This week's Tartan spoke to Caitlin Owens, a first-year master's student studying biomedical engineering. Owens comes to Carnegie Mellon University from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he played Division I soccer for four years. Owens made a name for herself as a new member of the Carnegie Mellon women's soccer team.
Since arriving in August, Owens has been named to the first All-Eastern College Athletic Conference team, meaning she is one of the best players in the conference. She was named to the first All-Collegiate Athletic Association team and was one of 50 players in the country named to the United Soccer Coaches second All-American team.
“I was so happy to be able to go to California with my mom for the national championships,” she said. Owens talked about the people she met at the national conference and the training she attended. She talked about how her hard work during practice and motivation to make the best out of her final soccer season led to her accomplishments here.
During Owens' time with the team, the team was ranked No. 1 in the country. “This is the first time in program history that we've been ranked No. 1 in the nation,” Owens said.
She reflected on the team's early-season victory over Brandeis and other teams (10-0) that led to the standings, and the games that followed. “That No. 1 really gave us a goal. We definitely talked about it and we knew that, but we didn't let it hinder our performance and we still managed to qualify for the tournament. Yes, that was our goal,” Owens said.
Owens, who comes from the DI team, pointed to the differences at Carnegie Mellon, both athletically and academically.
She said her practice schedule here is tailored to her time spent in class, but in Milwaukee she is often forced to choose between the two.
“I didn't get much practice time there. … My classes were important, so I couldn't skip them,” she said, noting that schoolwork was always a priority for her.
She said her professors at her DI school were more understanding about having to miss class to exercise. Owens believes Carnegie Mellon professors are similarly understanding. It’s about talking and moving forward,” she says.
She noted that managing balance is much more difficult for undergraduates with night classes.
The academic focus is exactly what Owens was looking for. She chose Carnegie Mellon University because of its strong master's program and the opportunity for her to challenge herself and achieve her goal of working as a biomedical engineer in industry. she said.
“When I committed here, I talked to the coach,” Owens explained.
Coach Jon Struble asked his Milwaukee team. “'What are we going to do when we get to the hotel?' And I said, 'We're just hanging out in the room and everyone talking.' He said, “Here, everyone pulls out their laptop and everyone starts doing their homework.” “Oh my god, that’s perfect!” I said.
She said working together as a team is also a bonding experience, and she likes that her teammates are also focused on schoolwork. Although the season is only in the fall, she said she still spends time with her teammates in the spring.
Ms. Owens expressed her appreciation for her team and the role they play in her master's research.
She said adjusting to the rigors of Carnegie Mellon University was difficult at first, but she used soccer as an outlet and motivation to overcome challenges.
She is proud of their No. 1 ranking and hopes this will encourage more students to come watch her team play. “We are one of the lucky teams to have games played on campus,” she said. “If the weather is nice, people should be able to come.'' Soccer games are played on a field adjacent to the soccer field, and students can attend for free. Owens encouraged students to check out at least one game next fall.
After completing her studies, Owens plans to graduate in August. Although her time here was short, her hard work had an incredible impact on the soccer team and athletics as a whole. “She came to Carnegie Mellon and she's happy to play on this team. She really enjoyed it,” Owens said.
