MIZ-MUSINGS WITH BEN ARNET
5/10/2018 8:25:00 AM | General
Karissa Schweizer Edition
Mizzou Athletics' very own Ben Arnet writes a monthly column for MUTigers.com. Titled Mizzou Musings, Arnet looks at every Mizzou Athletic program and give you his take on everything Mizzou. This time around, it's a Karissa Schweizer-centric tome...
M(y first thought): We all need to appreciate our last month or so with Karissa Schweizer in a Mizzou uniform. After breaking the school record in the 1500 meters in her final home event at the Tom Botts Invitational, Schweizer took home "Most Outstanding Performer" honors at the Drake Relays. Now she sets her sites on the SEC Outdoor Championships which begin later this week. All previous performances indicate we've got plenty more to expect from Schweizer as she competes at the highest level in conference and at Nationals. Savor it because we may never see another athlete quite like Schweizer again.
I believe she's the greatest individual athlete in Mizzou history. Others have great cases but particularly when you look at accolades achieved in Black and Gold, Schweizer passes the field. She has been an All-American eight times, won seven conference titles, set six school records and won five National Championships. I'll grant you that track and field athletes compete in a sport that affords more opportunities at such things than a basketball player. But it is important to remember that Schweizer only won one state title in high school. She didn't come in as a "can't-miss" prospect who was destined for glory. She worked her way to the top, which makes her accomplishments even more impressive. And for the record, I asked Karissa if SHE thinks she's the greatest Mizzou athlete of all-time. Her answer: "I don't even think about that. I honestly just am excited to be where I'm at right now and have a chance to do what I love." In my opinion, that answer only adds to her greatness.
Z Z(don't sleep on…) the Mizzou coaching staff. We talk a lot about what "MizzouMade" means around here. Schweizer is truly MizzouMade and Brett Halter's staff did much of the making. Schweizer had the skills but working with the coaching staff turned her into a once-in-a-generation talent. It started with her mind-set and coaches like Mizzou Cross Country coach Marc Burns capitalized on that. Burns recognized that inside Schweizer's mild-mannered exterior there was a fierce competitor and he worked with that. After Schweizer finished a disappointing 11th at last fall's NCAA Cross Country Championships, Burns knew she'd be more furious than disappointed. They channeled that energy into Boston University Season Opener meet to begin the Indoor season a few weeks later. Burns knew when Schweizer was passed by a teammate of the competitor who bested her for the CC title weeks earlier that Karissa would be locked in.
"Oh man just looking at her face she was so mad," recalled Burns. "We were at a 200 meter bank track so every time she came around I was right on the inside. She gave me the dirtiest look ever and then looked at her and she would go around her. It was like a three lap battle and, man, the look on her face!"
It was the most angry Burns ever saw Schweizer and Karissa went on to win the race with a personal best time. Good coaching and motivation are powerful things.
Only time will tell us how far Karrisa's vast talent will take her, but she hopes Tokyo is in her future. After she runs her last race as a Tiger, Schweizer will shift her focus to the international scene and preparation for the 2020 Olympics. Or as she describes it, "Eat, sleep, breathe running. That's about it!"
U only get to see athletes like this every once in a while. Since I've been following and covering Mizzou sports only a few individuals truly stand out for their game-changing athletic ability. Brad Smith is one of them. J'den Cox is another. Karissa Schweizer is in that category. The championships and awards tell us she's the most decorated. Opinions can vary on whether she's "The Best". But what she's accomplished here is truly amazing. From a kid in Des Moines who just ran with her grandfather because she loved it to a 5-time National Champion (and counting), Schweizer has gotten everything she possibly could have out of her time as a Tiger.
"I just remember coming here my freshman year and just thinking, like, I just want to make a little impact, just something," Schweizer told me recently. "And i never thought it'd be this big."
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