Senior, Track and cross-country
Fort Collins, Colo./ Poudre High School
Major: Nursing
What do you like most about competing in the MIAC?
It’s a very strong region, with impressive individual and team competitors. It’s great to run against such strong women, and to know that they are smart, too.
What has been the greatest part of your collegiate athletic career thus far?
My team has become my family, and over four years we’ve matured as runners together. We perform better as a unit now – and that’s brought results that are really gratifying to experience.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned from being a student-athlete?
I used to be very shy. I had to learn to recognize when to speak up for myself, and when to reach out to others. I’m a much stronger person now – as a self-advocate and a team leader. I train better and feel better when I communicate with my coach and my teammates.
What is your most embarrassing sports moment?
I sprinted and hurdled in junior high and high school, and didn’t find my niche as a distance runner until junior year. I thought I just sucked at running. There was one terrible race when I hit every single hurdle coming down the back stretch and fell over most of them. I kept hauling myself up and over, only to go down again. It was mortifying.
Do you have any pregame/pre-event rituals? If so, what are they?
I stretch obsessively the night before and in the hours leading up to a race. Right before we get on the starting line, I like to do a handstand. It helps me remember to run joyfully, which is more fun than running nervous – and faster too!
Senior, Cross Country and Track and Field
La Crescent, Minn./ La Crescent
Major: Dietetics with a minor in Hispanic Studies
What has been the greatest part of your collegiate athletic career thus far?
I’ve seen a great amount of self-growth through hardships from my teammates and myself. Those experiences helped shape my perspective as an athlete, student, and person of the community. I’ve grown to really appreciate the simple aspects of being on a team such as an easy weekend run with my teammates.
Who has been the most influential person in your athletic career?
My older brother, Dustin, has been the most influential person in my athletic career. He has been my guiding light through both my high school and college athletic careers. He has always been someone I can look up to and admire. When I think of someone who shows true dedication to a sport such as running, it’s Dustin.
What is your most embarrassing sports moment?
This actually occurred in high school. I ended up winning my first race and crossed the finish line with a huge smile. I stumbled up to the volunteer who rips off the bottom of the number and puts them all in order on a string. As we all know, there is always a large hole on the left side that reads “Do Not Pin.” Yes, I pinned there. And yes I was so embarrassed. The meet champ didn’t’ look the smartest.
Do you have any pregame/pre-event rituals? If so, what are they?
I always have to have a cup of coffee about a little over an hour before I race. I also write positive, inspirational words on my hands.
If you have been involved in community service projects, which project has been the most rewarding and why?
During the 2012 spring semester, I was abroad in Guatemala and volunteered for a reforestation project. I saw firsthand the deforestation in the mountains and pueblos where I was staying. Expending my time and energy to give back to Guatemala and the Earth was very rewarding.
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