
ALTON - Marquette Catholic two-sport athlete, Katelyn Fitzgerald signed her letter of intent Wednesday afternoon to play field hockey at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin.
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“It’s the most exciting experience of my high school career. It definitely means a lot to me,” Fitzgerald said. “I didn’t think there was going be this big of a turnout, but it just shows we really are a family at Marquette.”
Fitzgerald, a goalkeeper, managed to get a tryout thanks to her high school coach Carol Eckhoff, who was referring a game involving the Milwaukee Field Hockey Club. She referenced Fitzgerald and won her a tryout, which she took full advantage of.
“I tried out, and their goalie coach contacted me who knew the goalie coach at Concordia. She introduced to me their head coach [Samantha Landis], and it was an instant connection,” Fitzgerald said. “I went on a tour, and it just felt right. I made my decision and decided that’s where I want to go.”
Concordia University is a private Lutheran liberal arts college with over 7,770 students on campus. The Falcons compete in the NCAA Division-III.
One of the perks she’s looking forward to has to do with the location and the view that comes with it.
“It’s not a small campus, but it’s not a huge campus. You walk out of the admissions building and maybe about a football fields length is Lake Michigan.”
Mequon is mostly a suburb of Milwaukee so that Fitzgerald won’t be too far away from a big city. However, the campus is roughly a five-hour drive away, which she’s fine with, but at the same time apprehensive.
“It’s definitely exciting, but also nerve-racking. I mean it’s going to scary leaving my parents and everything that I’ve known, but I’m ready to make that step.”