Kelly Huerta competes in short sprints events on the UW-Whitewater track and field team. She’s made a splash in her first season, setting records in her freshman season. She was part of the relay team that set the program record time at the Rex Foster Twilight meet. Over the course of the season, Huerta has also set multiple personal records while growing more confident in her abilities. We had the opportunity to sit down with Huerta and talk about her freshman season to this point, as well as her mindset going into the final stretch of the year.
Q: How has the transition from high school athletics to collegiate athletics been for you?
A: It hasn’t been easy at all. I considered quitting in the first month here, just because the transition from a close-knit team to being somewhere where I don’t know anyone was really hard. I talked to my academic advisor and coach [Josh] Ireland, and they told me to just give it a few months. After those talks, I let it roll and it became so much better. Now, I absolutely love it, but the transition wasn’t easy at all.
Q: Why did you choose to come to UW-Whitewater? What made this program stand out to you?
A: UW-Whitewater was one of the first schools to reach out to me. I came on several visits, I think four or five visits. Coach actually makes fun of me about how often I visited the school. But I did scout out a lot of schools around the area, both here in Wisconsin and since I’m from Illinois, a lot of schools there. But Whitewater sold me partially due to being a good business school, and my major is business, as well as the coaches making their vision for me very clear. I felt that they saw something in me, and the abilities that I can do. That’s why I ultimately chose Whitewater over other schools.
Q: What do you like most about competing in the short sprints event?
A: The fact that you have to give it your all from the beginning to end is motivating. I love the competition that we have in our conference. During the competition you see and feel other people next to you, which makes you want it more. The relay races in particular are so quick that the adrenaline is really high. With these races, it’s not just yourself doing it, the team aspect comes into play and you really feel like part of a team.
Q: What impact have your teammates had on you?
A: I am beyond grateful for everyone on the team. The strong bonds that we have are hard to find. We are all supportive of one another and only want what’s best for each other as well as the team as a whole. There is no doubt in my mind that everyone on this team will accomplish great things.
Q: What is your mindset going into meets?
A: I used to compare my performances to other people. But everyone has good and bad days. I can’t always expect myself to set a PR, which is how it was in high school. That’s also why transitioning was really hard, because at the end of my high school career, I was always PR’ing. I have the mentality of doing what I can and just leaving it all out there on the track. We put in a lot of work, so just trusting my abilities and coaches.
Q: Earlier this season, you were part of the team that set the program 4×100 relay record. What did that accomplishment mean to you?
A: It meant a lot to me. It’s a privilege to be able to be a part of that. I’m so happy that I trusted the process and stayed with the team. All of the hard work we’re putting in, we’re seeing it finally pay off. And that’s really exciting. At the time, I didn’t know we even broke the school record until coach pulled me aside. But it also makes me want more. We have a lot of work that we can put in, and minor things we can fix to do even better. So it makes me really excited to see what we can do.
Q: What is your mindset going into the final portion of the season?
A: I’m just very excited. It’s mind-blowing that it’s already towards the end of the season. We have way more indoor meets than outdoor meets. The end quickly approaching makes me realize that there’s no time to waste. I need to make sure I take advantage of every single meet we have and use it as an opportunity to get better. I’m going to give it all I’ve got, and I know I can accomplish a lot of things with my team.
While Huerta and the track and field team have had a very successful season to this point, there are still a lot of opportunities that await them. The Warhawks have three more meets before the outdoor championships begin. Huerta will use this time to continue to work on improving her personal records as she prepares for nationals. Beyond this season, she has one overarching goal: becoming an All-American.
