Carolyn Rauen handles being a true Student Athlete
11/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 8, 2007
For the Missouri Tigers, this year's NCAA Regional Cross Country Race takes place in Peoria, Ill., and senior Carolyn Rauen wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm hoping to make some memories this weekend in Peoria." Rauen said. "I'm trying to go out with a bang."
Rauen is confident, now, as a senior, for two reasons. First, she's running the best she ever has as a cross country athlete. Second and more importantly, less than a month ago, Rauen ran the same course in Peoria at the Bradley Classic and finished 21st overall, recording a personal best time of 22:00.
"It's nice to be able to finish strong on my last cross country season." Rauen said. "I set a personal record the last time I ran in Peoria. Actually, 2 out of 3 times I've run there I've had a PR, so I'm hoping to make it three out of four."
In fact, Rauen hasn't only been successful in Peoria, she's run fairly well all season, including a 6th overall finish at the Missouri Cross Country Challenge, on Sept. 8, and a 16th place finish at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic just a week later. At Vandy, Rauen nearly set another personal record.
She says she couldn't do it on her on; Rauen credits a strong core group of senior girls who have pushed her along the way. "We have a great team, we're all really close, we've never really had this big a group to work out together, we really push each other." Rauen said.
"Our goal all year has been to work together and have a really close pack; not a very big spread. If we just kind of work off each other, I really think we can surprise people." Rauen said. "If we take the extra step and all have great races, the difference between average and great, we can get up there."
The Cincinnati, Ohio native always has a positive attitude and never backs down from a challenge; and she's had plenty of challenges. Aside from battling back from various injuries to compete in track and cross country events, Rauen has also challenged herself at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where she'll earn her degree with an emphasis on Broadcasting.
This fall, Rauen has split time running on the course, and running down stories as a reporter and producer for KOMU News, Columbia's NBC affiliate. As if it wasn't demanding enough to be a student and an athlete, Rauen must devote entire days to working out at the TV station: a full-time job in itself.
"Having to miss practice is really tough because I want to be there and I can't be. Luckily I only miss one day a week. Coach Becca [Rebecca Wilmes] has been really good about working with me, knowing I'm going to miss stuff. It's definitely been a challenge on my time, but it's paid off and I have a job, so that's good."
All of Rauen's hard work has paid off though, last summer Rauen was given the opportunity to work alongside former Missouri high jumper John Anderson in Bristol, Conn., on ESPN's Sportscenter. Even though she has a few months until graduation in May, the worldwide leader in sports has already offered her a job to come back to Connecticut.
"I'm going to be a production assistant, I'll be cutting highlights. I love sports so getting to cut highlights and watch sports is the perfect job for me." Rauen said.
As if watching sports and cutting highlights in the Mecca of Sports wasn't enough, Rauen has bigger aspiration in sports entertainment. "I'd like to be a producer in charge of ESPN College Gameday, or Sportscenter." She said. "Outside of track and cross country, college football is my number one sport."
She may very well do it all, because of a determination and dedication that she has applied to her athletic and academic life at the University of Missouri. "To be a student athlete here, you have to do a good job balancing everything, you've got two jobs to do." Rauen said. "It's not easy but it's definitely doable."
And there's something else that could be "doable" for Rauen: Another `PR' at Bradley this weekend. Whether she's running over the competition, setting personal records at Regionals, and working for ESPN, it's all in a days work for Carolyn Rauen.
By: Josh Fowler - Media Relations Student Assistant
