Paola, KSTies to Ohio: After competing in Tokyo 2020, Mein opened Cardinal Center Sporting Clays in Marengo, Ohio. Ruby Remati, Artistic SwimmingHometown: Andover, MASchool: Ohio State UniversityKyle Snyder, WrestlingHometown: Silver Spring, MDSchool: Ohio State UniversityJordan Thompson, VolleyballHometown: Edina, MNSchool: University of CincinnatiKENTUCKY Bam Adebayo, BasketballHometown: Newark, NJSchool: University of KentuckyDevin Booker, BasketballHometown: Grand Rapids, MISchool: University of KentuckyMariah Denigan, SwimmingHometown: Walton, KYSchool: Barren Academy of Virtual and Expanded Learning (online)Denigan placed sixth at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships, qualifying to swim the 10K at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Denigan swam for Indiana Swim Club in Bloomington, Indiana. The former Hoosier placed 15th in the 10K race in the FINA World Championships in 2019, followed up with a 7th place finish in the 4x1500 meter event. This event, she improved even further. Denigan finished +00:04.30 behind the winner, Sharon Van Rouwendaal. She was positioned in 27th place at the start of lap four of six before coming back to post her sixth-place finish.She also now becomes just the fifth woman in U.S. history to qualify for the Olympics in the 10K, joining Katie Grimes, Haley Anderson, Ashley Twichell, and Chloe Sutton.Denigan becomes the 40th American athlete across all sports and the second from Indiana to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.Rhyne Howard, BasketballHometown: Cleveland, TNSchool: University of KentuckyLee Kiefer, FencingHometown: Lexington, KYSchool: Notre Dame UniversityOhio-born and Kentucky-raised right-handed fencer Lee Kiefer has qualified for her fourth Olympic games (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024). She made history at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in individual foil.The four-time NCAA champion in foil fencing and a ten-time Pan American champion made history after beating defending champion Inna Deriglazova of the Russia Olympic Committee 15-13 in the women’s individual foil final.Kiefer made her Olympic debut in 2012 in London, finishing fifth in the individual competition and sixth with her team. In 2016, she finished tenth in Rio.She will compete in both team and individual events.Ivan Roe Manhattan, ShootingSchool: Murray State '19/ Sgt. in U.S. Army Marksmanship UnitGerek Meinhardt, FencingHometown: Lexington, KYSchool: University of KentuckyMary Tucker, ShootingHometown: Sarasota, FLSchool: Sarasota Military Academy (Sarasota, Fla.) ‘19 University of Kentucky '23, KinesiologyHaley Van Lith, BasketballHometown: Wenatchee, WASchool: University of Louisville INDIANA Sarah Bacon, DivingHometown: IndianapolisSchool: University of MinnesotaCanyon Barry, BasketballHometown: Fort Wayne, IndianaSchool: College of CharlestonAndrew Capobianco, DivingHometown: Mineola, NYSchool: Indiana UniversityCapobianco won Silver at Tokyo Olympics 2020 in synchronized springboardTyler Downs, DivingHometown: Ballwin, MO and West Lafayette, INGreg Duncan, DivingHometown: Oakton, VA and West Lafayette, INChloe Dygert, CyclingHometown: Brownsburg, INChris Guiliano, SwimmingHometown: Douglassville, PASchool: Notre DameSarah Hildebrandt, WrestlingHometown: Granger, INSchool: King UniversityNick Itkin, FencingHometown: Los AngelesSchool: Notre DamePiper Kelly, Sport climbingHometown, Indianapolis, INSchool: Xavier UniversityXavier University graduate Piper Kelly has qualified for the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024.The Indianapolis native and 2023 Xavier University graduate is one of the quickest rock climbers in the world. This past October at the Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile, Kelly claimed first place in speed climbing.After a decade of work, Kelly is now repelling down with a new title: Olympian."I was tearing up a little bit," Kelly said. "That was probably one of the craziest moments of my life."Olympic speed climbing is a sprint up 48 feet. The climbing wall formation is an identical setup that athletes study and practice their entire careers.Indonesia and China are among the nations with decorated histories in the sport.Being from the Midwest, Kelly was an underdog from the start. Kelly will be one of two American women on Team USA going to Paris for speed climbing. Only 14 competitors from around the world will converge to fight for the Gold Medal. Kelly credits her parents, John and Stephanie, for their unconditional support and encouragement.Drew Kibler, SwimmingHometown: Carmel, IN Jewell Loyd, BasketballSchool: Notre DameKayla MiracleHometown: Bloomington, INSchool: Campbellsville UniversityMason Parris, WrestlingHometown: Lawrenceburg, INSchool: University of MichiganMason Parris has qualified for his first Olympic games.The former Michigan Wolverine and Lawrenceburg native took home the Big Ten heavyweight championship for wrestling last year. Parris was able to beat Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet with a score of 5-3 to become the first Wolverine to win the heavyweight title since 1998.Parris also made the news in 2021 by signing a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment using the NCAA's new Name, Image, and Likeness program. Upon graduation, Parris will have a preset pipeline to become a professional wrestler if he chooses.While attending Lawrenceburg High School, Parris won three Indiana State wrestling championships. He graduated with a total record of 206-1, including going 152-0 in his last three years.Blake Pieroni, SwimmingHometown: Valparaiso, INJessica Parratto, DivingHometown: Dover, NH and Bloomington, INMagda Skarbonkiewicz, FencingHometown: Portland, ORSchool: Notre DameAlex Shackell, SwimmingHometown: Carmel, IndianaCarson Tyler, DivingSchool: Indiana UniversityLuck Whitlock, SwimmingHometown: Noblesville, INJackie Young, BasketballSchool: Notre Dame