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Freshman Kristen Pratt

Name: Kristen PrattSport: Swimming

Hometown: Wyckoff, N.J.

High School: Ramapo High School

School/Year: COL ’12

ajor: Undeclared

High School Career: Team captain and four-year letter-winner at Ramapo, with seven school records to her name. Named to the all-North Jersey, all-county and all-league honors in her senior year.

GU Career: Set a new school record for the 200-meter butterfly, clocking in at 2:08.17.

When did you start swimming? I started swimming when I was 4, actually, and I started competitive swimming when I was 8. I’ve been in the water for a really, really long time and I’ve always loved it. It’s funny because my sister was a swimmer and I was a tennis player when we were really little, but we ended up switching sports – now she’s a tennis player and I’m a swimmer.

How come you decided to finally go with swimming instead of tennis or any other sport? I guess one reason I always stuck with swimming is that I’m a morning person, and morning workouts never really bothered me. Plus, I really like being in the water.

How have your first few months at Georgetown been? It’s been really great, especially having the swim team here for me. As soon as I entered Georgetown, they were all so welcoming, I felt so connected with them already. And even though I’ve only been here a couple of months, I feel like I know the team so well. Some of them have been together for three or four years now, but I feel like I’ve been with them for three or four years, too. It’s been a really smooth transition so far; I’m really enjoying it.

Who’s the team joker? We have so many characters on the team, that’s what makes the team so special. Our captains are great. [Head Coach Steven Cartwright] and [Assistant Coach Josh Wegrzyn] are characters within themselves.

Tell us something about the coaches we normally wouldn’t know: One of my favorite catchphrases of the team that Steve says is “Light it up.” I don’t even know how that pertains to swimming, really, but before we swim the coach always says “Light it up, Hoyas.” It’s one of his favorite sayings. Another thing about Steve, you will most probably always find him in Yates or in the swimming office. I think he actually lives in his office in McDonough – he’s always there. Sometimes, we get e-mails from him at 5 in the morning so I think he must live there, honestly.

Do you guys have a special team-bonding activity? Before swim meets, the girl captains usually make us dinner, and we have movie nights. On the weekends, I hang out with a lot of the freshmen swimmers and a lot of the upperclassmen, too – we’re always together, really.

What do you like doing around Georgetown? My favorite thing is probably going to SweetGreen and getting the fro-yo there – I’m kind of an addict. It’s good getting away from Leo’s every once in a while – that’s definitely a plus.

Do you have any superstitions? I think if I break a swim cap, I get a little superstitious, but that’s about it.

If you were to be good at another sport, what would it be? I think track and cross-country, because it’s so similar to swimming – the difference really is that instead of being underwater, you’re on land.

Who is your favorite professional athlete? I might be so cliché, but I have to say Michael Phelps. Any swimmer that makes it to the Olympics is a hero in my book.

What freshman hall are you living in? Harbin. I like the clusters a lot.

What is your hardest class so far? I would probably say Intro to Ethics, because it’s a philosophy course – reading Plato or Socrates can get a little wordy at times.

Booey’s or Wiseys? I haven’t been to either! I’ll go with SweetGreen.

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