Anna Rechtzigel, Kasson-Mantorville - Class of 2018
Personal Records:
100m - 14.00
200m - 28.72
400m - 1:01 relay split
High Jump - 5-1
Triple
Jump 33'6"
Do you have any nicknames?
I probably have more nicknames than anybody. The announcers usually try to pronounce my name the way it's spelled and they say it with a question mark as in "Rechtizigel?" So of course people call me that. I also get called "Rectangle," "Rumpelstiltskin," and" Anorexisoris." My name is actually pronounced like "Rex-sigal."
Where were you born and what sports did you play growing up?
I was born in Rochester, Minnesota. My first sports were dance and basketball. By freshman year I was in volleyball, basketball, and track. Sophomore and junior year I participated in Cross Country and track.
What sports do you play now?
This year I decided to participate in track & field only, because of new restraints on my time.
Who have been your coaches at Kasson-Mantorville?
Eric Myran - Was the head coach for my 7th grade through 10th grade years. He was mostly a sprint coach and did not claim to know anything about the High Jump which has become my favorite event. However he did take videos of me jumping. When Eric decided to leave for family reasons the entire K-M coaching staff had to change.
Pete Wyttenbach - He was originally a hurdle and middle distance coach and he certainly has always known a lot about those areas. However when he was asked to coach the high jump too, he went to us the first day and said, "you know more than I do about this event." So what we did is to work together to learn one of the most technical events in track & field. We did it mostly by watching videos of 2015 Komets graduate Taylor Wiebke, who is now at the University of Minnesota. We also watched many You Tube.com videos about high jump drills. Wyttenbach had the unenviable task of trying to repeat what the program did the year before with Wiebke, which was extremely difficult because she set the school record of 5'11" in the high jump and won the state championship.
Sean Allen - Came in during my junior year primarily as a sprint coach but had some high jump coaching experience. Unfortunately he had to leave after only one season because of family commitments. It would have been good if he could have stayed on.
Marie Morem - She has been my sprint and triple jump coach for two years. She's very kind, sweet, supportive, and informative. She's always there for her "kids" (being her 3rd grade class or any of her athletes) regarding personal circumstances, athletics, or anything else life can throw out you.
Jared Pittman - He was once the #1 ranked high school cross country runner in Minnesota. He resurrected the cross country program for the Komets in 2014 and this year became the head coach in track & field as well. He tends to concentrate on the distance runners but is also the high jump coach. I think he plans high jump practice ahead of time before the team meets. We do have a pretty close relationship although outsiders would not know it because we are sometimes quite blunt with each other.
Have you had any adversities you care to share:
Mine have been mostly mental and emotional because my mother has had cancer since last fall. I actually spent almost a month with her at the hospital during her many surgeries and tests. During this time she has had difficulty saying what she wants to say. For example if she wants a glass of milk she might tell us to give her the computer.
She has Stage 4 Glioblastoma. We are hoping for a 12-24 month recovery period. After all of this she still undergoes radiation and chemotherapy because she is not totally free of this problem yet. This has gotten much better to the point where we can talk to her now. But she is much quieter than she used to be.
I am a very busy person and that helps but you cannot help but worry. The mental side of sports is very important to one's success. But with positive coaches like Marie Morem and Jared Pittman I know the best is yet to come!
What do you do besides sports?
My GPA is about 3.8 but since I take many college course (which are tough but not "weighted," like AP classes) I should actually be higher than that. I have also taken an AP biology course but the college credit classes are just as tough! I am a member of National Honor Society. I am in four choirs: the Southeast Minnesota Honors Choir; KMHS Concert Choir; KMHS Chamber Singers; and my church's Mountain Movers Music Group!
I have been in band since 5th grade; play flute for the pit orchestra; and for the annual fall musical. My favorite musical instruments consist of flute, piccolo, guitar, piano, and ukulele. I also dabble in the saxophone, trumpet, and violin.
I am involved in my church's youth group where we volunteer for Feed My Starving Children, Ronald McDonald House, Hope Lodge, and many more. I also work for a school aged child care facility called Just Like Home. In addition to that I often babysit for families in the community.
Who are some teammates that inspire you and motivate you?
Being the only girl in my grade from KM that's in track, I made really close friends with the grade above me. Lara Boyum, Beighley Leth, Olivia Gossard, and Tyler Wanous were all people who I relied on, pushed me, taught me, and more. Now that they're graduated, the person I'm closest to is probably Coach Morem.
Who cheers you on at track meets?
I have a very very strong network of support in all I do. Though my parents have been divorced since I was two, my parents and my stepdad are still involved and eager to hear how every meet goes when they aren't there. I also have five siblings: two older sisters, one older brother, and two younger half-brothers. In addition to family, I have an immense amount of friends and coaches (past and present) constantly showing their support and keeping tabs on my achievements.
How do you set goals and what do you do for the mental training?
I set a goal, analyze what I have to do to achieve it, and do everything I can to obtain it. That's really all I do. I'd consider myself a fairly competitive and self-motivated person, which does most of the work for me. As far as mental training, as silly as it may sound, in high stress situations I'll meditate and/or visualize. I'm not very good at it, but I try!
What does the Komets track team do for fun?
We have an amazing wave for our 4x400 relay team. Everyone forms a line at the 200 mark and they start a wave as each runner comes by! We also bring a Bluetooth Speaker and sing on the way to the meet and afterwards!
What are your plans for after high school?
After high school I plan on attending Winona State University for Nursing and Pre-Pharmacy. My career goal is to become a Pediatric Pharmacist. I would have to attend grad school and am (as of right now) thinking ahead for UW-Madison.
Track & Field tips for coaches from Anna Rechtizigel:
I am not sure I'm in a position capable of giving much for advice, but my one suggestion for coaches is this: it's always worth creating personal relationships with every athlete you coach. Otherwise, why would an athlete care what your opinion is, respect you, or the sport for that matter? It's made a world a difference in my experiences.
