Kelsey Draeger commits to Waldorf University track

Waseca Junior Senior High School senior Kelsey Draeger signed her letter of intent the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 19. Surrounded by her mother Delain, her sister Kendra, classmates and friends, she signed her commitment to Waldorf University’s Cross Country/Track and Field, located in Forest City, Iowa.

 

The Performing Arts Center was full of chatting students and fellow athletes as Kelsey sat down to sign. With a stroke of her pen, she received applause. Introduced by Activities Director Joseph Hedervare, she also got a shout out from Coach Abel, “We’re excited for her future, running some cross and some track at the next level. For those of you who are thinking about the next level, Kelsey puts in hard work and runs the miles, and has a great attitude. That's what coaches are looking for, that you can come into the program, step right in and make a difference. Kelsey is a great example of that, she knew what was expected of her and never disappointed.” 

 

Draeger said, “I would like to thank everyone for being here; I would really like to thank my mom who supports me and everything I do. Also thanks to Coach Abel for being here for me as such an amazing supporter.” She went on to thank her sister Kendra and her friends who attended the signing. “I can’t wait to see where my future goes.” 

 

Draeger received offers from numerous colleges and universities including New York, Minnesota State, Concordia Moorhead, California, Wisconsin University and Hamline. She toured Bethany and Concordia, Augsburg and Waldorf. She said about Waldorf, “I liked how small the school was, the teachers were also super nice. But it was Coach Langrell from Waldorf that made my decision; that, and it is pretty close to home.” For her long-term plans she would like to manage track and cross-country teams. She said her mother forced her into track in the seventh grade, “I didn’t really like it for the first two years,” she remembers, “but by ninth grade I was really into it, that’s when we went to state, in 2023.” In total she’s been running for six years. She specializes in the 1 and 2 mile, for fun she likes to do the four by eight. She loves her team and wants to be clear, “We are all supportive with each other, we compete but it’s all good natured.” On a bad day she says, “Running calms me down, so does being surrounded by my team.” She maintains a 3.3 grade point average and is on the B honor roll.

 

The mascot for Waldorf University is Warrick the Viking Warrior, the campus has around 2,600 students. Waldorf U is a little over an hour from Waseca, near Forest City, Iowa which has a population of just over 4,000. She says she will miss the Waseca track fans who persistently came to cheer her on at state and away competitions, “Waseca community is so supportive, they really want us to win. That’s what I will miss most about leaving home.”