Feb. 15, 2017

Trying to balance a college sport, work and schoolwork can be tough. When you add a boyfriend or girlfriend into the mix it gets even tougher.

But not for senior love birds Carina Krausert and Austin Jones. They’ve found more than enough time to keep their lust alive for nearly a year, as well as excel for the ’Hawks on the athletic fields.

“It’s all about finding the right balance,” Krausert said. “It took us some time to find that balance. But once there is a rhythm, it’s fun, we can catch up at night and see how one another’s day or practice has gone.”

Krausert was a second team All-American and received first team all-WIAC honors in 2015 for the women’s soccer team. 

The senior defender also captained the ’Hawks in 2016 for all 24 games during a record-setting season in which UW-W finished with a school-record 22 wins, including another school-record, 21 victories in a row. Krausert received third team All-American honors after her standout season.

Jones also has also been successful for UW-W on the baseball diamond.

This last season, Jones led UW-W with 11 doubles. Jones also cranked four home runs and had a 4.47 ERA with with 11 mound appearances.

Jones was selected in the 26th round of the 2016 MLB draft, being only the fourteenth player in program history to be selected.

“I had an injury two seasons ago and wasn’t able to pitch much last year,” Jones said. “I wanted to come back to show scouts how much more I can do on the diamond, and hopefully raise my draft stock.”

These two first met here at UW-W through some mutual friends in the weight room during trainings sessions. Though nothing really came of it at first, they eventually got in touch.

“I always had a little bit of a crush on her through seeing her at different athletic events and in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, but I could never really muster up the confidence to talk to her,” Jones said. “So it was a slow process to start talking to her more and more, but it was fun looking back at it.”

When talking about when the first two started talking, Krausert had a very specific, and a bit sour moment.

“It’s actually pretty funny, he Facebook messaged me pretending that his friends and him really wanted to come to my game that weekend,” Krausert said. “Then after all that, they didn’t show up. I was totally broken hearted,” Krausert said sarcastically.

A bold technique from Jones, but it all worked out in the end. The two of them are still going strong today. Jones still has an important season ahead but isn’t the only one excited about it.

“Right now i’m excited to watch him and the ’Hawks do their thing this spring.” Said Krausert. “I plan on watching Austin perform in the future and chase his dream.”