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Dating show fans in Colorado may recognize a few familiar faces while watching the new season of “Love Island USA.”
The iconic series gathers romantic hopefuls from across the country (and occasionally beyond) to date each other in a villa in Fiji. Being hot and single are the only requirements, with contestants originating from virtually every corner of the United States, including as far as Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
However, past seasons have featured a striking lack of contestants from the Centennial State. In the show’s first seven seasons, only one islander identified their hometown as in Colorado: Wes Ogsbury of season three, who is from Denver. The local representation was fleeting; Ogsbury lasted just five days before being dumped from the island.
But when season eight premiered on Tuesday, June 2, it included not one, not two, but THREE islanders with ties to Colorado.
Here are all the hometown heroes Coloradans can root for this season:
Beatriz Hatz
Though she now lives in California, Beatriz Hatz was born in Colorado and grew up in Lakewood. The 25-year-old Paralympian graduated from D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School in 2019, where she was on the varsity track and field team. She was named the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School Female Athlete of the Year in 2018. Born without a fibula in her right leg, Hatz’s leg was amputated below the knee when she was 10 months old.
Today, Hatz is a bronze medalist, having competed for Team USA in the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024 and in Tokyo in 2020. She is the first islander with a visible disability to appear on the show.
Sean Reifel
Hatz and Sean Reifel met for the first time in Fiji, but they could have crossed paths years earlier, as they both called Colorado home at the same time. Reifel, a 29-year-old police officer, attended Colorado State University in Pueblo in 2019. Reifel transferred to CSU from San José State University in California to play football. He was a wide receiver for CSU’s team.
Reifel later returned to California and eventually moved to Pennsylvania, where he most recently worked as a police officer in Bethlehem. The mayor of Bethlehem publicly bashed Reifel for quitting his job to go on Love Island (Mayor Mike Johnston would never).
Aniya Harvey
Aniya Harvey’s name may sound familiar to local die-hard sports fans: The 23-year-old marketing director is the daughter of former Denver Nuggets player Donnell Harvey. Donnell played for five teams in five years, including serving as a power forward for the Nuggets from February 2002 to September 2003. He signed with the Orlando Magic after his Nuggets contract expired.
It’s unclear whether Aniya has ever lived in Colorado; she has said she’s from Georgia. But Aniya was born in September 2002, right in the middle of her dad’s time with the Nuggets. At the very least, she’s an honorary Coloradan.
“Love Island USA“ season eight is available to stream on Peacock. Episodes are released at 7 p.m. every day of the week, except Wednesdays.
