PARIS – Former University of Colorado Colorado Springs Mountain Lions Derrick White and Layla Almasri excelled in Paris during the 2024 Olympics. The Olympians return to the United States with a Gold medal and a National Record.
 
Derrick White, who won the 2024 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics just eight weeks ago, helped Team USA win its fifth straight Olympic medal in Paris, France this past Saturday.  From Parker, Colo., White, who played for the Mountain Lions for three seasons between 2012-2015, played 80 minutes for Team USA in their six-game run to Olympic gold, totaling 19 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, five blocks and a solid +25.  In the second game of the Group Phase on July 31 against South Sudan, White netted his Olympics-career high with three steals and 10 points behind three made three-pointers and a respectable +18.
 
The first All-American in UCCS men's basketball program history, White holds the UCCS all-time program records in points per game (22.0), blocks (136) and blocks per game (1.6).  In just 87 games across three seasons, White is second in the record books in scoring (1,912 points), assists (343), assists per game (3.9) and steals (150), and he is fifth in career rebounds with 513.  Named to the Daktronics and Division II Bulletin All-America teams in 2014 and 2015, White collected National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America accolades in 2015.  Two years after being named the 2012-13 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, White exploded onto the national scene as a junior in 2014-15, posting staggering numbers in scoring (851 points), assists (171), steals (74) and blocks (68, 2.1 average), all of which are the most in any season by a Mountain Lion.
 
White closed out his collegiate career at the University of Colorado in 2016-17 where he was named All-Pac-12 Conference First Team, All-Defensive Team, All-Tournament Team, USBWA All-District VIII First Team, NABC All-District 20 Second Team and honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic.  He was selected 29^th overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs.
 
A native of Colorado Springs, Colo. and a product of Pine Creek High School, Layla Almasri competed in the 800m for Palestine after receiving an invitation from the International Olympic Committee.  A five-year member of the Mountain Lions cross country and track & field programs and currently UCCS' women's cross country assistant coach, Almasri set a Palestine National Record on Friday, Aug. 2 in the first round of the 800m, recording a time of 2:12.21.  She closed out her first Olympics the following day in the repechage round, clocking a time of 2:16.72.
 
"To compete at the Olympics this year was such an incredible moment in my athletic career," reflects Almasri. "To make an Olympic team is the dream for all athletes and to be one of the few who get to realize that dream was such an honor. It was not only the culmination of years and years of hard training put in, but it's more so something I couldn't do without the immense support and love from those around me. To be at the Olympics was to honor everyone around me who believed in me, uplifted me, and supported me. It truly meant the world to hopefully make all of those people proud! And of course, I made memories that will last a lifetime."
 
An impressive 11-time All-America standout for the Mountain Lions cross country and track and field programs, Almasri donned the black and gold from 2017-2022.  She capped off her career at UCCS with a podium finish (10^th place) and her second USTFCCCA All-America Cross Country accolade at the 2022 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships.  She excelled on the indoor track, earning four All-America awards in the Distance Medley Relay, three All-America honors in the Mile run, and she added a 3k All-America honor in 2022.  During the outdoor season, Almasri ran to an All-America finish in the 1,500m run in 2022.  Almasri's illustrious career includes being named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team twice, the 2021 RMAC Female Track Athlete of the Year, USTFCCCA All-Region eight times, RMAC All-Academic 10 times (five first team honors), the RMAC event champion in the 5k, Mile and DMR, and 15 All-RMAC accolades (nine first team honors).