RENO, Nev. - Nevada Track and Field's Valeria Paez Rueda will compete in the heptathlon event at the 2023 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships representing Mexico. Competition will be held in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico at Jose A. Figueroa Freyre Stadium from August 4-5.
 
The Pan American U20 Championships is a biennial event hosted by the Association of Pan-American Athletics (APA) that was first held in 1980. To qualify, athletes must either be in the top rankings in the event or compete at a meet eligible to earn a spot on their country's roster for the championships.
 
Because of Paez Rueda's new personal record of 4,846 points in the heptathlon at the 2023 Outdoor Mountain West Championships this past May, she was able to move up in the rankings allowing her to qualify for a spot on Mexico's roster. This is the first time in Paez Rueda's career she has been named to the Pan American U20 Championships team.