Team USA settled for the silver medal in Olympic softball after falling to Japan Tuesday in the gold medal game by a final of 2-0.
Team USA pitcher Cat Osterman has ties to southern Illinois.
Her father is a graduate of Mt. Vernon High School. Her grandfather -- Joe Osterman -- was also a long serving teacher and guidance counselor in the district.
The 38-year-old Osterman won gold with Team USA in 2004 and another silver medal in 2008. Softball was not included in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
The Marion Cultural and Civic Center is hosting a free watch party when a local Olympian competes at the Summer Games in Tokyo.
Marion native Darryl Sullivan, Jr. will begin his quest for a medal in the high jump Thursday evening at 7.
Food trucks will be on site starting at 5:30. The Civic Center will open at 6.
After graduating from Marion High School, Sullivan attended the University of Tennessee, where he was a 4-time All-American.
Sullivan is the first Tennessee track & field athlete to qualify for the Olympics in the high jump.
His mark at the U.S. Olympic trials of 2.33 meters currently ranks tied for third in the world during the 2021 outdoor season.
Former SIU Saluki hammer throwers Deanna Price and Gwen Berry will take to the track and field venue in Tokyo for the preliminary round on Saturday night. The medal round is set for the morning of August 3.
Price is a gold medal favorite. No U.S. woman has won a medal in the hammer throw since it became an Olympic sport in 2000.
