The Parkside track & field program competed in a pair of last chance meets this past weekend, with athletes competing at the North Central College Carius-Gregory Invitational and the St. Francis Fighting Chance Meet.
The Rangers looked to come away with performances that would lock athletes in to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. One performance stood out above the rest and it came from Katja Baeuerle, our Kenosha.com Ranger of the Week!
Baeuerle, a redshirt sophomore from Bretten, Germany, ran a personal-best time of 4 minutes, 23.06 seconds in the 1,500-meter run at the Fighting Chance Meet. As a result, Baeuerle was one of 20 athletes selected to compete in the 1,500 prelims at the National Championships, and will go into the event ranked seventh. This will be Baeuerle’s second appearance on the national stage. She competed in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Seattle in November.
MORE ABOUT KATJA
Katja was featured as the Ranger of the Week a few months ago, so this time we decided to learn a little bit more about the speedy redshirt sophomore from Germany:
- What is your favorite color? — Baby blue or maroon
- If you could have a super power, what would it be? — Flight
- What is your favorite ice cream flavor? — Mint chocolate or chocolate with some kind of fruit
- What is your favorite restaurant in Kenosha? — El Camino Kitchen
- What is your favorite sport other than track & field? — Volleyball or soccer
- What is your favorite professional sports team? — Milwaukee Bucks
- Who is your favorite professional athlete? — Keely Hodgkinson, 2020 Olympic silver medalist
- Do you prefer cats or dogs? — Dogs
- Do you have a pre-meet ritual? — I usually braid my hair and have caffeine an hour before my race.
- What is your favorite vacation/travel destination? — Colorado or somewhere at the beach
- Who is your favorite music artist? — Rihanna
- What is your favorite movie? — “Pirates of the Carribean”
- What is your spirit animal? — I took a quiz once, it said I am a wolf.
- Do you prefer Apple or Android? — Apple
- What is your favorite holiday? — Christmas
- What is your go-to karaoke song? — “Baby” by Justin Bieber
- What is your favorite season? — Summer
- Who is your favorite professor at Parkside? — My research professor, Dr. Dhimitruka
- Are you a night owl or a morning person? — I like to be both, but I am more of a night owl.
- What is your favorite track event? — 1,500-meter run
- Does pineapple belong on a pizza? — It sure does!
UP NEXT
Baeuerle will join last week’s Ranger of the Week, Rachel Blaskowski, and compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pueblo, Colo., on Thursday, May 25. Baeuerle will look to qualify for the 1,500-meter finals, which will take place on Saturday, May 27. For more information, visit parksiderangers.com.
