NOTE: As part of a week-long NCAA Division III Week series, Saint Mary's sports information Intern Meaghan Updike sat down with Cardinal seniors Emily Ortiz and Erika Thiel of the women's cross country team to talk about their time at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
 
By MEAGHAN UPDIKE
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
 
WINONA, Minn. — Erika Thiel (Burr Ridge, Ill.) and Emily Ortiz (Albert Lea, Minn.) have run 11 seasons of cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track together. The two are in the midst of their final outdoor track season with teammates who have become some of their closest friends.
 
HOW DID YOU HANDLE BEING A STUDENT — AND AN ATHLETE?
• Emily: "Being a student and an athlete has helped me in terms of time management. I think I would procrastinate a lot more if I didn't have the time pressure that having three-hour practices puts on you."
• Erika: "I agree, I think the more I have to do, the more I tend to be on top of things."
 
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY FROM THE PAST FOUR YEARS?
• Erika: "Our team is full of pretty adventurous, outdoorsy people so outside of practice, we'll go hiking or try to find caves to explore. Just random stuff like that is always fun."
 
WHAT IS THE FUNNIEST MEMORY OF YOUR TEAM OR COACH?
• Emily: "One time we were out at the bottom of Yon's field and they had just mowed, so there was a bunch of dead grass. Our coaches weren't out there yet, so we buried someone under a pile of grass. But then the coaches were driving in a golf cart and didn't see him, so I had to run in front and yell 'no, stop!!'"
 
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH OR PLAY BESIDES YOUR SPORT AND WHY THAT SPORT?
• Emily: "I like watching basketball because it's really fast-paced and there's almost always something going on."
• Erika: "I did gymnastics as a kid, so I really like watching that."
 
DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS BEFORE A RACE?
• Emily: "I always eat the same thing in the morning, so I do that before a meet. But, I learned my lesson the hard way one morning when I ate too soon before a race and then my breakfast ended up on the course."
• Erika: "I'll definitely eat the same before every race and listen to the same songs before every race."
 
IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL, WHICH WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?
• Emily: "I would want to be a giraffe because they're tall and I'm not."
• Erika: "I've always liked beluga whales and manatees, they kinda just float around and do their thing."
 
DESCRIBE EACH OTHER IN ONE WORD AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU CHOSE THAT WORD.
• Erika: "Sassy. She has very well-grounded opinions. If someone says something and they don't know what they're talking about, she'll let them know."
• Emily: "I'm trying to think of a nice way to say picky… maybe particular?"
 
WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO KARAOKE SONG? WHY THAT SONG?
• Emily: "'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls. Any of that 90's girl group pump-up stuff is good."
• Erika: "Yeah, any of the throwbacks are good."
 
TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE JOKE.
• Emily: "I've been experimenting with dad jokes but I don't have one off the top of my head."
 
DO YOU HAVE PLANS FOR AFTER GRADUATION YET? IF SO, WHAT ARE THEY?
• Erika: "I'm going to PA school at Midwestern University, which is in Downers Grove, Ill. That starts in June."
• Emily: "I am still waiting to hear back from medical schools, so I'm just taking things as they come."
 
DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR INCOMING FRESHMAN OR YOUR TEAMMATES FOR NEXT YEAR?
• Erika: "Compared to high school, you have fewer meets, so you have to give it your all every time since you don't have as many opportunities."
• Emily: "Don't take for granted the time you have here. Four years seems like a long time, but especially with athletics, it goes by really quickly."