Kalamazoo College Athletics

What is your favorite sports moment at K?
The regional meet during my sophomore year was held in Cincinnati, Ohio on a fantastic course and nearly everyone on the team recorded their personal best times.

What is your most memorable academic experience at K?
Lab dissections in vertebrate biology. Each week we had a new animal to dissect from lamprey to dogfish sharks. Science is cool!

Why did you choose to attend Kalamazoo College?
K is well-renowned in the sciences and that was a huge draw for me. In addition, the opportunity to continue my cross country career at a reasonable cost due to financial aid also played a huge factor.

What do you enjoy most about road trips during your season?
I enjoy the bus rides home after out meets one or more of our goals for the race. People are no longer nervouse like the bus rides to the meets and I love the team energy after expectations are met.

What is your least favorite thing about road trips during your season?
The cross country team seems to have bad luck with the school's buses. During my sophomore year, we had 2 buses break down on our way back from meets so it's safe to say the K's buses are my least favorite thing about road trips.

Who is your all-time favorite athlete and why?
Derek Jeter. The hometown hero and my long time idol. I grew up going to his Turn2 Foundation camps, playing baseball at K Central's Derek Jeter Field, and I have even been lucky enough to meet him at 2 of his holiday parties here in Kalamazoo.

What is your favorite class and why?
My favorite class has been Investigaciones de Campo (Field Research) that I took while abroad. The course was completed through 2 research projects in the Amazon and the Galapagos and we were able to tailor our projects to exactly what we wanted to study.

Who is your favorite professor and why?
Dr. Truss from the chemistry department is my favorite professor. I have taken two courses with her and her ability to engage students is unmatched. She also does a lot for the greater Kalamazoo community involving outreach programs.

Other than the sport you play, what other sports activity are you good at?
I really enjoy baseball and ultimate frisbee. Baseball had always been a huge part of my life prior to college and I picked up ultimate frisbee after high school when some friends and I started the organization KUFA (Kalamazoo Ultimate Frisbee Association).

Is there another game in which you dominate? (card games, lawn games, pool, darts, etc.)
Corn hole and euchre are a few of my favorites. Grad party season in Michigan led to lots of experience with the former.

Outside of sports, what is your favorite hobby?
The chemistry behind beer brewing has turned into a new fascination of mine. After working closely with the hops laboratory at Kalsec, I have learned a lot about the process and the opportunities that the industry has to offer.

What is your favorite meal in the cafeteria?
Taco night at the caf is my favorite.

Who is your role model?
Galen Rupp is my running role model. He has made such a big impact on long distance running in the US and has been competitive in distances from 1500m to the marathon.

What do you enjoy most about practice?
I enjoy long runs with my teammates. There is no better way to get to know someone than 14 mile long runs on the Kal-Haven Trail.

What do you like least about practice?
Ice baths. I have a love/hate relationship with these, but usually it's more hate than love.

What is the topic of your SIP?
Method Development for Quantifying Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Oleoresin Spices. 

What are your plans/goals after graduation?
I plan to take a gap year after graduation before applying to medical school.