Soccer, Swimming
Favorite athlete: Missy Franklin
Favorite team: Philadelphia Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: The SOL American Conference Championship during my sophomore year was my favorite swimming memory. This was the meet where I broke my first record, which was the 50 freestyle. The euphoric feeling surrounding that memory will always hold a special place in my heart.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: I just missed the bus to an away swim meet during my freshman year. I was chasing after the bus, but no one saw me running. I frantically called a fellow teammate. The bus had to turn around to come and get me. We surprisingly enough arrived at the meet on time for warm up.
Music on iPod: Passion Pit, Rolling Stones, Axwell and Ingrosso
Future plans: I hope to graduate with degrees in both finance and economics from the Pennsylvania State University by 2020. I then plan to further my education by means of law school.
One goal before turning 30: Run a marathon
One thing people don’t know about me: I established and currently operate my own leaf and lawn care business.
By Mary Jane Souder
Kate Wisniewski is a student-athlete who does it all. Literally.
The Upper Merion senior, chosen to represent her school on 6ABC’s Best of Class, is the valedictorian of the Class of 2016 and has taken all honors and AP classes. She is president of the school’s largest service organization, the Octagon Club, and is the senior school board representative for student council. Wisniewski is the head delegate of Upper Merion’s Model United Nations Club and is active in her church and community.
And that’s just the beginning.
She is a two-year captain of the swim team and holds a pair of individual records and was part of two record-breaking relay teams. Last fall, she was a captain of the Vikings’ soccer team, and for good measure, she owns and operates her own business – Wisniewski Leaf and Lawn Care.
With a schedule that doesn’t quit, the Upper Merion senior has had to develop time management skills.
“I wouldn’t say it’s my strength, but it definitely comes with the territory of taking on so much, which is another reason why I’m so prepared for college because of Upper Merion,” Wisniewski said. “The whole idea of time management and balancing out activities was something they taught me how to handle and control.”
Coming as no surprise, the senior captain is one those players coaches love to have on their team.
“Right from the beginning she really became a leader on our team,” UM swim coach Jeff Bugenhagen said. “She’s super hardworking, really conscientious.
“She’s incredibly coachable. She was the kind of swimmer that was not only doing what she needed to do for herself but making sure her teammates were on track, getting the work done. She was also a really supportive leader. She was there to pick people up when they fell down. She’s really an all-around good person, a compassionate person.”
Wisniewski displayed those same characteristics on the soccer field.
“She was always so motivational to her peers on the sidelines - she would give them little quotes before games and have little pep talks with them,” coach Laura Himler said. “Whenever I felt they needed some uplifting, she would always do that for us.
“We had a tough schedule because in the Suburban One League we were a smaller school. Kate always found a way to talk to her teammates in a way that would always bring them up, and she was always able to shed a positive light in what wasn’t always a positive situation.”
Wisniewski gave glimpses of what could be a future in coaching while sidelined with an ankle injury
“I said, ‘Kate, can you keep stats for me?’” Himler recalled. “I’m not really involved with stats – just shots on goal, who scored and what time.
“I got the book back and none of that was recorded. It was all scribblings all over the book on various pages – just her thoughts written all over the book. That was just her.”
Wisniewski found her niche when she was given the stat book.
“I kind of fell in love with the idea of coaching,” she said. “I could see the girls’ weaknesses and strengths, I would write down notes during games. I felt like I was being productive for my team.”
A three-year varsity player, Wisniewski played center defensive midfielder for the Vikings.
“She really was a keystone player in terms of keeping the team together and bringing her best every day and doing everything she could for the good of the team,” Himler said. “She was very passionate about the sport and very much 100 percent a team player. It was always about the team. It was never about her.
“She never did anything for herself. It was always for the good of the team. I think that’s really, really rare to find in high school or even with adults.”
*****
Wisniewski grew up in the water. She’s been swimming since she was four years old, following in the footsteps of her two older siblings.
“They always swam at the local swim club, so obviously, I wanted to be just like them – not only just like them, I wanted to be better than them, so I had to dive right into the pool, and I just fell in love with the sport,” she said.
While Wisniewski acknowledges that soccer holds a ‘very special place’ in her heart, swimming has always been her number one sport.
“I train every season except the fall,” she said. “Even during soccer season, I’ll swim in the morning and I’ll go to soccer practice in the afternoon.
“I try to be in the water as much as possible. Basically, I only played soccer in season because I tried to dedicate my time to swimming.”
She has reaped the dividends for all that time spent in the water. As a sophomore, Wisniewski broke the school record in the 50 freestyle.
“She really helped set the tone of the other girls that were developing, and by the time that group of girls became juniors and seniors this year, they were really able to do some damage,” Bugenhagen said.
This past season had an especially happy ending for the UM senior, who qualified for districts in each of her four years but missed out on competing as a freshman by one spot.
Although she already owned the program record in the 50 free and was part of the medley relay and 200 freestyle relay that broke schools records, Wisniewski had her sights set on the 21-year-old record in the 100 free.
“I was so close – I was only a couple of hundredths off,” she said. “I took every opportunity I had to swim that event.
“At Upper Dublin’s Last Chance meet, I entered the 100 free even though I already had the automatic time (for districts). I was ranked first in that meet. I swam it and I came in first and I broke the school record. I was overjoyed. It was the culmination of all the efforts and hard work that was put into the past winter seasons. It was just exciting because there were so many girls swimming, and it was neat to say that I came in first and I broke the record.”
According to Wisniewski, participating in sports at Upper Merion completely changed her outlook on teams and working with people.
“The idea that you can inspire others through your actions, your determination, your hard work, and that philosophy of always doing your best, no matter who’s looking - I will take that with me through the rest of my life to know that even if I’m not the best, if I work hard enough, I can be,” she said.
Although she is passionate about swimming, Himler has no immediate plans to continue her career at the collegiate level. Her first priority will be settling into what promises to be a rigorous academic schedule as Wisniewski was accepted into Penn State University's Saffire Leadership Academic honors program at the Smeal College of Business.
“I have to keep a very high GPA, and I also have many requirements I’ve got to uphold to stay in the program,” she said. “It’s a lot, so I’m going to get up there for my first semester, and I’m going to see how my courses are, what my course load is like and how I’m able to handle it.
“All I know is I will be swimming, no matter what. Whether it’s varsity or club, I will be in the water. I have to see with the time commitment because academics comes first.”
The idea of majoring in business had its roots when she set up her own business as a freshman. Wisnewski plans to continue on to law school.
“I think those degrees would give me a well-rounded and unique perspective on the daily challenges of society,” she said.
A student who has gotten her money’s worth and then some from her high school experience, Wisniewski will be closing that chapter of her life at Tuesday night’s graduation ceremony.
She leaves behind quite a legacy.
“She’s been super involved in school,” Bugenhagen said. “I had the good fortune of having her in class this year, so I got to see the academic side of her – very engaged, very articulate, a really hard working student.”
“I can’t say enough positive things about Kate Wisniewski,” Himler added. “Even though she spent the first half of the soccer season injured, she never let that get in the way of her outlook on life.
“She made it to every single practice and coached from the sideline more times than I can count. Kate is a true role model and leader for underclassmen, and her presence on the team will be truly missed.”
