North Carolina State University Athletics
Q & A with Kristina Roth
9/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Sept. 13, 2004
After earning All-ACC honors as a freshman in 2002 with a ninth place finish at the conference cross country championships, junior Kristina Roth continued to impress last year, capping off the season with a strong showing at the NCAA Championships. During track, Roth also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the steeplechase event.
A native of Celina, Ohio, the arts applications major recently sat down with GoPack.com and discussed everything from being recruited during high school to the upcoming football game with Ohio State.
Q: When did you start looking at cross country as an option for college?
A: "I knew during my junior year of high school I was serious about cross country and I wanted to run when I came to college. When I was in high school I played soccer and that's what I had originally wanted to play. Once I realized there were going to be more avenues for me to be successful with cross country and track then I decided running was the thing for me."
Q: During the recruiting period, what set NC State apart from the other colleges interested in you?
A: "A lot of schools were recruiting me, but I only visited Michigan State and NC State. I knew NC State was a very respected college, in both academics and athletics, and that really played a major role in choosing to come here. I wanted to play for a winning team and the combination of academics and athletics here was just too much to pass up."
Q: Did academics play a big role in your decision?
A: "Coming out of high school I wasn't very sure on what I wanted to do after school. I knew NC State had a great academic reputation and I wouldn't have a hard time finding a job after college with a degree from here. Athletics really drives me, but I know I can't just run for the rest of my life. This is going to provide a lot of opportunities for me and the possibilities are just endless. "
Q: Can you offer an example of a day in the life of a cross country student-athlete at NC State?
A: "Right now I'm getting up at around 6:45 in the morning and then getting in a seven or eight mile run. I'm usually pressed for time in the morning so I have to hustle a lot. I'm not really relaxed and at ease until I'm in my seat for class. After that I just go from class to class until I have lunch at Case and socialize for a little while. I spend more time there than I need to, but it's nice to have a break and be around my friends and all of the other athletes. Then I usually get started on my homework and finish in time for practice. Once practice is done, I go and eat again and then I either get to relax or work on more homework. Being an athlete is kind of hectic. It's extremely busy, but it's not stressful because I love it so much. It helps me discipline myself and structure my time and activities."
Q: What motivates you to run?
A: "Competition. Racing is the best way to find out who is the fastest. It's as simple as that. Racing is a simple sport and it's not glamorous or anything, but we have a lot of heart and determination. It takes a lot of discipline. It's very exhausting, but it's satisfying and there's nothing like it. I really just want to be successful. That's probably my biggest motivator."
Q: NC State consistently has Ohio talent on the cross country roster. Did that help you ease into adjusting to college when you arrived?
A: "When I arrived at State Katie Sabino was still on the team and she's from Ohio and that played a big part in my picking NC State because she was an All-American and very accomplished in track and cross country. I really liked the fact that coming out of high school she wasn't a huge standout prospect and when she came to NC State it was obvious how much she had learned and improved from working with the staff here."
Q: Do the Ohio folks share a common bond?
A: "Katie and I had that bond. Andy and Wesley Smith are from Ohio too and so are the coaches and some other people. You have all of these top athletes flocking to North Carolina to come and run track and cross country, so it's pretty obvious this is a quality place."
Q: Now that you are in a position to host recruits on their visits, can you give me an idea of how you show them around?
A: "At first we just have the recruits on visits come over to our homes and hang out with us. We don't feed them a bunch of lines like "NC State is the best place" or anything like that. We pretty much just let them take in everything themselves. The good thing is that we don't really have to sell the program because it sells itself. All recruits have to do is come and see our success and take in how genuine the team is towards one another. Our teams are very close and we spend a lot of time together and even though recruits come in for only a short period of time, I think they still get to see how close-knit we are and I believe that makes a big difference for a lot of people."
Q: How often do you make it back to Celina?
A: "I don't go home very often. In fact, I am one of the few people that don't go home very frequently. I didn't go home over the Easter weekend and I didn't go home for Thanksgiving. I pretty much only go home for Christmas, but this past summer I went home for the last month or so before school started."
Q: When the Buckeyes come into town next week for the football game, will there be any conflicts of interest?
A: "I always feel kind of torn when NC State plays Ohio State. In high school I never realized that I was an Ohio State fan. I never put OSU stickers or flags on my car or anything like that, but when I came here it got kind of hard. I remember being on the bus last year with the cross country team coming back from a meet when our team was playing football at Ohio State and everyone on the bus was on their cell phones talking to people back home and constantly trying to get score updates. I wanted NC State to win, but I can remember debating in my head what I wanted to happen. I was just glad we gave Ohio State a run for their money. I have a bunch of friends coming down for the game this year and they all want me to try and get them tickets, but I don't think that's going to happen. Of course I am for NC State though, this is my home now."
