MILWAUKEE – Sprinter Katie Burns and track & field assistant coach Andrew Hatch will represent Milwaukee and the United States at the 2026 FISU America Games in Lima, Peru, later this month.

The 2026 FISU America Games will be the fourth edition of the event and will run from July 20 through Aug. 1. Team USA will compete in 15 different sports, including athletics (track & field), against competitors from over 20 countries across North, Central, and South America.

Burns has put together an exceptional four-year career with the Panthers as a sprinter, earning nine top-10 finishes in individual Horizon League Championship events, including seven top-five finishes. This past season, she placed fifth in the 400m dash and seventh in the 200m dash at the Horizon League Indoor Championships before following that up with third-place finishes in both events at the outdoor conference championships.

In addition to her individual success, Burns was also a member of the 4x400m relay team that finished third at the Horizon League Indoor Championships. Along with Victoria Evtimov, Taylor Thimmesch, and Leah Handshoe, she helped set the program's indoor 4x400m relay record, breaking a mark that had stood for 11 seasons. During the outdoor season, she was also part of the 4x100m relay that finished second and the 4x400m relay that placed third at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships.

At the FISU America Games, Burns is scheduled to run a leg of the women's 4x400m relay and could also compete as part of the mixed 4x400m relay.

Hatch recently completed his fourth season as a member of the Milwaukee coaching staff, where he primarily works with the sprints, hurdles, and relays. In Peru, he is expected to work mainly with the hurdlers and relay teams while assisting in other areas as needed.

During his time at Milwaukee, Hatch has coached more than 20 Horizon League individual sprint and hurdle champions while also leading seven relay teams to conference championships.

The International University Sports Federation (FISU) America Games are held every two years, with this year's event marking the fourth edition. Competitors must be enrolled at, or have recently graduated from, a college or university in their home country and be a citizen of the nation they represent.

The inaugural FISU America Games were held in 2018 in São Paulo, Brazil. The 2020 edition was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, before the event returned in 2022 in Mérida, Mexico. The most recent games were held in 2024 in Cali, Colombia.