‘A true Warhawk’: UW-Whitewater remembers student gymnast killed

WHITEWATER, Wis. (WMTV) - Ahead of the first day of the fall semester, the UW-Whitewater community is mourning the loss of senior Kara Welsh.

Whitewater Police say the 21-year-old woman was shot and killed on early Saturday morning in her apartment in downtown Whitewater. According to Whitewater PD, a 23-year-old man that Welsh knew was arrested in connection to her death. The name of the suspect has not yet been released.

In a release from the university, UW-Whitewater identified Welsh as a student gymnast from Plainfield, Illinois. Her coach, Jen Regan, shared a statement saying it’s “impossible” to put into words the impact Welsh had on the Warhawk community and that her legacy will “live on through Warhawk gymnastics forever.”

“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,” said Regan in a UWW statement.

Her competitive gymnastics career, Welsh was a 2023 national champion in the vault, winning the event with a score of 9.825. She was also a two-time WIAC Champion in the vault, tying the program record in 2024 with a score of 9.875.

The UW-Whitewater Athletic Director Ryan Callahan called Welsh a “true Warhawk” sharing in a statement:

“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.”

Friends of the Welsh family have organized a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral expenses.

To honor her legacy, flags on the UW-Whitewater campus will fly at half-staff on Tuesday, Sept. 3, which is the first day of class.

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