The entire Worcester Academy family expresses its pride in Wes Piermarini and wishes him all the best as he "Achieves the Honorable" in Beijing.


OLYMPIC DREAM BECOMES REALITY

Worcester Academy's Wesley "Wes" Piermarini '00 began turning his Olympic dreams into reality as competition got underway at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing yesterday.




Wes, who is representing the United States as a rower, is a three-time New England Gold Medalist.  He has won the ECAC's National Regatta, has won bronze at the IRAs, and has competed in the Henley Royal Regatta, while rowing for UMass.  He also has won the Canadian Henley, in both sweep and sculling events.

Wes joins a long list of distinguished Worcester Academy alumni and students who have represented the United States at the Olympics, including the celebrated Bill Toomey (Class of 1957), Gold Medal decathlon winner in Mexico City in 1968.

Interestingly, both Toomey and decathlete Jeff Bannister (Class of 1965), who competed in Munich in 1972, were both coached in their Olympic bids by Worcester Academy coach and faculty member Robert Macko.

Piermarini's Olympic bid marks the 108th year that WA has been represented at the Olympics.  The first alumnus to participate was Arthur Duffey (Class of 1899), who ran the 100 metre in Paris in 1900.

WORCESTER ACADEMY OLYMPIANS

The following is a list of Worcester Academy alumni and students athletes who have competed in past Olympics. Worcester Academy alumni who have served as Olympic coaches also follows.

Olympic athletes:
Wes Piermarini '00, Rowing, Beijing 2008
Jeff Bannister '65, Decathlon, Munich 1972
Bill Toomey '57, Decathlon, Mexico City 1968 (GOLD MEDAL)
John D. Clarke '45, Lacrosse, London 1948
Nevin Harkness '39, Lacrosse, London 1948
Basil Francis '36, Breast Stroke, Los Angeles 1932  
Charles Proctor '24, Ski-jump, St. Moritz 1928
Bill Comins '21, Broad Jump, Paris 1924 (BRONZE MEDAL)
Willard Tibbetts '22, Track, Paris 1924 (BRONZE MEDAL)
J. Oliver Johnstone '12, High Jump, Stockholm 1912
L. A. Whitney '10, Shot put, Stockholm 1912 (BRONZE MEDAL)
Charles French '05, 300-Yard Dash, London 1908
Arthur Francis Duffey 1899, 100 metres, Paris 1900

Olympic coaches:
Donald "Dee" Rowe '47, Basketball, Moscow 1980 (U.S. team did not attend as games were boycotted by President Jimmy Carter)
Donn Nelson '82, Basketball, Atlanta 1996