Penn State junior swimmer Melissa Rodriguez (Chihuahua, Mexico) participated in the Central American and Caribbean Games from Nov. 15-20 in Veracruz, Mexico. Rodriguez, who was competing for Mexico, collected three gold medals, one silver medal and set a meet record.
Rodriguez’s best performance was in the 200-meter breaststroke on Nov. 18, setting a meet record with a mark of 2:29.37 and earning a gold medal. The junior also recorded a first place finish in the 50-meter breaststroke on Nov. 19, clocking in at 32.52.
On the final day of competition, Rodriguez was a member of the 4x100-meter medley relay team, which topped the field with a time of 4:10.04. On top of her three gold medals, Rodriguez also collected silver in the 100-meter breaststroke, clocking in at 1:10.97 on Nov. 15.
Team Mexico finished the event in second place with 24 total medals.
The Chihuahua, Mexico, native qualified for the games with her strong performance at the Mexican Long Course National Championships in July.
The Central American and Caribbean Games take place every four years. The games are a regional sports event much like the Olympics. Every four years, there are competitions in 36 sports, with 12 of those leading to qualification for the Pan American Games in Toronto in 2014.
