Thrown together: Fritz siblings follow similiar path
May 08, 2009 | Men's Track & Field
Jake and Rebecca Fritz were born one year apart and, over the course of the 20 years that have followed, the sibling pair certainly haven't drifted any further.
Both athid=6673&deptid=142"> --> Becca and athid=6195&deptid=124"> --> Jake were honor roll students at Wisconsin Lutheran High School and both earned membership in the National Honor Society, but the brother and sister have found that they share more than a knack for academic excellence.
In addition, the pair have developed into successful collegiate athletes.
A passion for the throws events led both to prep careers that included qualifying for the WIAA Track and Field Championships while in high school, and that same shared passion led to them signing on to continue their athletic careers at the University of Wisconsin, as well.
Jake started throwing the shot put and discus when he was a freshman at Wisconsin Lutheran, located in his native Milwaukee, and was soon competing at the state meet.
It wasn't long before someone very close to him decided to follow his path. Although it wasn't exactly all her decision at first.
'For my first years of high school, Jake was right there with me,' Becca said. 'My freshman year he said to me, `So you know you are doing track right''
'The first week of track I absolutely hated it, but then I just really fell in love with it.'
Jake saw Becca's potential and, after his own experiences with throwing, he took her under his wing immediately after she finished middle school.
'In high school we had the same coach so we practiced together for three years, ' Jake said. 'I encouraged her and we weren't too competitive. We really didn't try to make it that way.
After only two years around the sport, Becca was a state qualifier just like her brother.
A year later, high school graduation was rolling around for Jake, and there was no question he wanted to continue his track career at the collegiate level.
'I wanted to play sports in college and I was a pretty good football player but I'm not really tall enough to be a Division I linemen,' Jake said. 'I really like track, so that was the other option.'
And a good option it was. Last month, Jake qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional in the shot put for the second-consecutive season. He earned a spot in the regional meet as a sophomore last season with a personal-best throw of 58 feet, 8 3/4 inches that carried him to a sixth-place finish at the 2008 Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
And, with their hometown only about an hour away from the UW campus in Madison, Jake and Becca's parents, David and Jessica, are able to watch both of their athletes compete at each of the Badgers' home meets.
'They come to all of our home meets, and they are just really supportive of us overall,' Becca said. 'They are concerned about anything that has an effect on our academics.
'They just really don't want anything to affect our grades because school comes first.'
The school factor was a big part of what drew the Fritz siblings to Madison. Becca is a special education major, while Jake studies electrical engineering. A former WIAA Scholar Athlete of the Year while in high school, Jake has continued to shine in the classroom and was named Academic All-Big Ten last season.
As a sophomore, Becca will be eligible for the award for the first time this season.
Beyond the time they spend near each other during daily practices, the siblings still live under the same roof, just as they did growing up. Although they don't live on the same floor, they now call the same 7-person house on campus, 'home. '
With commitments to classes and full indoor and outdoor track seasons, however, the siblings really don't see that much of each other. Maybe that's a good thing.
'We get along pretty well,' Jake said.
'We get along a lot better than we did in high school,' Becca added. 'I don't see him a whole lot, but it's still nice to see him around once and awhile.
'It's really nice to have that support.'
