University of Minnesota Athletics
Betz Reflects on Sophomore Season
12/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
By Ellen Larson, Athletic Communications Student Intern
MINNEAPOLIS -- Emily Betz just finished her sophomore year with the Golden Gopher women's cross country team. In the spring, she will join the track & field team as a distance runner. Gopher Sports caught up with the Woodbury, Minn., native to look back on her second fall season with the Maroon & Gold.
Gopher Sports: How did the year go for the team?
Emily Betz: Overall, I feel like the year went well. There were a lot of PRs and a lot of improvement. Obviously, we wish we made it to the national meet, but I feel like we all improved from where we were at the beginning of the season.
GS: How did the year go for you?
EB: It was okay. At the end I ended up PRing, so that's good. I think it could have gone better because I could've improved more than I did. But overall, though, it was pretty good.
GS: What was your favorite moment of this season?
EB: Well, I'm really bad at this kind of thing. For the team, we have to do "I remembers", and I can barely remember anything. But I guess my favorite parts of the season would be hanging out with the team and getting closer as a group. I love doing stuff together. There's no specific moment I can think of, but that's what I loved this year.
GS: What were you most proud of this season?
EB: Overall, I was most proud of how our team battled at the end at regionals. Everyone improved a lot. Also, over the season, my legs were feeling really heavy and really tired, so I was proud of how I tried to put that aside during my races and still battle through.
GS: Looking ahead, what are your goals for this spring and next season?
EB: I think for next season, a goal for the team would be to make it to the national meet. For a personal goal, I want to continue to PR and improve my times.
GS: What made this team special?
EB: The dynamic of this team is really good. Everyone is really inclusive, really encouraging, and really welcoming. With that sort of atmosphere, it helps everyone improve and work hard. It really helps us have fun.
GS: How was this season different from last year?
EB: Last year, it was definitely different because I was a freshman and I didn't really know anyone. I was adjusting to college and college sports. But this year, I felt a lot more comfortable and a lot more included. I feel like the team chemistry was a big part of that. It's really good this year, and it shows.
GS: What was the biggest thing you learned this year?
EB: One of the biggest things I learned is to be confident in what you're doing. Even if you think a race won't go well because your legs are really tired, it's important to be confident and know that it's going to be fine and to go out there and do it.
GS: How has your academic year been so far?
EB: It's been really good. I finally declared a major, so I'm studying elementary education. But I also want to go to grad school for occupational therapy, so I have two options. I'm really enjoying it.
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Players Mentioned
