Representing MSU at the recent 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto were senior basketball guard Denzel Valentine and recent graduate and sprinter Jellisa Westney.
Valentine and the USA basketball team managed to capture a bronze medal at the games and the senior guard was able to produce despite limited opportunity.
Valentine averaged just 11.4 minutes a game, good for the second lowest on the team on a team of 12.
Despite the low minute totals, Valentine came in at No. 7 for highest average point totals with 7.4 a game.
The team won its first two games against Venezuela and Puerto Rico before falling to Brazil in the preliminary round.
The team then lost to Canada in the medal semifinals before defeating the Dominican Republic in the bronze medal game.
Valentine scored in the double digits in three of five games — dropping 15 against Puerto Rico, 11 against Canada and 11 against the Dominican Republic.
Valentine didn’t score at all in the other two games, with just seven total combined minutes of play.
Brazil went undefeated, capturing gold by defeating Canada in the gold medal game. The USA Pan Am team now has a 90-17 all-time win-loss record with eight gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals.
Westney, who is from Cambridge, Ontario, competed for Canada in the 4x100 relay team race.
“Credit should be given to both her and Coach (Vanitta) Kinard for being ready for such high-level competition this summer,” MSU director of Track & Field Walt Drenth said on msuspartans.com.
Canada finished third, earning a bronze medal with a time of 43.00, while the U.S. claimed gold with a Pan Am record time of 42.58, and Jamaica grabbed silver with a time of 42.68.
“We are extremely proud of Jellisa’s accomplishments this summer,” Drenth said. “It is always a great moment in an athlete’s career when they are able to represent their country. To be able to represent Canada at home and be part of a medal-winning 4 x 100m team is incredible. In addition, her personal performance has earned her a spot in the Canadian relay pool for future events, including the 2016 Olympics,” Drenth said.
In total, the U.S. finished with the highest medal total — earning 265 total medals: 103 gold, 81 silver and 81 bronze.
Canada finished with the second highest total — earning 217 total medals: 78 gold, 69 silver and 70 bronze. Brazil managed third with 141 total medals: 41 gold, 40 silver and 60 bronze.
