The college sports community is grieving the loss of gymnast Kara Welsh.
After local police announced the 21-year-old was fatally shot in an apartment off campus by a man she knew, members of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater athletic department mourned her tragic death. “
“To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible,” Coach Jen Regan said in a statement from the team Sept. 1. “A powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days, Kara truly lifted each and every one of us up in her time as a Warhawk gymnast.”
She added, “There are no words to describe the void we all feel in our hearts, but Kara’s legacy will live on through Warhawk gymnastics forever.”
UW-Whitewater’s Athletic Director and Assistant Chancellor Ryan Callahan also reflected on Kara’s loss.
“Kara was an amazing young woman,” he told local outlet WKOW Sept. 1, noting the entire community is devastated and in disbelief. “Right away you just knew there were so many people who were impacted by Kara’s personality, leadership and just being a great teammate.”
