As the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing draw near, more universities are touting the fact that a number of Olympians have ties to their respective institutions. 

Sure -- many Olympic competitors are already alumni, having graduated from such schools as the University of Virginia and Duke University.

But, let's all forget about veterans like Michael Phelps for a second and focus on current college students that are vying for Olympic gold.

Here are five student-athlete Olympians to look out for starting August 8.

Ngonidzashe Makusha (Florida State University)
A 21-year-old sophomore at FSU, Makusha will compete in the Long Jump competition at the 2008 Olympics but will represent his home country, Zimbabwe. As a freshman, Makusha won the NCAA Championships last May and currently holds Zimbabwe’s record long jump, a whopping 8.3 meters.

Alicia Sacramone (Brown University)
A powerful addition to the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team, Sacramone took time off from school to focus on training but is still in the process of earning her Ivy League degree at Brown. Her impressive resume includes 2005 World Champion on floor exercise as well as 2008 U.S. National Champion on vault—proving why Time Magazine named her #25 Olympic athlete to watch this month.

Gerek Meinhardt (Notre Dame University)
Incoming freshman Gerek Meinhardt is a complete package. No wonder the Fighting Irish accepted him. A native of San Francisco, Meinhardt finished high school with a 4.3 grade point average, National Merit Scholarship, and an insurmountable number of medals from National and World Championships in fencing. Named a “foil prodigy,” Meinhardt currently holds the title of Junior World Champion.

Jean Basson (University of Arizona)
Basson will be joining 29 other Arizona athletes in the Olympic Games this summer, three of which are also current students and members of the men’s swimming team. The Wildcats won the national championship this past year, and Basson is said to have played a key role in snatching first place in the 800-yd Free Relay. As a representative of South Africa, this U of A sophomore will be competing against his American teammates.

Jen Yee (Georgia Tech)
Yet another US student athlete waving another flag in Beijing, this materials and science engineering major will play for the Canadian National Softball Team. While at Tech, Yee set quite a few records last season as first in at-bats, second in runs scored, all-time 18 game hitting streak, and second in the ACC in hits. The list could go on. See what goes on in the mind of an Olympian by checking out her summer blog.
 

Other schools with 2008 Olympians currently enrolled as students include: University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, UCLA, Texas A&M, Harvard University, University of Texas (Austin), University of Kentucky, USC, University of California (Berkeley), and the University of Florida.