Students balance academics and athletics

Lisa Douglas and Kristie Julian are high fliers, and it’s not just because these two PSU students spend a good deal of their time pole vaulting into the record books. In addition to being outstanding athletes, Lisa and Kristie have also demonstrated that it is possible to be excel academically at the same time they are are working to perfect their sport.
Athletically, Lisa and Kristie have distinguished themselves in pole vault. Kristie vaulted a personal-best 12-04.50 at the MIAA Championships in Pittsburg earlier this year, placing second in the MIAA. She then vaulted 11-08 at the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships at Abilene, Texas, placing 11th. Lisa vaulted 11-04.50 at the MIAA to place fourth and earn All-MIAA honors. She vaulted 11-08 at nationals to place ninth.

Lisa is a senior chemistry major from Wichita and is a graduate of Maize High School. Kristie is a senior math education major from Pittsburg and is a graduate of Pittsburg High School. Lisa plans to become a pharmacist and is currently applying to pharmaceutical schools. Kristie plans on becoming a high school mathematics teacher. Both academic programs are rigorous, but Lisa and Kristie say they have excelled both in the classroom and in their sport because of the support and encouragement they have received from their coach, Russ Jewett, and their professors.
"It wouldn’t be as easy to do if the faculty weren’t as helpful as they are," said Kristie. "They have always been willing to work with me."

She said it makes her feel particularly good when her favorite professors comment that they read about her latest track meet in the newspaper and show an interest in her life outside the classroom.

Lisa agreed.

"My professors have been very supportive of my track," Lisa said. "I have lots of class and track conflicts. It is nice to have professors who are understanding."

Both Lisa and Kristie said that balancing academics and athletics requires hard work and lots of focus.

"It teaches you time management," Lisa said.

"I try to stay a week ahead," Kristie said. "It helps that I’m a great scheduler.

Both said that Coach Russ Jewett makes it clear to the athletes that academics are why they are at Pittsburg State.
"Coach Jewett stresses academics almost every time we have a team meeting," Kristie said. "It’s academics first, then track and then everything else."

Jewett said he advises student athletes to examine their priorities and to allocate their time and energy accordingly.
"We expect academics to be very high on their life-priority list," Jewett said, "and we impress upon our student-athletes that while they can have anything they want if they work hard enough, they cannot necessarily have EVERYTHING they want. In order to excel at both academics and athletics, they may have to give something else up."

The hard work in and out of the classroom is paying off for Lisa and Kristie.

"It gets stressful at times," Lisa admits, "but I wouldn’t give up anything I’m doing. It has been great (to be a student-athlete at PSU). I can’t believe it has gone so fast."

---Pitt State--