April 4, 2007
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Katelyn Klobus |
Mercy's Katelyn Klobus Excels During Sophomore Campaign
By Chioma Egbuchunam, Athletics Communications Student Intern
It's a Sunday morning, and the Mercy College track team has a day off from practice. It's cool out with a faint breeze in the air, and the Mercy campus is calm with very little movement. Katelyn Klobus, dressed in a long sleeved shirt and shorts, elegantly stretches out all of her limbs in the residence hall parking lot, preparing herself for the run she's about take.
Seeing Klobus makes one think of what a much needed distraction running can be for an individual needing to escape from studying for an hour or two. For Klobus, it is so much more than that. Her drive to constantly better herself in all aspects of her life, has caused her to develop into a vital part of the Mercy College cross country and track and field program, as well as an enthusiastic member of the recently created Mercy cheerleading team.
When the sophomore who now calls Averill Park, New York, home is asked about how she got involved in two sports that seem to bear no resemblance to one another, a look of irony sets across her face as she goes over past events. "I started running cross country in my freshman year of high school, only because I didn't make the cheerleading squad," Klobus says with a laugh. "I actually wasn't involved in any sports before high school, and only went out for the cross country team because my mom suggested it. I had no idea what cross country was."
Having been selected to the All-East Coast Conference (ECC) Second Team at the end of the cross country season, Klobus has come a long way from that girl who had no idea what it meant to be a runner. She placed 12th out of 65 competitors at the 2006 ECC Cross Country Championships to earn a spot on the team, completing the race at fabled Van Cortlandt Park in a time of 21:28, and became only the second female in Mercy cross country history to earn All-Conference honors.
When asked how it felt to receive such an honor, Klobus replied, "I was shocked when it first happened. I heard a lot of things being shouted out about my position in the race as I was running the course that would lead me to believe I hadn't made the cut, but when I found out from my coach that I had placed 12th and been selected, I was completely elated. It was an awesome feeling," a feeling that has her eager for even more success in the future.
Klobus does
not only shine outside in nature with all the elements it may
bring, but was very successful indoors as well, as a key member of
the track and field team. On December 9th at an indoor track and
field trip to Yale, Klobus broke the Mercy College record in the
800 meter race. At the Fordham Opener she set another school record
in the 3000 meter race
"She's had a really great season," said teammate Daniel Reeves. "She's been doing awesome individually, and has been very crucial to the team by placing high in the regionals. She's a great student-athlete, and a wonderful ambassador for our team."
A psychology major at Mercy, Klobus aims to complete her bachelor's degree, and then pursue a master's degree in psychology after that. Her career goal is to become an elementary school special education teacher.
Her passion and drive both as an athlete and a student are the reasons Klobus has been so successful. Her success has now become a motivator for her to do even better in the future. "My goals for next season are to make the All-ECC First team, and run the 5K in 20 minutes flat."
In her coach's eyes, he expects the same. "What separates Katelyn from most of the crowd is her genuine interest in excellence," said Dr. Darryl Bullock, now in his 30th year at the helm. "Even on the days when she feels less than 100%, you can count on her giving her all. The other quality that makes Katelyn stand out is her family-shaped and personally accepted sense of service. If I were to develop an on-line sports glossary, under the word winner --- there would be a photograph of Katelyn."
