University of Wisconsin La Crosse Athletics

Katie (Krenz) Doan (2007)
 
Sport: Gymnastics (2004-07)
 
Why did you choose UWL?
   I was recruited by the then assistant coach.  I was completing in a college bound gymnastics meet and Andy Becher was scouting for La Crosse.  He saw me compete and approached my parents and me to discuss coming to La Crosse.  After talking with Andy, we decided to visit the campus and meet with Barb Gibson, the then head coach.  The campus and La Crosse was beautiful and Barb was so open and welcoming.  That was when I decided to come to La Crosse.
   As a funny aside, when I visited the campus there were no formal tours. Barb took me on a tour of the campus.  She wanted to show me the dorms, but couldn't get in.  She approached some random students who were on campus for the summer and convinced them to give us a tour of the dorms.

Who influenced you the most during your time at UWL?
  I was most influenced by Barb and the other coaches, including Cody Farley and Kari "Motz" DeLong.  Barb has the ability to draw the best out of her athletes as both people and athletes. She really helped me to grow as an athlete and to push myself to do better.  During my junior year, I tore my ACL and was out for the season.  I made a comeback my senior year. I would not have been able to get back into gymnastics, much less compete my senior year without Cody and Kari pushing me to get back into the sport.  I remember them both pushing me on vault, which was very hard for me to get back into because of my knee.  With their support, I was able to complete on vault my senior year.  

How did your undergraduate experience at UWL impact what you are doing in your career now?
   While an undergrad at UWL, I took a series of constitutional law classes. That is when I discovered that the law was interesting to me and that I loved arguing and applying the law to facts.  Based on my undergrad experience and the constitutional law classes, I chose to go to law school.  Now I am a practicing lawyer and partner in a law firm. 

What is your most fond memory while being at UWL as a student?
   There are so many great memories, some small and some large. My best memory is completing and winning nationals at home. We hosted nationals in 2005.  The whole experience of competing in front of a home crowd was electric. I remember going into our last rotation, which was floor, that we were on a high.  We hit beam and just wanted to go out onto the floor, show everyone our best routines and have fun. That is the first and only meet where I was not nervous before my routine.  I was having too much fun.  This was also the first time that my now husband saw me compete! 

What are you most proud of about your undergrad years now that you have graduated? 
   I am most proud of being a teammate and learning how to be there for others.  Gymnastics is an individual sport at the club level.  However, at college, it is about the team.  I was fortunate to be able to complete both my freshman and sophomore years.  My junior year, I tore my ACL.  I am proud of the type of teammate that I became.  UWL taught me how to support others and be present during the good times and the bad.

What advice would you give current UWL student-athletes?
   I know it is cliche, but enjoy your time because it goes by so fast and college really is the best time in your life.  Enjoy and cultivate your friendships and enjoy being able to do what you love and grow into and discover yourself as an individual person.

Any fun facts or stories you would like to add?
   There are so many to say.  There were so many good times with the team, coaches and friends.  I most enjoyed being on campus for J-term.  I never took a class, so it was fun to just hang out with my teammates and practice without having the school work.