As graduation approaches for the class of 2026, many of our athletes are performing in their final competitions. While some athletes might continue to compete after college and others might go on to coach, this might be the last couple of weeks for some athletes competing in their sports. And for others, it is already over.
This year marked Sophia González ’26’s final season as a member of the St. Olaf Women’s Alpine Ski Team. Like most college athletes, González has been competing for some time now, participating in both alpine and nordic skiing, as well as competing in cross country, track and field, and softball during her time in high school.
After coming to St. Olaf, she focused on alpine skiing and put in the hard work, becoming a core member of her team. Everything that González learned helped her to continue to grow and get stronger during competitions.
“For the past four years, I have run through a bunch of race-day routines for ski races,” González said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “I have a boot-up routine, a course inspection routine, a warm-up routine, and a start house routine. By my last race, they were so automatic I hardly thought about them. It was actually pretty freeing, then, to find myself in the start house for the last race, routines complete, already ready to kick off before I even knew what I was doing.”
Looking back on her time at St. Olaf, González realized how much her time in the athletic community has helped her develop into who she is today. “As a senior athlete, I’ve become aware of just how much growth happens in a person over four years,” she said.
When first arriving on the Hill, athletics can be intimidating for a new freshman. But by the end of your four years, you can find yourself immersed in the community and realize that it might not have been so scary after all. “The seniors when I was a freshman were giants, and we all looked up to them,” González said. “To have grown into that role now is really special.”
There is a lot of advice to learn from senior athletes, whether you are an incoming freshman waiting to start your college career in the fall or a junior with your senior season just a few months away. For our senior athletes, we hope that during your time here, you have found your place as a part of the St. Olaf athletic community. As for González, she said, “It feels like all my dreams have come true.”
