Justin Krause has been a member of the UW-Whitewater Men’s Cross-Country team for four years. Now in his last season, he and his teammates are taking strides to become great.
The team has gotten off to a hot start winning against UW-RiverFalls and winning at home at the Tom Hoffman Invitational in dominant fashion with Justin Krause leading a pack of five Warhawk runners across the line. Krause shares his thoughts on this dominance and what we can expect from the team for the rest of the season
Q: What are some of your personal goals for this season?
A: I want to help build a good team culture that allows us to rally behind each other and be successful throughout the season. We also want to build good habits that will translate on race day and in our lives.
Q: What are some of your team goals this season?
A: Our team has the aspiration to be there on the day and win a Wiac title, an NCAA regional title, and a National championship. Ultimately it comes down to building on our habitats to put ourselves in a position to succeed.
Q: How do you mentally and physically prepare to run at meets?
A: I used to be very superstitious. I would go through a routine doing the same thing every time. Now I trust myself knowing I put the work in to translate on race day. I can now enjoy the moment and have fun with my teammates and fifteen minutes before the race I take a breath and tell myself it’s time to go.
Q: How has the team developed during your four years
A: When I first came in as a freshman the team was 5th in the conference and 9th at regionals. We were able to develop by getting very talented runners and getting people to buy into the team and their teammates. This led to a shift in our culture to become more of a family by bonding as a team and just having fun.
Q: How have you been able to develop over the 4 years
A: Coming in as a freshman my time management wasn’t very good so as I have gotten older I have been able to get better with my time. I also wasn’t the best at handling adversity but as I have grown as a student-athlete I have been able to handle adversity a lot better take it on the chin and move on.
Q: How do you set yourself up for a strong end-of-the-season
A: We have trust in coach Mills and his experience to put us in the best position at the end of the year to finish strong. The first couple of meets were focused but having fun as a team. In the middle of the season, we try to keep our heads up. If something doesn’t go our way, it’s not the end of the world. When we get to the end we need to make sure we show up on race day and compete and run our best.
Q: How do you handle the mental aspect of being a student-athlete
A: Being a student-athlete allowed me to develop skills that are useful in day-to-day life. I have learned to hold myself to a high standard on the course and in the classroom and keep a standard of high-quality work. This has allowed me to have a good balance between student and athlete.
Krause and his fellow Warhawks will look to continue their dominance through the season as they gear up for the WIAC championship on Saturday Oct. 28 followed by the NCAA regional championship and national championship.
