A medal win for a San Diego athlete Friday as America's Finest City was well-represented in several events.
Team USA athletes with ties to San Diego were very busy competing in men’s water polo, men's archery, sailing, track and field and equestrian events from Brazil.
At the archery field, Chula Vista Olympic Training Center (OTC) resident athlete Brady Ellison (yes, the Leonardo DiCaprio look-alike) won a bronze medal Friday in the men's individual archery. It's his second medal of the games after the U.S. men's team scored a silver medal during the first weekend of competition.
Ellison was eliminated from the gold medal match by the shot of a single arrow during a shootoff in Friday's semifinals.
Chula Vista OTC buddy, Zach Garrett was eliminated by Ellison earlier Friday in the quarterfinals.
Runner Charles Jock, who was raised in San Diego and graduated from Mission Bay High School, failed to qualify in the men’s track and field 800m at Olympic Stadium in Maracaña. He clocked in at 1:47.06, finishing sixth in Heat 4.
Santee athlete and Santana High School graduate Alex Bowen and Coronado resident Jesse Smith competed Friday with Team USA's men's water polo. The men fell to Montenegro 8-5.
Meanwhile, trampoline gymnastics athlete Nicole Ahsinger – who was born and raised in Scripps Ranch and trained at SoCal TTC in Poway – tried her best in qualifying competition on Friday. Ahsinger was ranked 15 with a score of 95.455, leaving her out of the final round.
Images: San Diego Olympians Compete in Rio 2016
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In the water, Coronado High School graduate Paris Henken and teammate Helena Scutt competed in sailing’s preliminary races in women’s 49er FX (skiff) Friday at Marina de Glória in Guanabra Bay in Copacabana. Henken finished 13th in Race 1 and finished 16th in Race 2. The third race of the day was postponed.
Briana Provancha, a Point Loma High School Graduate who grew up at San Diego’s Southwestern Yacht Club, will also set sail. Provancha sailed in Guanabra Bay Wednesday, too, finishing the first race with an 8 ranking and taking third in the second race, ending the day in fifth place overall.
On Friday, Provancha finished fifth in Race 5 with teammate Annie Haeger. Race 6 was postponed.
Meanwhile, Bonsall native and Fallbrook High School graduate Carli Lloyd (the volleyball Carli Lloyd, not the soccer star) and Karsta Lowe, a graduate of La Costa Canyon High Schoo, celebrated their team's win over Italy. Lowe is a Rancho Santa Fe native.
At Olympic Stadium in Maracaña, Chula Vista OTC resident athlete Andrew Evans competed in the men’s discus throw qualifying competition. His throw measuring 61.87 meters put him in 16th place, missing the cut.
Fellow Chula Vista OTC resident athletes Jeff Henderson and Mike Hartfield, competed in the men's long jump. Henderson placed 2nd in the qualification round while Hartfield came in at 25th.
Heather Miller-Koch, also a resident athlete of the Chula Vista OTC, competed in women’s heptathlon Friday morning. She finished in 8th place in Heat 3.
For updates from the 2016 Rio Games, including profiles of San Diego athletes, visit our Olympics section here.
NBC 7’s Steven Luke is reporting from Rio during the 2016 Olympic Summer Games; follow him on Twitter and Facebook for exciting updates from Brazil over the next few weeks.
