Grace Latz (photo courtesy US Rowing)
Gov. Rick Snyder today congratulated 10 Michigan athletes competing in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which begin today.
“On behalf of all Michiganders, I congratulate all of our Olympians competing in this year’s summer games. This is an incredible achievement and opportunity to represent Michigan and the United States and they should all be proud of what they have accomplished so far. Sue and I join the athletes’ families and friends in wishing them the best of luck as they compete to bring home the Gold,” Snyder said.
The 10 athletes who call Michigan home will be competing for medals in boxing, basketball, cycling, indoor volleyball, rowing, sailing, swimming and track and field. Jackson native Grace Latz got the news in June that she would be flying to Rio, Brazil to participate as a member of the U.S. Women’s rowing team in the 2016 games.
Grace graduated from Northwest High School in 2006 where she competed in volleyball. Upon arriving as a student at the University of Wisconsin, she immediately took up rowing. Grace has competed internationally for 10 years and last year finished first in the women’s 4 at the World Rowing Championships.
Michigan’s 2016 Summer Olympians are:
Boxing
Claressa Shields, of Flint
Basketball
Draymond Green, of Saginaw
Cycling
Brent Bookwalter, of Grand Rapids
Indoor Volleyball
Alisha Glass, of Leland
Rowing
Grace Latz, of Jackson
Grace Luczak, of Ann Arbor
Ellen Tomek, of Flushing
Sailing
Bora Gulari, of Detroit
Swimming
Allison Schmitt, of Canton
Track and Field
Andrew Evans, of Portage