PARIS, France –– Four former University of Tulsa student-athletes will compete at the 2024 Olympics, which begin this week in Paris, France.
Former TU rowers Michelle Sechser (2004-08) and Jennifer Casson (2013-17) will compete against each other in the lightweight women’s double sculls. Sechser will represent the United States, while Casson will represent Team Canada.
Tulsa track and cross-country alum, Patrick Dever (2019-21) will compete for Team Great Britain in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races. Former Hurricane men’s basketball center Will Magnay (2016-17) will feature on Team Australia’s 12-man squad.
Sechser, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian, has been competing professionally since 2009, racing in dozens of world championship races, including a top finish in the Lightweight Double Sculls at the 2021 World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, where she finished fifth in the lightweight double sculls ‘A’ final.
At Tulsa, Sechser was a four-year letterwinner who participated in nearly every regatta during her career. She led TU to three straight Varsity 4+ gold medals and the Varsity 8+ to two bronze medals at the Midwest Intercollegiate Rowing Championships.
Casson has been a Canada National Team member since 2016 and has competed in 13 world championships as well as the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she finished 12th in the Lightweight Double Sculls ‘B’ final.
She competed in 35 regattas across her four-year career at Tulsa, was a two-time American Athletic Conference first-team all-conference selection and a three-time silver medalist in the Varsity 8+ at The American Championships.
Dever met the Olympic 5,000 standard when he clocked 13:04.05 in Boston earlier this year and sealed his spot by finishing second at the UK Athletics Championships in June. In March, he set a personal best of 27:08.81 in the 10,000-meters to move up to second in the all-time United Kingdom rankings.
Dever was a two-year competitor for the Golden Hurricane while working toward his master’s degree in accounting. He routinely qualified for national meets and was a perennial top 15 finisher, earning All-America status multiple times in his career. Dever was an All-American, all-region and all-conference cross country harrier in 2019 and 2020-21, as well as a two-time All-American and all-conference honoree in outdoor track and field, and a two-time all-conference selection in indoor track and field. In 2021, he claimed the NCAA 10,000-meters in 27:41.87 to become Tulsa’s third individual NCAA champion.
Magnay makes his first Olympics appearance and has enjoyed a professional basketball career in Australia since 2017. He’s coming off his first National Basketball League (2024) title, giving him two championships as a pro. He was also named the NBL Most Improved Player in 2020.
In his one season at Tulsa, Magnay appeared in all 32 games with 12 starts. He averaged 3.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14 minutes per contest.
Olympic Schedule for TU Athletes
Rowing
Sunday, July 28, 4:30 a.m. – Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls Heats
Monday, July 29, 4:00 a.m. – Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls Repechages
Wednesday, July 31, 4:34 a.m. – Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls Semifinals
Friday, August 2, 4:18 a.m. – Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls Final
Track and Field
Friday, August 2, 2:20 p.m. – Men’s 10,000-Meter Final
Wednesday, August 7, 4:10 a.m. – Men’s 5,000-Meter Round 1
Saturday, August 10, 1:00 p.m. – Men’s 5,000-Meter Final
Basketball
Saturday, July 27, 4:00 a.m. – Australia vs. Spain – Group A
Tuesday, July 30, 6:30 a.m. – Australia vs. Canada – Group A
Friday, August 2, 6:30 a.m. – Australia vs. Greece – Group A
Tuesday, August 6, All Morning – Quarterfinals
Thursday, August 8, 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. – Semifinals
Saturday, August 10, 4:00 a.m. – Bronze Medal Game
Saturday, August 10, 2:30 p.m. – Gold Medal Game