Athlete of the Week: Felicia Koerner — Cross Country

Following her standout performance at the Iona Meet of Champions this past weekend, The News-Letter has chosen Felicia Koerner as the Athlete of the Week.

Additionally, Koerner was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA D-III and Centennial Conference Runner of the Week after she finished in second place in the 5,000 meter race with a time of 18:11.5.

Koerner finished just four seconds behind first place finisher Teghan Henderson of Iona College, and led a group of five Hopkins finishers who all came within 37 seconds of each other. Perhaps most impressively, the entire Hopkins squad was able to go toe to toe with highly regarded Division Programs that were present at the meet, signifying that this team should be able to do damage this year against Centennial Competition.

The News-Letter sat down with Koerner to gain insight into her success in cross country and time spent at Hopkins.

The News-Letter: Why did you decide to come to Hopkins? What have you liked most about being a Blue Jay so far?

Koerner: I decided to come to Hopkins for several reasons, including the opportunities for research and the strong track and field program. I wanted to run at a collegiate level, and I was also interested in doing research, so it seemed like a good fit. My favorite part of being a Jay is being part of a big, tight knit team.

N-L: What initially got you into running? What are the major differences between running in high school and in college?

Koerner: I started running after years of placing second in the 800 meters at my school’s sports day. I am from Germany, and our sports system is more geared towards club teams, so I was part of several different clubs but often training on my own. College is the first time I’ve been on a team with people of my age and ability, and I’m really enjoying having teammates to train with.

N-L: What has been your favorite experience on the cross country team?

Koerner: My favorite experience was probably our trip to Disney last year. I really enjoyed the course we raced and going to Disney World afterwards was a lot of fun.

N-L: What goals and expectations do you have both personally for yourself and for the team this season?

Koerner: Personally, I would like to try for All-American this season, although even just racing at Nationals is an exciting prospect. As for the team, I’m hoping we can bounce back from last year’s fourth place finish and show off the hard work we’ve been putting in.

N-L: How hard is it to balance the academic rigor of Hopkins with your athletic commitments?

Koerner: Balancing academics and athletics can be tough at times. In order to run well there are a lot of details that need to be taken care of outside of practice like recovery, strength training and cross training. However, I’m really lucky to have a strong support system in my coaches, teammates and the faculty, so it’s been manageable so far.

Koerner and her teammates will look to continue their successful start to the season on Oct. 1 when they travel to Louisville, Ky. for the Greater Louisville Classic.