#TigerTough Feature: Karissa Schweizer, SEC Champion
11/8/2016 10:53:00 AM | Cross Country
Schweizer becomes the first Tiger in program history to win a conference athlete of the year honor
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The last time Mizzou Cross Country had a conference champion, junior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) was just mastering how to walk. Schweizer put the 19-year streak to rest on Friday, Oct. 28, when she stood atop the podium at the SEC Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Schweizer crossed the line in the women's 6,000m race with a time of 20:10.6, marking her third first-place finish of the season and fourth consecutive personal record. Heading into the race Schweizer was a favorite to win the title, but that was not on her mind when the gun went off.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking knowing that I was going into it being one of the favorites with a hard conference," Schweizer said. "I was going to be proud with however I did. I went out there knowing that it could be anyone's day, but just knew I had a chance and I was going to take that chance at the end."
.@SEC CHAMP!!!!@KarissaSchweiz4 crosses the finish line first at #SECXC16!!!#MIZ #TigerTough ?? pic.twitter.com/GFTWCpRYdU
— Mizzou Track & Field (@MIZ_TrackField) October 28, 2016
Schweizer credits her accomplishments to trusting "the process" Mizzou Cross Country head coach Marc Burns has in place stating that her success is an accumulation of each training session.
Burns isn't surprised by Schweizer's success, as he knew it was only a matter of time after she qualified for nationals as a freshman in cross country and then finished third at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 5K last year.
"When she catapulted to the top of the podium at the outdoor national meet, we knew shew was going to have a good cross country season," Burns said. "I don't know if we knew it was going to be this good, but we knew it was going to be really good and she just keeps working hard and keeps getting after it."
Schweizer not only became the first conference champion for the program in 19 years, but also claimed a spot on the All-SEC First Team along with junior Jamie Kempfer (Festus, Mo.), who finished fifth, and catapulted the team to a third-place finish, the team's highest at a conference meet since 2004. In addition, Schweizer was named the SEC Women's Runner of the Year, becoming the first Tiger in program history to take home conference athlete of the year honors.
"It always takes somebody to break through the glass to really kick things off for the rest of the team," Burns said. "To see [her] accomplishing things at such a high level, being up on the podium at the outdoor championships, being at the top of the podium at the SEC cross country meet, now the rest of these guys and girls we have running can see that it is possible and it makes them better."
Schweizer isn't the first in her family to succeed at the collegiate level in cross country. Her grandfather Frank Schweizer was an All-American cross country and track runner at Minnesota State-Mankato and one of the most decorated high school track and field coaches in Iowa history. Her father, Mike, was also an All-American cross country runner at Mankato. Karissa's mom, Kathy, was a star on the track team for Mankato, reaching the indoor nationals in the 800m. Her younger brother, Ryan, runs at Notre Dame and her younger sister, Kelsey, is currently in high school resetting some of Karissa's records.
Schweizer's family has played an instrumental role in her career and was there when she crossed the line in Fayetteville for one of her biggest accomplishments to-date.
"My parents and my grandparents both came and they've been a huge support throughout the whole season and many of my other seasons. To know that I am going on to college and races that are really far away and they still travel to watch me race is pretty awesome," Schweizer said. "They were all really happy for me."
Looking forward, Schweizer has her sights set on the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Nov. 11 and helping the team to its first NCAA Championship appearance since 2004 when the women finished 11th.
"There's definitely a little bit of pressure, but I would never put a ton of pressure on myself because it is a team sport," Schweizer said. "Just knowing as long as I do my part and I am up there, I'm going to try my hardest no matter what. I can't control what other people do on that day and I just hope that we do well and finish well as a team."
Players Mentioned
