Gymnast Kara Welsh’s Coaches and Teammates Mourn Her Death

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.”

And in the team’s statement, Ryan shared how, “We are all lucky to have spent time with her over the past three years. She was selfless and made everyone around her better. Our hearts go out to her mom, Nancy, and the rest of her family and friends."

Meanwhile, a few of Kara’s teammates shared messages expressing their grief. “Absolutely heartbroken,” wrote gymnast Carley Scott on her Sept. 1 Instagram Story.

“I love you forever Kara.” Teammate Kelsey Kolhoff also shared a link to the GoFundMe created to help Kara’s family—including parents Nancy and Tom Welsh and sister Kaeli—writing, “Please support my girl and her family.” 

In a statement shared Aug. 31, Whitewater police confirmed officers arrived on the scene just before midnight in response to a report of a gunshot victim and found Kara deceased with multiple wounds. 

"Also present in the apartment was a 23-year-old male who was known to the deceased female," the statement said. "Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two."

In a subsequent statement, police confirmed the unidentified man was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed. They noted the investigation remains ongoing.  

But while law enforcement continues to investigate what lead to Kara’s tragic death, the Whitewater community is coming together to support one another.  

As Ryan added to WKOW, noting a memorial and vigil will soon be held at the school, “It makes it a lot easier to get through times like these when you have such a supportive community, from the student athletes within the team, to the community itself and other campus areas that are helping out with the grieving process for all of us.”