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There are plenty of local Wisconsin faces to watch for as they compete for gold in Tokyo.
A number of Wisconsin athletes are representing the Badger State at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with competitors from Waterford to St. Croix Falls. We looked through TeamUSA.org to let you know about all the local faces you’ll see as you watch the games this year.
These talented people will make Wisconsin proud, no matter how they place!
Kenny Bednarek, 200-Meter Race and 4×100-Meter Relay
22-year-old Kenny Bednarek from Rice Lake is the first American athlete to run 200 meters in under 20 seconds and run 400 meters in under 45 seconds on the same day. He will be running the 200-meter race and the 4×100-meter relay for Team USA. In high school, he won seven individual state titles and a 4×400 relay with his teammates.
Maddy Bernau, Shooting
Maddy Bernau was born in Racine and grew up in Waterford. She started clay target shooting with her local 4-H club when she was 12 years old. 11 years later, she’s taking her shooting skills to Tokyo. She graduated last year from Martin Methodist College in Tennessee.
Megan Kalmoe, Rowing
Three-time Olympian and 2012 bronze medalist Megan Kalmoe is rowing for Team USA. She is 37 years old, originally born in Minnesota but raised in St. Croix Falls. She was the team captain for her cross country and basketball teams in high school. In 2008, she reached the final of the double sculls competition at Beijing. This year, she will be participating in the quadruple sculls event.
Alicia Monson, 10,000-Meter Race
2020 UW-Madison graduate Alicia Monson will be running the 10,000-meter race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She was born and raised in Amery. After graduating from UW-Madison, she moved to Boulder, Colorado to run for On Athletics Club. At the Olympic Trials in Oregon, where she placed in third, she ended up in the hospital with heat exhaustion and hypothermia after her race.
Stephanie Roble, Sailing
Stephanie Roble was born in Miami but grew up in East Troy sailing scows and dinghies on Lake Beulah since she was 5. She graduated from Old Dominion University in Virginia in 2011. In Tokyo, she will compete in the 49erFX sailing event as a skipper.
Alie Rusher, Rowing
25-year-old Stanford alum Alie Rusher is from West Bend. She will be rowing quadruple sculls in Tokyo. Both of her parents rowed in the Olympics; her mom, Cindy, won a silver medal in 1992, and her dad, John, won bronze medals in 1988 and 1992.
Molly Seidel, Marathon
Molly Seidel from Hartland is a long-distance runner, and she will be competing in the marathon for the Tokyo Olympic Games. In high school, she won the titles for the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter race at the WIAA state meets all four years that she competed. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2016.
Emily Sisson, 10,000-Meter Race
Milwaukee-born Emily Sisson is following in her dad’s footsteps with her competitive running skills. Mark Sisson ran and competed in cross country and track all four years during his time at UW-Madison. Emily missed the mark to qualify for a spot on the US Olympic marathon team, but she placed first in the 10,000-meter race at the Olympic Trials in June to compete in Tokyo.
Maddie Wanamaker, Rowing
Born and raised in Neenah, Maddie Wanamaker is 27 years old and ready to row at the Olympics. She ran cross country and qualified for state in soccer twice during high school. She graduated from UW-Madison in 2017, which is where she started her rowing career. Her parents both rowed for UW-Madison as well.
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