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Athlete of the Week Q&A: Krysten Mayers

The BRSN team selects one Cornell athlete each week whose performance stood out among her peers both within the Cornell athletic community and the Ivy League. This week, we talk to Krysten Mayers, who posted a record-setting weekend in field hockey. 

BRSN: What was your mindset going into the game against Lock Haven?

KM: I woke up the morning before the game and tried to remembered the details about when we played them last season, away on their turf. It was a terrible day to play hockey weather-wise, but Cornell managed to walk away with a 4-0 win against Lock Haven’s fighting team. In order to win that game, we put in a tremendous amount of team effort towards every goal that we put it and that’s what I took away from that game and wanted to translate into the game against them this season. My team and I were ready to bring our fight right from the blow of the whistle and it showed in the way we had a dominating start. We had a plan of execution that we had all visualized and made come true by the end of the game.

BRSN: How did you get into field hockey, and what kept you in the sport?

KM: My father played on the Men’s National Field Hockey Team for Barbados when I was younger and so he used to travel all over and have competitions with people from various parts of the world. My sister and I asked our dad one day if he could teach us this sport that we thought was so fun and interesting. From that day on, he became not just our father, but our coach as well. I was around 5 or 6 years old when I started to play. I have played other sports (soccer, cheerleading, tennis, track & field) in between then and now, but I have always stuck with field hockey as my main sport. I love it! My dad even made his own club team so that he could coach other girls as well! I played all throughout middle school and high school and then got recruited to play in college as well. I love this sport because it’s fast paced, dangerous, physically tough and the lack of an offside rule.

BRSN: Why did you choose Cornell?

KM: I chose Cornell because I felt like this place has watched me grow up ever since I was little. My uncle, on my mother’s side, attended Cornell as a graduate student after receiving his undergraduate degree at Princeton. I remember making numerous trips to Cornell when I was young to visit him and I loved exploring this beautiful campus and the town of Ithaca. When I was being recruited here to play field hockey, I spent time with the team and loved the team’s values, goals and the knowledge and skills that they had to provide me with. Not only did I see Cornell as a great academic fit for me, but I viewed it as a great athletic fit for me as well!

BRSN: What is your favorite field hockey memory?

KM: My favorite field hockey memory is the day we beat Princeton for the first time since 2007. We went into over time with them after drawing the game period 2-2. We earned a corner in double-overtime which I was able to put into the back of the net and everybody was filled with joy. The happiness and relief was visible throughout all the Cornell faces on the field that day and it was a really big moment for the whole program.

BRSN: Do you have any pregame rituals or routines?

KM: As my teammates know, before almost every game I start off my day eating a waffle smothered with butter, syrup, and a compote fruit topping. You might ask why, but I’m pretty sure the sugar is what fuels me. After all, all of my friends know how much of a sugar addict I am. Except chocolate, I HATE chocolate. Along with a waffle, when I wake up every morning before a game, I listen to throw-back music that pumps me up and helps me visualize my goals for the game.

BRSN: What is one fun fact about you?

KM: If you show me a piece of candy, I will be able to tell you the name of it and what it’s major ingredients are.

I sleep with a Princess Bubble Gum stuffed doll from Adventure Time every night.

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