Midland's mayor and school district have publicly expressed the pride felt by many Midland residents in two Midland High School graduates who competed in the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
Mayor Patrick Payton, in a social media post, praised Bryce Hoppel, Midland H.S. Class of 2016, and Natalie Hinds, Midland H.S. Class of 2012.
"We are so very proud of Bryce and Natalie and their accomplishments during the Tokyo Olympics!!," Payton said in his Facebook post on Monday, Aug. 9. "Way to go on a job well done!!"
Midland Mayor Patrick Payton
| facebook.com/MayorPatrickPayton
Payton's post included a re-post of Midland High School ISD's tribute to Hoppel and Hinds, which was posted to Instagram earlier the same day, when the Olympics in Tokyo were nearing the end.
"The Olympics may be wrapping up, but we remain so proud of you, Natalie and Bryce!" the school district said in its Instagram post. "Thank you for inspiring all of us!"
Hoppel, who will be 24 in Sept., competed in the Men's 800-meter track event at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where he placed 15th. Hoppel placed 4th in the 800 meters at the World Championships in 2019. Competing in the NCAA for the University of Kansas, he came in first at the 800-meter event during the NCAA Indoor Championships that same year. He also came in first in the 800-meter distance medley relay and third in the 4x400-meter during the NCAA event.
Hinds, 27, won the bronze medal in the women's 4x100-meter freestyle swimming relay at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She was a 20-time All-American Sprinter for the University of Florida, was part of the first NCAA Championship trio of African-American women to finish 1-2-3 in a single event, has been named a Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year and participated in the 2016 Olympic trials. Hinds was also named Female Swimmer of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 5A 2011 meet.
Team U.S.A. won 113 medals during the Tokyo games, the most of any nation, according to a USA Today report.