USATF Announcement

FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University track & field volunteer assistant coach Bethany Sachtleben will compete on one of the most prominent stages in the sport when she represents the United States at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
 
Sachtleben, a former cross country and distance standout at Mason, will compete for USA Track & Field in the marathon on July 27 at Parque Kennedy in Lima. She is one of 96 athletes who will don the red, white and blue for the United States at the quadrennial world meet.
 
"This is a big deal," head coach Andrew Gerard said. "For a track & field athlete, there are few opportunities to represent the United States on a global stage. Behind only the Olympics and World Championships, this is one of the most prestigious national teams one can make. This accomplishment is comparable to representing your country at the European, African or Asian Championships, literally facing squads from the entire Western Hemisphere. It is a huge honor for Bethany to be selected based on her outstanding performances so far this year!"
 
Sachtleben won four individual Atlantic 10 titles during her collegiate career in Fairfax, including a 2015 cross country triumph in which she ran a collegiate 5K PR of 16:54.60. A two-time NCAA preliminary qualifier in track, Sacthleben won two 5000m Atlantic 10 Championships during her career and also captured the indoor 3000m crown in 2015.
 
She holds the outdoor school record in the 10000m run (33:32.53), is second all-time in the outdoor 5000-meter run (16:21.19) and is third in the outdoor 3000m (9:39.41). Within the indoor Mason record book, she is second in the mile (4:51.19), fourth in the 3000-meter run (9:28.26) and is fourth in the 5000m (16:32.54).
 
Sachtleben met the USA Track & Field qualifying standard with a time of 2:31.20 at the California International Marathon in December 2018.
 
About the Pan Am Games
 
In 2015, Team USATF completed the country's best Pan American Games performance in the sport of track & field since 1999, collecting 41 medals: 13 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze over seven days of competition at both CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium and along the Ontario Place West Channel.
 
The U.S. women showed their prowess for international games, winning 23 medals while Team USA's men won 18.  The U.S. crushed the scoring table with 403 points, outscoring home team Canada by 153 points. Brazil was third with 164 points.
 
The Pan Am Games feature 39 sports and 61 disciplines. A total of 6,680 athletes are expected to compete from 41 delegations.