BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
Before world-class freestyle swimmer Cierra Runge became an Olympic gold medalist and NCAA record-holder, she was recruited out of Cochranville, Pennsylvania, by Wisconsin men's and women's coach Whitney Hite. She still has a souvenir of that campus visit on her phone: Her in the middle of "Jump Around" during a Badgers football game at Camp Randall Stadium. "It's pretty cool," she said. Runge opted for California, where she set the collegiate record in the 500 free and won a national team championship. But after taking a year off to train for the Summer Olympics in Rio, where she won a gold medal in the 800 free relay, Runge transferred to UW. She recently returned from a trip to the White House with other members of Team USA. Prior to a recent weightlifting session, Runge talked about her decision to transfer, her affection for Madison and her link to Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook.
Question: How does one prepare to visit the White House?
Runge: "You don't. You just go and you have fun and enjoy yourself. The (U.S. Olympic Committee) had us all scheduled out, so it wasn't that big of a deal or that strenuous on our part. We just showed up and did what they told us to do, which in some cases was a little hectic with 600 athletes – there were Olympic and as well as Paralympic athletes – but it was a really, really cool experience to go there and be in the White House and to meet the President, the First Lady and the Vice President. The President addressed us afterwards and that was really awesome."
Q: So you shook hands with President Obama, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden?
CR: "No, we got hugs. It was pretty cool. Very quick. Very brief. But, again, 600 athletes it was a quick hug, a 'Good job' and 'Nice to meet you.' It was really an incredible experience. I'm really glad I went."
Q: What was the most unexpected aspect of it?
CR: "For the hmm factor, you'd think security is going to be like this big thing and it absolutely is. … You walk through and it's pretty locked down. We walked in and after going through security and after going through different levels, there were Naval officers everywhere, Air Force, the Army. You name it, they were in there."
Q: Is winning an Olympic gold medal your greatest achievement?
CR: "Yes. Winning an Olympic gold medal was honestly the cherry on top for my Olympic Games. I just wanted to go, let alone win a medal. But we got there and I knew the girls that were going to be on the relay with me and I kind of had this feeling … that I could win a gold medal with these girls. To actually have it happen and to achieve it was pretty sweet for my first Games."
Q: You swam in the prelims and helped the relay advance to the final only to turn things over to another foursome. Was it hard to step back and watch?
CR: "It's teamwork. It didn't affect me (negatively) at all. Obviously I would have wanted to be up there on that podium with those girls (who swam the final) but I was with them in spirit. It's a team effort. It's what's best for Team USA. Whoever's going to get us that gold medal and swim the fastest race, I was all for it. I was up in the stands cheering my heart out and crying when we realized we were going to win the gold medal."
Q: In what way is Wisconsin a better place for you at this point in your swimming career?
CR: "I enjoy the program, the swimming program. With the guys' and the girls' teams, the atmosphere is a really great one for me. I have a lot of fun while I'm training. I enjoy myself. I laugh a lot and I'm pushed by a lot of people. I feel like I'm getting well-rounded in my strokes as in I'm becoming a better swimmer all around, not just in one specific thing."
Q: You were born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Alex Hornibrook, the starting quarterback for the football team, grew up in West Chester. Does the name ring a bell?
CR: "I definitely feel like I've heard that name. … Oh, my gosh. That would be so funny to kind of meet up and talk about home."
Q: It's not often that an Olympic gold medalist joins the team regardless of sport. What's been the reaction from your new teammates?
CR: "It's been pretty cool because I'm just Cierra and that's all I want to be treated as. This is what that team does with me; I'm just Cierra. I'm just the big 6-4 goofball that runs around and just happens to be good at swimming. That's how they treat me and that's really cool because I can just hang out with them and not feel like I am an Olympic gold medalist."
Q: You have a connection to UW assistant coach Chris Collier – you swam for him at the youth level – and you were recruited out of high school by men's and women's coach Whitney Hite. Is there a Cliff's Notes version for how you started at Cal and transferred here?
CR: "About three years ago is when I was recruited (by the Badgers). It was that same aspect of the guys' and girls' team, the atmosphere and the fun and the passion they have for swimming. I think that this team can do really, really well. We have some pretty big goals for this season and to be a part of this team and achieve them with these guys would be pretty cool."
Q: What's the biggest Madison attraction for you thus far?
CR: "I love being squished between the lakes. I've described it to people as kind of a combination of my two favorite places. When I was growing up in Pennsylvania, we'd go to Maine for our family vacations. … It reminds me a lot of that. But then you can also drive 15 minutes and you have farm fields and that reminds me of Pennsylvania. I love how it's a combination of the two places I absolutely love. I'm excited about the opportunity to explore Madison. I haven't had that yet."
Q: You won a NCAA title at Cal and set a NCAA record in the 500 freestyle. What kind of goals do you have for here and now?
CR: "The team and I have some lofty goals this year. We're striving really hard to go get them. We want to win Big Tens. We want to kick some butt this year. My goals have morphed into the team goals. Granted, I would like to be a Big Ten champ in multiple events, but also help these girls and these guys achieve their goals as well."
Q: Where's the gold medal?
CR: "It's back home in a very safe place."
