Sophomore cross country star Katrina Rundhaug could only do so much to help the team in her first meet as a Badger. Despite the Minnesota transfer’s first place finish at Valparaiso’s Crusader Invitational, Wisconsin couldn’t close out the tournament as Western Michigan slipped in on top.
Rundhaug finished the 6,000-meter race in 22:30, five seconds faster than her teammate and second place finisher ‘A Havahla Haynes.
Originally from Dodgeville, Katrina spent her freshman year at Minnesota before she decided she wanted to be closer to home.
“I live really close to Madison,” Rundhaug said. “I thought I should try something new. But when you grow up in Wisconsin, all you want to do is become a Badger.”
The 5-foot-5 daughter of a former cross-country runner, Rundhaug always knew she was fast.
“From fifth grade on, we ran the mile every year,” said Rundhaug. “I always came in first.”
Despite her cross country lineage, Rundhaug did not join the squad in her freshman year of high school. She played on her school’s volleyball and track teams before the coach of the latter suggested that she join the cross-country team. Her father, Ron, supported this suggestion, as he was once a long-distance runner.
“My dad always said I’d be a really good runner,” Rundhaug said. “I never really wanted to do it.”
Sophomore year was Rundhaug’s first encounter with long-distance running. She tried out for Dodgeville High School’s cross-country and apparently found her calling. Rundhaug finished sixth in the state meet that year. She found her niche and decided to stick with it, finishing seventh her junior year and was named Wisconsin Runner of the Year.
Rundhaug’s schedule is just like every other college student’s schedule, with a lot more running. Where some students believe an extra walk up Bascom Hill is a strenuous task, Rundhaug runs about 10 miles a day.
“I usually wake up around seven, go for a three to four mile run,” Rundhaug said. “Then after class, I go to practice and run about seven miles.”
Despite many similarities between Wisconsin and Minnesota, Rundhaug simply felt different being a Gopher.
“Everyone’s into the Badgers here,” Rundhaug said. “At Minnesota, everyone’s not so much into sports. The football games are completely different.”
Rundhaug feels that she is always improving at Wisconsin. Much of that improvement comes from a new style of training instituted by head coach Jim Stintzi. Rundhaug is running more miles than she ever has and is learning new techniques.
“I really like Coach Stintzi,” Rundhaug said. “I think he has a great philosophy, and I believe I’m going to see a lot of improvement over the season.”
