JUILIANA STUMPP
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

Class Year: Sophomore
Team: Men’s Cross-Country
Major: Physics

Why did you choose to play a sport at CSUSM?

“I like the area and weather. I live in Burbank, which is two hour away, so it seemed like the right fit for me.”

What do you do in your free time?

“Eat and sleep. The team’s practice is everyday but on Sundays, so on those days, I work on homework and rest up for the upcoming week.”

What is the best thing about being on cross-country?

“I get a pretty good sense of accomplishment since practice is at 7 a.m., so it starts my day off good [sic].”

How do you balance school with your sport?

“For me, time isn’t that much of an issue. It’s the energy that is hard. It’s important to have a strict sleep schedule or else I would fall asleep in class and get behind in everything.”

Has cross-country benefited academics? How?

“In the long run, running benefits me because after running I’m ready to take on the day. It helps me feel more alert. If I wasn’t running, I wouldn’t want to get out of bed.”

Do you have any pre-race rituals to get you pumped up?

“I don’t think about the race, trying not to overthink it. The night before, aside from eating, go out to the movies. One time before a race I went to see “Jackass 3D.” It calmed my nerves and made me laugh. The day of the race I felt relaxed and I did well.”

What is your practice schedule structure? Do you have your own personal regimen?

“During the semester, practice is every morning at 7 a.m. Usually on Fridays and on days before a meet, practice starts at 8 a.m. Workouts are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since I have morning classes, I have to makeup practices in the afternoon on my own time. Sundays we don’t have a structured practice, but we are supposed to run on our own.”

Who is your inspiration?

“My mom because she does so much work and acts like it is no big deal. She always pushes me to run the extra mile and do my best.”