University of Minnesota Athletics
Captains Corner: Danielle Anderson
8/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
MINNEAPOLIS -- With the 2016 cross country season fast approaching, the Golden Gophers have announced their four captains to lead this year's squad, including redshirt junior Danielle Anderson.
Last fall, Anderson only participated in two races after battling injury. During the 2014-15 season, she gained a lot of experience, beginning with her debut at the BYU Autumn Classic where she finished ninth overall and fourth on the team with a time of 18:21.1.
She went on to have an impressive remainder of the season, earning All-Midwest Region honors with a 24th-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional and posting a career-best 6K time of 20:53.3. Anderson also finished fourth for the Gophers at the 2014 Big Ten meet and the NCAA Championship.
On top of cross country, Anderson also has significant experience on the track. She ran the 5,000-meter run at the 2015 B1G indoor championship, finishing 16th with a time of 16:58.04.
Anderson joins fellow redshirt juniors Anne Haakenstad, Madeline Strandemo and Tess Wasowicz to make up Minnesota's 2016 captains.
Gopher Sports: How does it feel to be named a captain?
Danielle Anderson: It is an honor. This is such a great group of girls, and they are all people I aspire to be. They always push me to be a better person, so for them to choose me is an honor. I'm excited.
GS: How would you describe your leadership style?
DA: I think it is mostly leading by example. I'm not outspoken by any means, but I've been doing what I've been told and I always give my all.
GS: What are your personal goals for the year?
DA: It's going to be my senior year; while I have a fifth year option, it is technically my senior year. I hope to be in the top five scoring for cross country and make an impact on the team. I want to score points in the Big Ten, and I want to go to nationals and compete in regionals.
GS: What are your team goals?
DA: Big Tens is on our course this year. My personal goal is for the team to win Big Tens this year. I think we are capable of it, but it is going to be hard. Winning Big Tens, being top two at regionals, and being in the top 15 at nationals - I think we're capable of achieving these goals as well.
GS: Do you have any superstitions or pre-race rituals?
DA: Not really. I eat pretty blandly before a race, but otherwise just listen to music.
GS: What are your career goals?
DA: I am majoring in genetics. I don't have specific plans yet, but I do plan to go to grad school. I'm not sure what grad school path to take, but maybe medical school, PA, or biotechnology.
GS: How do you feel the team will do this year?
DA: I think we will do really well. I know we might have some people that are skeptical since we lost the majority of the top scoring girls from last season. We have a lot of depth right now, and a lot of girls that have been consistently in the top 12 and racing at big meets. I feel like we can make that jump. We have a lot of incoming freshmen that are talented and have been to big national meets already. They will also make an impact on the team. I think we are going to be good.
GS: What has been your favorite academic experience at the U?
DA: Last summer I volunteered in a neurology lab. That was cool to get some experience in the lab.
GS: What is the most memorable part of your career so far?
DA: Wherever Big Tens is, our entire team will drive. Last year it was at Northwestern, so we all drove to Chicago and spent the weekend there and cheered on our teammates racing.
GS: How did it feel to be named NCAA All-Midwest Region during the 2014 season?
DA: It was really exciting. I had been coming off of a year-long injury the year before. It was like a 'pat on the back' to all of the work I had done the year before, like being in the pool and not being able to run. Having it come together was fun.
GS: Being from Minnesota, what was it like making your Gopher debut?
DA: It was exciting. Even now, it is still cool because I feel so connected. Even with meet workers, I have known a lot of them since I was running in high school. I feel more connected now with the running community. I will always have a special place for Minnesota.
GS: How do you think your track experience has helped you with cross country?
DA: It's hard, but I do longer distances in track. I think that helps with endurance and getting in speed work, too. Doing something different is nice, because cross country can be really hard with the courses. Having a nice, flat track just breaks it up. It's fun to run fast.
GS: What was it like running at the NCAA championships in 2014?
DA: It was intimidating because for a lot of us that were running, it was our first time being at a big meet. Being in a new environment was intimidating, but it was really cool. It gave me that extra motivation for afterwards, knowing that this is what I want to do and this is where I want to be.
Anderson and the Gophers begin the 2016 cross country season with three consecutive home meets, unofficially opening the 2016 campaign with the annual Intrasquad meet (Sept. 2) before the Oz Memorial marks the official season-opener on Friday, Sept. 9. Minnesota then has two weeks to prepare for the annual Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 24.
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Players Mentioned
