With women’s track securing the Golden State Athletic Conference Championship this past weekend, spirits are at a high for all members of the team. While multiple performances stand out as crucial to clinching the title, one of the most intriguing was that of junior Whitney Fredenburg.
As a thrower, Fredenburg participated in the shot put and discus at GSAC Championships. Her shot put finish of 37 feet, 11.25 inches not only earned her valuable points at second place, but also broke a school record. It was the only record broken by Biola at the meet.
While breaking a record is normally seen as a big deal, Fredenburg commented that passing the record was nothing new.
“I broke the record my freshman year, and then again a few weeks ago,” Fredenburg said. “The [record] has been in the back of my mind for quite a while.”
Fredenburg, unlike many athletes, has only been participating in her sport for a short amount of time.
FREDENBURG A QUICK LEARNER
“I started track my sophomore year of high school,” Fredenburg said. “I was a jumper, mostly because I thought I would do well with my height.”
However, shortly after starting her track career, she came to the abrupt decision that jumping was not for her. She ultimately made the decision to become a thrower, although not because she thought she would be good at it.
“I ended up making the switch to throwing because I saw all the throwers having a barbecue during the meets. They were all laughing and having a good time and I thought, ‘That’s what I want to be part of.’”
AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
Following high school, Fredenburg chose Biola, but entered as a freshman with no intention to be a collegiate athlete.
“I came to Biola and knew that they had a track team,” Fredenburg said. “During the first semester of my freshman year, I talked to the coach after my parents said I should think about [track] and he ended up having a spot open for me.”
Fredenburg found the dynamic within the Biola track team different than that which took place in high school.
“Track teams are often split up into cliques,” Fredenburg said. “You have the runners, who are the athletic, cool, popular kids, and then there was the throwers.”
At Biola, though, she believes that things are a little different. This in part comes down to the spiritual atmosphere and close community the campus offers.
“The team functions as one big family,” Fredenburg said.
While the junior thrower is done for this year, the success she has had over the 2013 season can only conclude that great things are to come from Whitney Fredenburg in her senior year.
