Counting three alumni and two students, the Dalhousie contingent at the 2015 Pan Am Games earned a total of nine medals in Toronto.

Athlete profiles and portraits courtesy of CBC News.

Mark de Jonge (BEng’09) / Canoe-Kayak Sprint: At age 31, de Jonge is counted among the best paddlers in the world. In 2011, he won a medal at the World Cup. A year later, he won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics. In 2013, he won his first World Cup gold medal and finished second at the ICF World Championships.

At this year’s Pan Am Games, de Jonge earned two medals: a gold medal in the men’s K-1 200m solo event, and a bronze in the men’s K-2 200m event alongside teammate Pierre-Luc Poulin.

World Champion @markadejonge wins #TO2015 gold: http://t.co/nBQ1s3pQXt | #NowOrNeverpic.twitter.com/WK6yjjrvKF

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) July 14, 2015

Hannah Vaughan (BA’12) / Canoe-Kayak Sprint: Vaughan says she’s always wanted to compete at the Olympic level. At the 2005 Canada Games in Nova Scotia, she won three gold medals and a bronze. After swimming competitively for the Dalhousie Tigers during a three-year hiatus from paddling, Vaughan was back on the World Cup circuit in 2014 in the K-4 and K-2 events.

Vaughan and teammates won a gold medal in the women’s K-4 500m event at the Pan Am Games, and placed fourth in the women’s K-2 500m event. 

Bye @TO2015 ! Thanks to the fans, volunteers, competitors, teammates and EVERYONE who made this experience amazing! pic.twitter.com/9oU2758adA — Hannah Vaughan (@hannah_vaughan) July 15, 2015

Danielle Boyd (BA’13) / Sailing: Born in Kingston, Ont. Danielle ‘Dannie’ Boyd was a member of the Dalhousie Sailing Team that competed at the 32nd Student Yachting World Cup in France. In 2012, she had represented Canada at the ISAF Equipment Evaluation of skiffs for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Boyd and her teammate Erin Rafuse finished sixth in the women’s 49erFX event at this year’s Games.

Source: http://kingston.sportsxpress.ca

Jason McCoombs/Canoe-Kayak Sprint: At age 19, McCoombs first qualified for the Canadian Olympic Team in 2012. In 2013, he won silver in the C-1 200m race at the first-ever ICF Under-23 World Championships in Welland. Born in Halifax, he’s a student at Dal working on a double major in physics and applied mathematics at Dalhousie.

McCoombs won silver in the men’s C-1 200m event at this year’s Pan Am Games.

Way to go @JasonMcCoombs on winning Silver in C1 – 200m! @TO2015 #CIBCTeamNext pic.twitter.com/woKLPokW3s

— AthletesCAN (@AthletesCAN) July 14, 2015

Ellie Black / Gymnastics-Artistic: In 2014, Black made history at age 18 when she placed ninth in the women’s individual all-around at the FIG World Championships — Canada’s best result in the event. Black also became the first Canadian female artistic gymnast to win a medal at the world student games since 1983. Born and raised in Halifax, she’s on a hiatus from her kinesiology studies at Dalhousie to focus on competing in Toronto 2015 and Rio 2016.

With five impressive medals, Black was Canada’s most decorated athlete and tied for overall most decorated athlete in the 2015 Pan Am Games. Black won gold in the women’s All Around, Beam and Floor competitions, bronze in the women’s Vault, and silver along with teammates in the women’s Team event.

Ellie Black, Halifax gymnast, is most decorated athlete at Pan Am Games – http://t.co/Qtxt4zJZwc #cbcns pic.twitter.com/UfVt6pUCF9 — CBC Nova Scotia (@CBCNS) July 16, 2015

Congratulations to all!