Senior Thoughts with Abigail Levine

A four-year women's cross country and women's track and field athlete, Abigail is a mathematical sciences major from Bethesda, Maryland. Starting in the fall, Abigail will be working as a Data Scientist for Nike in Beaverton, Oregon.

Favorite team memory: Our first time at NCAAs as a team my sophomore year, we were all so excited and nervous and just so thankful to be there and experience competition on the biggest stage. We also got pictures and messages of all our teammates at home filling the Student-Athlete Lounge to watch us and we felt all the support like everyone was there.

Proudest athletic achievement: Making it to NCAA Cross Country Championships 3 years in a row/for the first time in 19 years.

Funniest team memory: When we got a party bus with lights and music and all to take us to the airport before nationals at 4:30 AM. Wasn't quite the mood we were going for.

Hope for future of your team: I hope that they keep improving and fighting to be more competitive and achieve even more in the conference and nationally, but I also hope the team continues to be as loving and supportive and connected as they always have been.

Something you'd like to say to your underclassmen teammates: Watching you all enter as nervous freshmen and then grow into strong, confident, dedicated athletes has been the most humbling experience. You all are my inspirations and the reason I loved being a CMU athlete so much. Keep setting your goals higher and higher, keep fighting for every second in every race, keep pushing every rep even when the pace Coach says makes your jaw drop, and keep lifting each other up.

Reason you chose Carnegie Mellon and how it's effected you: Carnegie Mellon had the balance of intense academics and intense athletics at the level of competition I wanted to be at. On a visit, I met Coach Connelly and immediately felt that he was someone who I trusted to invest in me and make me a better runner and athlete. I've never regretted that decision.

An athletic opportunity you're thankful for: The Battle of the Obelisk in track season, because it really brings the whole team together in a way that no other meet could. I've almost always had success and was able to run the 3k/5k double this year with only two hours in between, which was pretty hard but so worth it when the whole team was there to cheer me on. And we've never lost in my four years :)

Team you enjoyed competing against the most and why: CWRU because the Obelisk is only such a great meet because they are a team just as rowdy and supportive as ours. I've had the chance to get to know some of the distance runners over the years and they are always friendly and good competitors.