Senior Day - Jack Haugen
Among many things, the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely ended the athletic careers of the majority of the St. Ambrose spring sport seniors.
Through no fault of their own, these seniors had their final seasons, and collegiate careers, shortened. Yet this does not diminish in any way their contributions to St. Ambrose University and the Athletic Department.
Some of these seniors were on the verge of postseason play, with sights set on competing for National Titles. Others were just getting their final seasons started. And still others never had a chance to compete this spring.
While COVID-19 brought a close to the SAU athletic careers of these seniors, it also robbed the St. Ambrose Athletic Department the opportunity to thank them for their contributions on the playing field, in the classroom and in the community.
Over the next several weeks, we will share stories on each of these seniors. In a way, this will be the Senior Day we were never able to give them.
These are our Seniors of 2020.
| Hometown: Dubuque, Iowa | High School: Wahlert Catholic |
| Parents: Ken and Julie Haugen | Major: Exercise Science |
| In his words: "I would not be the person I am today if I did not join cross country and track here at St. Ambrose. I would like to thank all my coaches, teammates, and my family for pushing me and believing in me. They pushed me to run faster and kept up with me about my academics. Their support means the world to me. I wouldn't change anything about my experience! I love St. Ambrose and it will always be a part of me. Running was the best decision I made." |
Get to know Jack Haugen:
How did you first get involved in your sport?
"I first got involved with cross country in the 7th grade when my best friend said he was going to join. I had never really given running a thought until my friend convinced me to. It was not until high school that I joined track and really started to focus on training and compete."
Pictured (left to right): Front: Jack's mom, his sister Paige and Jack. Back: Jack's dad and his brother Will
Why did you choose St. Ambrose?
"I chose St. Ambrose because I knew going into college I wanted to do something with the health sciences. No matter what program I would end up choosing, I knew St. Ambrose would give me a strong foundation for anything. St. Ambrose has such an amazing group of health science programs. Originally, I did not intend to run at the collegiate level, but talking with my family and friends I knew it was something I wanted to continue."
What is your favorite memory you'll take from St. Ambrose?
"St. Ambrose gave me so many amazing memories, its difficult to choose. I will never forget the dinner I had with Sister Joan and a group of students. That was an amazing experience and there is nothing quite like having dinner with your University's president at her house! Sister Joan is an amazing person and I'm glad I got to meet and talk with her. I will never forget how excited she was to show us a certain part of the house (I won't spoil that for those who still need to see it :).
"I definitely won't forget at the cross country home meet the guys and I did our signature dance in a circle to stay warm! That's all I gotta say about that haha!"
What are your future plans?
"After graduation, I will be pursuing my Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology degree right here at St. Ambrose! I am really excited about this opportunity and who knows, maybe afterward I will continue on to get my Ph.D. or a Doctorate in Physical Therapy!"
Can you tell me something unusual about yourself?
"I'm not sure I can describe how unusual I can be lol! My teammates can definitely say more, but if I had to say one thing I guess it would be that I like to talk loud and ask weird questions. For example, for some time now and I don't really know how it started, but I like to out of the blue ask my friends, 'Do you like guacamole?' I don't know why I do it, but it makes me laugh."
Could you talk a bit about your fellow seniors?
"I am confident when I say I think the group of seniors that I am in is the most unique group that my coaches have dealt with. We yell a lot and like to give each other a hard time, but in a good way lol. We are all really close and I'm glad these are the teammates that I've had. Every one of them is amazing and kind. I am so excited to see where they all end up in the future."
Do you have a favorite childhood memory?
"My favorite memory is fishing with my grandpa and dad. I remember the first fish that I caught was on a plastic toy rod! My grandpa and dad were just as shocked as I was. They had no idea that I would even come close to catching something on a toy rod, but I did! My dad and I still laugh about that day and I will never forget it!"