Joy JuedesIf anyone knows about discipline and balancing college life, it’s three-sport student athlete Annika Carlson ’25.
Carlson, who competes in cross country, track and field and lacrosse, has been an All-SCIAC and All-Region athlete in all three sports. She was Chapman University’s first cross country All-American, and was an All-American in track and field.
She was drawn to Chapman’s size, location and knowing she didn’t have to choose one sport.
“I liked that I could have a more personalized learning experience while also competing in multiple sports,” she says. “I could also walk to the Circle to get dinner with friends.”
Carlson, a communication studies major and nutrition minor, has qualified for the NCAA Division III national championships in cross country and track and field.
We asked her to tell us more about how athletics enhance academics and vice versa at Chapman.
What challenges have you faced as you blend your competitive life with your studies?
Being a student athlete takes a lot of time and dedication. For me, having sports year round can definitely take a toll, but the way I approach it is by taking a step back and assessing what my goals are and what I need to do to get there. I understand my schedule and plan my life accordingly and try to be somewhat balanced at the same time. The big challenge is fatigue and trying to take care of myself while competing. Sleep, nutrition, mentally taking care of myself are important.
My junior year was difficult but I wouldn’t have changed it. I learned so much building with the programs that I’m a part of and it truly taught me more than I ever imagined and I’m grateful to be able to be part of these growing programs. I’m proud of how far our programs have come and how competitive we are.
How did athletics help you find the right academic and career paths?
Athletics definitely shaped my life—it brings me joy, it brings me struggle and it brings me growth. In my freshman year, I took a nutrition class and I’m definitely [focused on] fitness and wellness and nutrition. Shaping a life around balance but also competitiveness was something I always wanted to do. Being an athlete has automatically engaged me in nutrition and I find it very interesting and wanted it to be part of my college education. Hopefully, I can apply my communication degree and nutrition in sports and possibly coaching.
In what other ways have you benefited from your Chapman scholar-athlete experience?
There are many ways I’ve benefited from being an athlete at Chapman. Community has been huge on campus. When you’re an athlete you have built-in friendships—you see it when you walk around on campus, in the weight room. We support each other. I’ve become good friends with a lot of my teammates and it’s definitely changed my college experience. When we struggle as individuals or as a team, that’s when we learn and develop skills to overcome struggles. You learn leadership skills and learn to work with different types of people, you learn to focus on like goals.
There was definitely a point in my career when I felt like others didn’t care but I learned to understand what I can and cannot control, to lead by example and lead by assisting/helping. Discipline is a huge thing—the difference between motivation and discipline is key. Like, I don’t feel like going on a 12-mile run but [I understand] when I need to push myself. I learned a lot about goal setting and what I bring to teams that I’m a part of. I also learned how to be calm and collected and competitive but also nervous and excited. And I feel like track has helped my lacrosse.
What’s your favorite Chapman experience so far?
Cross country 2023 had the strongest team we’ve ever had and it was a beautiful thing to watch all the work come to life and watch people buy into the program. Newcomers came in and bought into the team goals. I was one of two returners—we had a great season,not only in the numbers but also in the team culture. We were in it as a unit and in it to feel the pain together. We were able to be on the same page going into those races and setting goals as a team.
We placed highest as a team in regionals as we ever have and broke the average team time for 6k. My teammates and I got the opportunity to race at nationals and that experience in itself was amazing because we did it together, did well and competed as we wanted to. As someone who’s always wanted the best for the program it brought me intense joy to see the success of my teammates and achieve team goals.
A year or two ago in lacrosse, we played Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The energy was so incredibly high—even though we didn’t win it was that energy that carried us. My teammate scored several goals and inspired me to learn from her and set higher goals for myself. We were hyping each other up and excited to be there.
What advice would you give to high school students considering competing in Division III athletics?
You need to understand it is a commitment and understand the time it will take. That being said, we have the opportunity to focus on academics and also compete at a high level. Plan ahead and make sure you’re finding that balance and taking care of yourself and also pushing yourself to become the best athlete you can. Plan your weeks, plan your training; understand your commitment and understand your goals and goals the team has.
Competing for Chapman has been such a great opportunity, it taught me so much and also brought me so much happiness and rewards by setting all these goals. It’ll be difficult at times to balance everything but figuring out what works for you will help you reach success while also finding that community. I’m grateful for my Chapman experience because it’s taught me discipline and balance, and brought me community simultaneously. I also want to reiterate how grateful I am for teammates and coaches and family who have given me the opportunity to compete in multiple sports and support me.
