Stellar Senior: Pulaski’s Annika Linzmeier

Annika Linzmeier’s parents were initially hesitant about letting her run the Bellin 10K as a kid because they were worried she would get trampled.

The only thing that ended up getting run over during the Pulaski senior’s career is her times. She’s always done a good job of crushing those.

Linzmeier will be aiming to win her third straight Fox River Classic Conference title on Thursday and will look to advance to the WIAA state cross-country meet for a fourth time later this month following a sixth-place finish last year.

Besides leading the pack in races, Linzmeier is near the top of her class at school, ranking second with a 4.15 GPA.

She plays the piccolo in the school band in addition to being a member of Jazz Club, Peer Acceptance Club, Spanish Club and the National Honor Society.

Linzmeier, who also is a three-time state qualifier for track, discusses running down her goals, crushing spiders and dancing as AP’s Stellar Senior this week.

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What’s it going to take for you to win a third straight Fox River Classic Conference title?

It’s going to take more than past years just because I think there is more competition in the conference. I’ve had some iron deficiency lately, so I’ve had issues with that. Hopefully, I can bypass that and mentally focus in on the race.

What are your other goals for this year?

Hopefully, we can make it (to state) as a team this year. We missed out just a little bit last year, so that’s definitely on my radar and the whole team’s radar. For me, placing sixth last year, I definitely want to do better. There is more competition this year, so we’ll see how that plays out.

How have you been able to be so consistent throughout your high school career?

It shows how much work I have put into that I haven’t really dropped off from what I set up freshman year. It definitely shows my strength in the training and my relationship with Coach Noe because we’ve been able to keep a steady incline over the years.

What do you like most about the state cross-country course at Wisconsin Rapids?

I like the challenge of it because it shows what true cross-country is. The second mile is all hills and it shows if you can keep up with it because it’s a challenge.

What do you think about or hear during a race?

Everybody is yelling, but I can obviously pick out familiar voices. I can definitely pick out Coach Noe, and I can pick out my parents and some of my teammates. I usually focus on the people I can identify.

How much running does your mom do during races? She seems to be everywhere on the course.

She usually comes to every meet and tries to get to as many spots as possible. She always tries to get in the finish chute to take pictures and also to be the first person there when I’m done, which really means a lot to me.

How much has Coach Noe meant to you as an athlete and a person?

It has definitely been quite the ride with her. We’re very close, and I can honestly talk to her about anything. She’s actually my confirmation sponsor. We get each other. We have the same mentality, so having someone that thinks the same way I do in putting together a plan for my success has just meant the world to me.

What are your college plans?

I’m looking at studying psychology and kinesiology and looking at a career in sports psychology. I want to run in college, and I’m trying to figure out where that’s going to be the best fit. I’ve been looking at mostly schools in the Midwest. I have an official visit for Madison set up, so that’s one I’m really looking into.

You help students with special needs through the Peer Acceptance Club. What have you learned from those experiences?

I try to take away the toughness that they bring. We help them with the Goody Triathlon in the spring, which we’re a companion for to help them get through the toughness of the swimming, the biking and the running. That shows me that there are so many people out there who have a lot more to worry about, but they can overcome those things and still be happy.

You got to go to Pasadena for the Tournament of Roses Parade at the start of the year with the marching band. What’s the best aspect about being a part of your school band?

Being part of the marching band gives you a bigger group to be a part of and you make a lot of new friends and a lot of new connections. We know what we have to do to get those types of destinations and those accomplishments. But it’s still about the little things and making those connections

What’s one of your earliest sports memories?

When I was little I started off as a dancer, so I remember going to big dance competitions and competing that way, but that’s totally different than running.

I’m obligated to ask this of every Pulaski student-athlete. Can you Polka?

I can. It’s not that hard to do. It’s something you just kind of catch onto. I wouldn’t say I’m a top-notch Polka dancer, but I can do it.

What’s your favorite sports memory?

My favorite memory is probably the state track meet my sophomore year when I place third in the two-mile. I actually couldn’t find coach for like a half hour after the race was over. I just remember that the tents were in the back behind the track, and I was in a tent behind the track … and once we saw each other we both just starting running towards each other and had probably the biggest hug for like a minute straight.

Who on the team would you give half of your lottery winnings to if you won?

I would give half of it probably to Jack Walker. He would be responsible with the money and probably invest it or do something smart with it for the future.

Which teammate would you want with you if you were trapped on a deserted island?

I would probably bring Katie Brockman because she would make everything interesting. She always has funny ideas, so I figure together we could figure out some way to survive.

Who is the most trustworthy person on the team?

Lauren Kane. Especially if she’s taking care of a pet or something, she just loves babies and pets. I trust her with everything and would trust her with something that’s dear to me.

Which teammate would you bring on a rollercoaster?

I would definitely bring Dylan Tousey because he just screams at everything. It would be a fun ride.

Who is the toughest person on the team?

I would say Taylor Tousey. She’s mentally tough. She’s like me where she looks at everything from an analytical perspective.

Who is the sloppiest person on the team?

Hunter Bowman. He kind of just throws everything around.

Which teammate is most likely to be afraid of a spider?

We have a lot of people who are afraid of spiders on the team, like Katie and Lauren, so whenever there are spiders and stuff I always have to be the one to kill them because they get scared.

What are you going to miss most about high school?

I’m going to miss the team the most because we’ve grown together every day in practice, cross-country, track and summer training. Basically, I see them more than my family sometimes. I think not being with them as much is going to be hard.

Favorites

Subject: Math

Food: Pancakes

Movie: “Remember the Titans”

Music: Indy/Folk

Childhood toy: Little People Toddler Toys

Cross-country course: Wisconsin Rapids

App: Twitter