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‘U’ Represented at Upcoming Pan American Games
7/26/2019 8:03:00 AM | Athletics, Men's Gymnastics, Men's Track & Field, Softball, Women's Swimming & Diving, Women's Track & Field, Volleyball
MINNEAPOLIS – Seven athletes with ties to the University of Minnesota will represent their countries at the 2019 Pan American Games as the competition begins this weekend in Peru.
Representing the Maroon & Gold are Sarah Bacon, Sean Donnelly, Sara Groenewegen, Justin Karstadt, Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Hannah Tapp.
The 2019 Pan American Games will gather around 6,700 athletes who will participate in 39 sports and 61 disciplines, of which 22 disciplines are qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. There will be a total of 17 days of competitions and ceremonies to be held in 14 districts of Lima and Callao.
Sarah Bacon (United States, Diving)
Sarah Bacon was recently crowned a FINA World Championships silver medalist in the 1-meter springboard. In doing so, she became the first American female diver to win a world medal in 14 years. At the NCAA Championships in March, Bacon set a new NCAA record in the 1-meter with a score of 363.20 and became the first Gopher diver to ever win back-to-back national titles in the event. An All-American in both the 1-meter and the 3-meter in 2018-19, Bacon's sensational junior campaign earned her Big Ten Diver of the Year honors, marking her second consecutive First Team All-Big Ten selection.
Sean Donnelly (United States, Athletics)
Sean Donnelly, who is currently competing at the USATF Outdoor Championships, will represent the University of Minnesota and the United States in the men's hammer throw competition next month. A four-time Division III national champion and an eight-time Division III All-American at Mount Union, Donnelly broke the school men's hammer throw record in his debut with the program at 74.35 meters (243-11 ft.) before picking up Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2016. He went on to earn First Team All-America accolades with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA outdoor track & field championships – recording the Maroon & Gold's top NCAA finish in the discipline.
Sara Groenewegen (Canada, Softball)
Four years after leading Canada to a gold medal in the Pan American games, Sara Groenewegen is set to compete again for Canada. In 2015, Groenewegen pitched an eight-inning, seven-strikeout game allowing just one earned run as Canada topped the USA in the gold medal game. It was the first gold medal for Canada since 1983. Groenewegen is the only three-time All-American in Minnesota softball history. She was named the Big Ten Player, Pitcher (twice) and Freshman of the year in her career and finished as the Gophers all-time strikeout leader with 1,214 in her career.
Justin Karstadt (Canada, Gymnastics)
A four-time All-American and two-time Academic All-American, Justin Karstadt earned a roster spot for Canada after finishing third all-around and second on the parallel bars at the Canadian National Championships in May. A native of Toronto, Ontario, he was Minnesota's top athlete on pommel horse this season, holding the team season high of 14.250, was nominated for the College Gymnastics Association's Specialist of the Year award and was consistently ranked within the top 20 throughout the season. He also helped lead Minnesota to a share of the first-ever Big Ten regular-season title with his performance. Karstadt was honored as a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, the "Heisman Trophy of college gymnastics," for his efforts. Justin was recently named one of Minnesota's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients and was named Academic All-Big Ten for his third year eligible.
Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Hannah Tapp (United States, Volleyball)
The trio of Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Hannah Tapp will reunite in Peru after guiding the Gophers to a pair NCAA Final Four appearances in 2015 and 2016. Wilhite Parsons was named the AVCA National and Big Ten Player of the Year as a senior (2016), while Tapp garnered back-to-back All-America honors her senior and junior seasons (2015 and 2016). Seliger-Swenson, one of Minnesota's most recent graduates, was the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year and is the Gophers' only four-time AVCA All-American in school history. Minnesota won the Big Ten championship in 2018, the second time in four years with Seliger-Swenson as the starter setter.
Representing the Maroon & Gold are Sarah Bacon, Sean Donnelly, Sara Groenewegen, Justin Karstadt, Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Hannah Tapp.
The 2019 Pan American Games will gather around 6,700 athletes who will participate in 39 sports and 61 disciplines, of which 22 disciplines are qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. There will be a total of 17 days of competitions and ceremonies to be held in 14 districts of Lima and Callao.
Sarah Bacon (United States, Diving)
Sarah Bacon was recently crowned a FINA World Championships silver medalist in the 1-meter springboard. In doing so, she became the first American female diver to win a world medal in 14 years. At the NCAA Championships in March, Bacon set a new NCAA record in the 1-meter with a score of 363.20 and became the first Gopher diver to ever win back-to-back national titles in the event. An All-American in both the 1-meter and the 3-meter in 2018-19, Bacon's sensational junior campaign earned her Big Ten Diver of the Year honors, marking her second consecutive First Team All-Big Ten selection.
Sean Donnelly (United States, Athletics)
Sean Donnelly, who is currently competing at the USATF Outdoor Championships, will represent the University of Minnesota and the United States in the men's hammer throw competition next month. A four-time Division III national champion and an eight-time Division III All-American at Mount Union, Donnelly broke the school men's hammer throw record in his debut with the program at 74.35 meters (243-11 ft.) before picking up Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2016. He went on to earn First Team All-America accolades with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA outdoor track & field championships – recording the Maroon & Gold's top NCAA finish in the discipline.
Sara Groenewegen (Canada, Softball)
Four years after leading Canada to a gold medal in the Pan American games, Sara Groenewegen is set to compete again for Canada. In 2015, Groenewegen pitched an eight-inning, seven-strikeout game allowing just one earned run as Canada topped the USA in the gold medal game. It was the first gold medal for Canada since 1983. Groenewegen is the only three-time All-American in Minnesota softball history. She was named the Big Ten Player, Pitcher (twice) and Freshman of the year in her career and finished as the Gophers all-time strikeout leader with 1,214 in her career.
Justin Karstadt (Canada, Gymnastics)
A four-time All-American and two-time Academic All-American, Justin Karstadt earned a roster spot for Canada after finishing third all-around and second on the parallel bars at the Canadian National Championships in May. A native of Toronto, Ontario, he was Minnesota's top athlete on pommel horse this season, holding the team season high of 14.250, was nominated for the College Gymnastics Association's Specialist of the Year award and was consistently ranked within the top 20 throughout the season. He also helped lead Minnesota to a share of the first-ever Big Ten regular-season title with his performance. Karstadt was honored as a finalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, the "Heisman Trophy of college gymnastics," for his efforts. Justin was recently named one of Minnesota's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients and was named Academic All-Big Ten for his third year eligible.
Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, and Hannah Tapp (United States, Volleyball)
The trio of Sarah (Wilhite) Parsons, Samantha Seliger-Swenson and Hannah Tapp will reunite in Peru after guiding the Gophers to a pair NCAA Final Four appearances in 2015 and 2016. Wilhite Parsons was named the AVCA National and Big Ten Player of the Year as a senior (2016), while Tapp garnered back-to-back All-America honors her senior and junior seasons (2015 and 2016). Seliger-Swenson, one of Minnesota's most recent graduates, was the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year and is the Gophers' only four-time AVCA All-American in school history. Minnesota won the Big Ten championship in 2018, the second time in four years with Seliger-Swenson as the starter setter.
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