Senior memories
Two-sport standout's career nearing its end as track and field season comes to close
Theresa Schneider
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports
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"Playing sports really has defined who I am," she said. "It keeps me grounded and on track with what I want to do."
And if Kooistra's goal is to beat Division I athletes and make a place in NCAA history, she's definitely on track. No pun intended.
Kooistra was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference athlete of the week after her finish in the 400-meter dash at last week's Kansas Relays, according to a university press release.
Kooistra, who competed with 32 other runners from Division I schools, ran the race in 55.12 seconds - a time that set a new UW-Eau Claire record for the race and automatically qualified her for the NCAA. It is also a full second faster than the fastest time listed on the NCAA honor roll.
But while Kooistra was recruited to Eau Claire to run track, it isn't the only sport where's she gained attention. Last fall Kooistra, playing midfield, earned Playmaker of the Year for the women's soccer team. With 11 assists, she tied for most assists of the season and ended her soccer tenure tying the school record for career assists with 29. She was also third overall on her team with 11 goals and 33 points. On top of it all she was the first on her team to be named an all-WIAC team member.
Kooistra said of all her soccer memories, she will always remember the last game of her senior year versus Wheaton College. The teams had met before in tournament play but this time lost in a shootout.
"It was hard, but at the same time the team played really hard," she said.
Kooistra said team bonding on trips, whether with soccer or track, will always be something she remembers. With soccer, trips to San Antonio and New York brought the girls together.
"That's what our team has always been about," she said.
With track, her favorite part of team trips to different meets was the actual process of getting to the meet. Riding in vans gave runners the chance to really get to know each other in a smaller setting than on a bus, she said.
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