Mateo Mendez
MALE
Mateo Mendez // Columbus North junior track athlete
Mendez ran a leg on the Bull Dogs’ 4×800-meter relay team that set a Hoosier State Relays record in winning the event on Saturday.
His performance last week: “I went out strong, finished strong and had a pretty good race.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “I eat a certain way, and I’ll make sure to get a good sleep the night before and drink a lot of water throughout the day.”
Favorite drink: “Water”
Favorite food: “I really like pizza.”
Favorite class: “Anything with health sciences”
Favorite sports team: “Indiana University basketball”
Favorite athlete: “Trayce Jackson-Davis”
Role model: “My parents (Sal and Jodi Mendez)”
Best advice: “To treat each day like it’s a brand new start. Be where your feet are and look for great opportunities.”
Athletics goal: “To qualify for state in the 800.”
If you could travel anywhere: “I would go to the Bahamas because I’ve never been there before.”
FEMALE
Julie Klaus // Columbus North junior track athlete
Julie Klaus
Klaus ran a leg on the Bull Dogs’ second-place 4×800 relay team and 10th-place distance medley relay team at Saturday’s Hoosier State Relays.
Her performance last week: “I think we did a really good job working together as a team. We were racing against some really good competition. I think it was a good way to end our indoor season, and it gives us a lot to look forward to for outdoor.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “Just go into it with a good mindset. Knowing what we’re supposed to do is really important, but just going out there and racing relaxed with a purpose.”
Favorite drink: “Tea”
Favorite food: “Quesadillas”
Favorite class: “I like my medical terminology class a lot.”
Favorite sports team: “Bowerman Track Team”
Favorite athlete: “Shalane Flanagan”
Role model: “My parents (Jim and Judy Klaus).”
Best advice: “To not doubt myself and be confident in the training I’ve been given.”
Athletics goal: “Doing well in the 4×800 at the outdoor state meet would be exciting, and maybe qualifying in the open 800.”
If you could travel anywhere: “I want to go to Costa Rica because I really like the beach.”
