The Augustana Observer sat down with women’s cross country captain Katrina Friedrich to talk about the team’s season.
1. Who will be your toughest opponent this year?
“We are usually concerned about North Central, but they lost a couple of their top runners this year, so we are really hopeful that we will be able to keep up with them. Illinois Wesleyan is tough too.”
2. What are some team and personal goals you have?
“To finish in the top three in conference. Personally, I hope to be in the top 10 for conference.”
3. What is it like being a captain?
“I love being a captain. There are a lot of responsibilities, but I love being able to motivate the team and come up with different team activities we can do. The team is just so close and it’s awesome being a captain along with my two best friends, Sophia and Brenna.”
4. Do you have any pre-race rituals?
“I wear the same socks on race days. They’re white and pink and say “finish” on them. They’re always a reminder to me to not  worry about the time or the place, just to get to the finish line. I used to be more into rituals in high school, like I would wear the same sports bra, and the same underwear. But now I’m more confident in my training and don’t feel the need to do them as much anymore.”
5. What does being on cross country mean to you?
“Being on the Augustana cross country team just means that you have another family. There are so many people there that love and care about you and that are there for you. Even if I’m having a hard day, during a run or a workout there’s always someone there that’s going to say ‘It’s ok, you got this, we can do this together.’ I think that’s very different from a lot of other sports because in running we are pushing ourselves to our limits and it’s really mentally and physically draining. So experiencing that point with people is just different from other sports; everybody is just there for each other.”
6. Do any races stand out in your memory?
“I really like our home meet every year. It’s really cool because there are so many people there.”
7. What do you wish the rest of the Augie community knew about the team?
“One thing people should know is how hard working and competitive we are. People also assume that it’s just an individual sport, but it’s really such a team sport. Without my teammates, there’s no way I would be able to run.”