Never Alone

Competing at the NCAAs for a second time in my career was amazing. No need to explain further.

But you know the best part about it? My sister and teammate, Audrey, being right there with me.

Audrey had her own goals for this season. And when she didn't reach all of them, she still kept training alongside me to make sure I reached mine. 

She came out and watched me compete at regionals, and when I advanced to nationals, I could see it in her face. There was just this complete and genuine happiness there.

It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am to her for that moment.

She even paid her own way to go to NCAAs to continue supporting me. 

At a time when I needed her most, she was there for me.

I think there is no better way to describe the relationship with my siblings—with any of them. Going through life with them these last few years has created some of my fondest memories.

And it's all thanks to Nebraska.

That pre-meet feeling at nationals. 🤩#GBR | #NCAAXC pic.twitter.com/Ia6sgZo8ni

— Huskers Distance (@huskersdistance) November 19, 2021

The Family Vacation

My journey to the Huskers had a lot to do with my older brother, Mark.

Back in the day, we would go on family vacations to the Grand Teton every year. We drove all the way from Michigan and always stopped in Lincoln for the first night of our trip. 

We'd been doing that routine for years and never knew there was a school here.

I'm serious!

By the time we realized the University of Nebraska was located here, it was around the time Mark was looking to enroll in a college. We were both on the cross country team in high school, and colleges had already started reaching out. Not only did Nebraska have a great team, but we learned they had a good agriculture program as well — something that piqued my brother's interest.

So, when he came here for a visit, I tagged along.

When Mark signed with Nebraska, I was convinced I'd still go on other visits and weigh all of my options. But deep down, I think I knew all along I wanted to come here, too.

I wasn't following him per se, but knowing I could reunite with him once I graduated made my decision even easier. 

The Perfect Roommates

Looking so far ahead and being so focused on the destination of an entire season made for a stressful freshman year.

Fast forward to today, I'm now sharing a house with Mark and Audrey which has made for some really fun memories — and some challenging ones as well. 

We all have a really unique relationship, I'd say. But it has gotten a whole lot stronger since high school.

It's sort of expected when you're going through the formative years of your life without your parents. We're students in the classroom and athletes on the track, but more than anything, we're a family.

We see everything. The good and the bad.

It has been pretty neat experiencing this with my siblings directly instead of being a once-a-week phone call at separate universities. Especially since being a student-athlete is a unique experience in itself.

A lot of times, it's the same routine for us. Day in, day out.

We get up, go to practice, do school, go back to practice, have dinner, do homework, study, and go to bed. There's just that mutual understanding, you know? It’s crucial for us.