Five USA Umpires & Technical Staff Appointed to 2025 Pan American Cup
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Field Hockey is excited to share that five USA representatives have been appointed to the 2025 Pan American Cup, set to take place July 24 to August 3 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Renee Zelkin has been appointed as the technical delegate, and Mike Lipka will be there as a technical official. Maggie Giddens, Allie Mikelson, and Ben Peters have been appointed as umpires.
Both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams will be participating in the 2025 Pan American Cup, which serves as a qualifier for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup.
After serving as a technical official at the previous Pan American Cup (2022), Zelkin returns this year as the technical delegate – a role she has taken on in several events including the 2024 Junior Pan American Championship and 2023 Hockey5s Pan American Cup. Zelkin is a staple in the world of international technical officiating, also sitting on the Outdoor Technical Officials Leading Panel. She recently served as a technical official at the 2024 Pan American Challenge, and was appointed to serve in this role at the USWNT’s upcoming series against New Zealand, set to take place July 5 to 6 in Charlotte, N.C.
Some of Zelkin’s other prominent appointments include the 2024 FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Muscat, Oman (technical official), Rio 2016 Olympic Games (judge), and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (technical official). She was awarded the FIH Order of Merit back in November of last year.
It is an honor to be appointed as the Technical Delegate for the 2025 Pan American Cup in Uruguay. I am especially excited to return to Uruguay for the third time, as they have always been incredible hosts. With this event serving as a qualifier for the FIH World Cup, the stakes will be high for every team competing. We have an outstanding team of officials appointed for this event, and I am confident we will work together to deliver a world-class tournament that allows athletes to perform at their very best. I am deeply grateful to USA Field Hockey for their unwavering support throughout my career, and to my family for their endless encouragement and ability to help me chase my passion.
Lipka, who sits on the FIH Advancement Panel for technical officials, most recently appeared on the international scene at the 2024 FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Muscat, Oman. He has been behind the technical table at various events over the years including several test series, the 2016 FIH Hockey World League, 2017 Pan American Cup, 2018 CAC Games, 2019 Pan American Games, and FIH Hockey Pro League.
It’s truly an honor to be selected as a Technical Official for the Pan Am Cup. Representing USA Field Hockey on this international stage is a privilege for which I’m deeply grateful. I’m excited to work alongside officials from across the region and embrace the opportunity to grow through new challenges and experiences.
Giddens has been appointed to her second Pan American Cup, having officiated on home turf in Lancaster, Pa. for the 2017 Women’s Pan American Cup. A prominent umpire for USA, she has been appointed to every FIH Hockey Pro League season and numerous high-profile events, including the 2024 FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier in Valencia, Spain and the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Other past appointments for Giddens include the 2022 FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Giddens has officiated several test matches for the USWNT throughout the years and was recently selected to umpire at their series against New Zealand.
I am very excited to be appointed to the Pan Am Cup, our continental qualifier for the World Cup next summer. I am eager to work together with my fellow umpires and officials to create a safe and fair environment for the players. We have great representation going to Uruguay from USA Field Hockey - both umpires and officials - and I am proud to be a part of that group.
After an outstanding performance at the 2025 FIH Women’s Nations Cup in Santiago, Chile in February, Mikelson is back on the international stage. Last year, Mikelson was part of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship umpire team, umpired at the 2024 JPAC in Surrey, Canada, and the 2024 IPAC in Calgary, Canada. She has represented USA as an umpire in a range of events, from outdoor to indoor, to the inaugural Hockey5s Pan American Cup in Kingston, Jamaica in 2023.
This upcoming weekend, Mikelson will be back in Charlotte for another USWNT series, having officiated several series for the United Eagles throughout the years.
I am very excited and grateful to take part in my first Pan American Cup. I look forward to another opportunity to learn and grow from many familiar faces but also some new ones.
Peters is back for his second Pan American Cup, having umpired at the previous iteration in 2022 in Santiago, Chile. He brings with him a lengthy and notable resume, which includes the past two seasons of the FIH Hockey Pro League, the 2024 FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup Poland, 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup, 2023 Pan American Games, and more. Peters’ experience also includes the FIH Hockey World League, Junior Pan American Championship, and many test series. He will be joining Mikelson this weekend in Charlotte, N.C. for the USWNT series against Ireland.
I am so proud to be able to represent USA again at the Pan Am Cup. I am very excited to visit Montevideo as it will be my first time visiting Uruguay. To be able to come back to this World Cup Qualifier is such an honor and I look forward to seeing the game at such a high level.
"Congratulations to our esteemed officials on their well-earned appointment to the PanAm Cup, a crucial qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIH World Cup," said Sean Rapaport, USA Field Hockey's Director of Officials. "This honor is a testament to their dedication, expertise, and the countless hours of preparation invested, including involvement in high-level international competitions over the past year. They are truly the cream of the crop, setting the standard for excellence. We are proud to have you represent USA Field Hockey at this prestigious event - go and showcase your talent on the continental stage!"
