Brittney Reese, Gulfport native and Gulf Coast alumna, claimed one of the three gold medals the U.S. track and field team won in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She was the first American woman to win the Olympic long jump title since Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988. The two-time world champion dedicated her Olympic win to the people of Mississippi and others recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
While at Gulf Coast, Reese played two seasons for the Lady Bulldog basketball team, helping lead Gulf Coast to the post season twice. She also earned All-MACJC and All-Region 23 honors, and in 2006, earned NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American Honors and a spot on the MACJC All-Star team. Reese, who also competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijiing, was named to the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.