Athletes tend to get overconfident and even a little cocky when they have tasted success more than once, but not Erica Schoeller.

The sophomore is having a breakout season for the UW women’s track team, but she remains humble about her success.

“The last couple weeks were good,” Schoeller said. “I’ve just been trying a bunch of different events these past couple weeks and they’ve been working out so far, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Standing just 5-foot-2, Schoeller might not look like much of a threat to her opponents, but the sophomore has proven the old adage “Size doesn’t matter.” Schoeller began the outdoor season by setting a personal best of 18-7 3/4 to win the long jump at the Northridge Invitational. Her closest opponent was 2 _ inches behind her. Schoeller accompanied her long-jump victory with a fourth-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Finishing in 25.29, Schoeller set another personal best by 0.8 seconds.

While on paper Schoeller’s strength may lie in her jumping, the sophomore is dangerous in more than one event. Schoeller hopes to translate the success she has found during the indoor season to what has been a promising outdoor campaign.

This season, she has yet to perform in the 400-meter hurdles, which is one of her specialties, and recently made her debut in the 400 meters. She is also waiting for her chance to compete in the heptathlon, a combination of seven different track and field events.

“That’s the best chance I have to qualify for nationals, but when you do it at Big Tens, those seven events take a lot out of you,” Schoeller said. “I just want to do whatever I can do to contribute to the team more. I don’t know what that is going to be right now though.”

The versatile Schoeller remains wary of adding the hurdles to her collegiate repertoire, as the mental challenge of the long jump adds to the difficulty of the undertaking.

“It’s always hard to get the long jump to come together when you want it to and it’s tough to get on the board when you need [to],” Schoeller said. “I’m still worried about that hurdle thing though.”

The Cross Plains, Wis., native and her coaching staff have noted a substantial improvement in her overall performance this season.

“I hugely, hugely improved,” Schoeller said. “Last season was sort of a rough transition year. I’m pleased with my performance this year. Never be satisfied, but be pleased with what you do.”

While this will be the final track season for current head coach Peter Tegen, now in his 30th season with the team, Schoeller says she wouldn’t be where she is today without Tegen and the current UW coaching staff.

“I love having Peter around,” Schoeller said. “Practice, he just makes it so much fun and he can always put a smile on your face no matter what. I’ve improved so much since high school and I think the coaches have really had a lot to do with that.”

With all the off-season workouts and extra practice athletes put in, staying motivated is the key to reaching personal goals.

“When you are multi-event, you need help from the experts in every event,” Schoeller said. “So it’s good to have the high jumpers and the shot putters and everyone to help out. Melissa (Talbot) does pretty much every event I do, so it’s good to have her there.”

Schoeller has competed in a wide variety of events that place stress on different parts of the body, but she has managed to avoid injury.

“I, for some reason, have never had an injury that has kept me from practice or a meet,” Schoeller said. “It really helps your performance to be able to practice continuously, but now that I say that it’s probably going to happen.”

Training for a number of different events with schoolwork constantly piling up, Schoeller has learned to carefully manage her time.

“It gets tough sometimes, when you have so much to do and not enough time to do it,” Schoeller said. “It all works out though. You like it enough that it doesn’t matter.”

Schoeller abstains from being superstitious about her performance by just going out and getting it done.

“I try not to have any superstitions, because if you don’t do them, it’s going to mess you up in the head then,” Schoeller said.

This outdoor season, like any good runner, Schoeller has come out of the gates quickly and looks forward to what lies ahead for her and the team as the track season is in the midst of its final stretch. Schoeller and the Badgers still have plenty to look forward to, including UW’s first home outdoor meet, the Big Ten championships and a potential trip to the NCAAs.