Kate Ptashnik is a second-year distance free swimmer on the Case Western Reserve University swim team. With the season still young, she looks to improve on a stellar first year that featured an 18:21.88 in the 1,650 free. Swimming provides Ptashnik with countless memories, including getting punched in the face. Ptashnik is currently majoring in nutritional biochemistry and likes to spend time with her friends.<\/p>\n
What is your favorite part of being on the swim team? Why?<\/p>\n
My favorite part of being on the swim team is being surrounded by people who have similar work ethics, but different passions than I do. I enjoy hearing and seeing my teammates\/friends being excited about things they are doing while we get to bond through something we all love.<\/p>\n
Do you have any meets that you remember being particularly special? Why?<\/p>\n
The Wooster Invitational meet last year, I was accidentally punched in the face by another athlete right before my race (the mile), but then proceeded to swim my best time of the season.<\/p>\n
Aside from swimming, what other activities are you involved in on campus? Can you explain what you do in them?<\/p>\n
I am the Greek Games chair and the executive assistant in Kappa Alpha Theta. I am also a tour guide at the CWRU Office of Admissions. Additionally, I am a part of research within the nutrition department, where we are trying to teach children with family members who have diabetes how to make healthy and nutritious foods.<\/p>\n
Why are you majoring in nutritional biochemistry? What about it interests you?<\/p>\n
I am majoring in nutritional biochemistry because I liked both biology and chemistry, and then got early exposure to a nutrition course my first semester here and absolutely loved it. I am interested in nutritional biochemistry because I think it is really applicable to a student athlete as well as just a person.<\/p>\n
What are your favorite free time activities? Why?<\/p>\n
Spending time with my friends, both on and not on the swim team, because we can always have fun no matter what else is happening in our stressful CWRU life.<\/p>\n
What is your favorite quote or what inspires you?<\/p>\n
Be the hammer Doug Milliken.<\/p>\n
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\nSecond-year swimmer excited for new season - The Observer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"