Senior Celebration Series: Women's T&F / XC

At Rensselaer, we are proud to recognize the student-athletes who are members of the Class of 2021. We thank them for their hard work, dedication and tremendous efforts in representing the Institute in a first-class manner academically and athletically. We wish them well in all their future endeavors. 

IZZY CAPLAZI

Happy Valley, Oregon | Chemical Engineering

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: Getting second as a team and receiving an auto-bid to NCAAs at the Regional Championships sophomore year.

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: The feeling of community at RPI is unlike any other school. Everyone attempts to help each other out, instead of tearing each other down.

Post-Graduation Plans: I am working in Washington D.C. at Deloitte LLC as a Government and Public Services Analyst.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Izzy is an incredibly tough athlete, and always a supportive teammate!
• I admire your drive and dedication and can't wait to see what the future holds for you! Thanks for being there from the start. I'll miss xc workouts with you!
• Izzy is a natural leader who is inspiring in her athleticism and her kindness. At every practice she demonstrates what it looks like to be an awesome runner and captain. 
• Izzy is both an amazing person and runner. She’s been so kind and has been the best role model for the cross country and track teams. She will be so missed!
• Izzy was always so competitive and excited to race. I am going to miss running with her at practice every day. Her smile and laugh before competition will be missed! 
• From a coach: Izzy is one of the most improved runners our program has ever seen in both race performance and learning of the sport. Her ability to take information and apply it to her situation is rare and is why she has always been one of the most clutch performers for us in championship scenarios since her sophomore year. 

LORNA DREXLER

Millstone, New Jersey | Biomedical Engineering

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: The feeling of cheering each other on at a meet and in the weight room will always hold a special place in my heart. 

I will never forget the boys' reenactment of the Dirty Dancing lift-in-the-air scene. 

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: The fantastic teammates and staff that I got to laugh with everyday.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Always brought 100% to the team. A great leader and a great teammate!
• Lorna is an outstanding leader. She really cares about everyone on the team and is always striving to throw farther and farther. She didn’t let the pandemic hold her back.
• Lorna is a great thrower, always working hard to reach her goals. She never slacked or took shortcuts, and it showed in her competitions. She excelled at every throwing event, indoor and outdoor.
• Lorna is a great leader. She took the initiative to help lead the team even when sports and extracurriculars were cancelled, keeping underclassmen (and upperclassmen!) in the loop even when no longer formally the captain! She is as nice and kind as she is a fantastic thrower! 
• Lorna has set a great example for younger teammates through her leadership and dedication to the sport. Whether it is in the weight room or in the circles, she will always be working to be better. She's tough, strong and a force to be reckoned with, but most importantly she is a great teammate and friend.
• From a coach: Lorna is an amazing leader. She is organized, punctual, caring, outgoing, diligent and works as hard if not harder than anyone. I can rely on her for anything. She knows exactly how to communicate with others to inspire comradery. She is a living example of the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’. It has been a gift to watch her progress in the last two years.

ERIN KELLEY

Asbury, New Jersey | Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: RPI Track winning leagues in Spring 2021! And team training trips to Lake Placid! 

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: RPI provides an amazing balance of opportunities between athletic and academic opportunities! Additionally, it has a great sense of community. 

Post-Graduation Plans: Working for the biotechnology team at MIT Lincoln Labs this summer, then returning to RPI for co-term in Biochemistry! 

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• So glad we have one more season together. Thankful for all of our runs together - there are always plenty of laughs! 
• Erin is super sweet and an amazing runner. She always has a smile on her face and is ready to crack a joke.
• Erin is so kind and was such a great mentor to have this year. She brings something positive to every situation and is what everyone looks for in a teammate. 
• Erin was always so happy to run with the team. She always made sure the underclassmen felt comfortable and I always loved going on runs with her! She is the definition of ‘hard work pays off’ and I am going to miss her lots! 
• From a coach: Erin is one of the kindest team members we have ever had, but that is polarized by being one of the best competitors on the track. I love how she is capable of flipping a switch and always look forward to seeing the end of her races. Erin had a great co-op with Johnson & Johnson her junior year which is allowing her to return with us for her Master's this coming fall and I look forward to one last season with her.

LAURA KLANG

West Chester, Pennsylvania | Biochemistry and Biophysics

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: Running at Cross Country Nationals with the team.

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: The unique academic and athletic opportunities.

Post-Graduation Plans: I am working as a researcher in a biochemistry lab at RPI.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Laura has an incredible work ethic and is a great role model to her peers! 
• Thanks for always looking out for everyone on the team. You work so hard and are so supportive of others. Excited to see you around campus next year!
• Laura’s work ethic and determination is so admirable. Anyone who sees her train recognizes a great athlete who truly loves her team and her sport. 
• Laura is an amazing leader and person. Her passion for running inspires everyone else on the team, and her friendly nature always makes everyone feel welcome.
• Laura’s dedication to running and excitement for practice every day will be missed! She was always so fun to be around; I could always count on her to know the pre-race stretch routine. Being my hotel room buddy for most meets, I was always looking forward to racing with her or cheering her on! 
• From a coach: Laura has been a rock for our program since her first season. She was always someone her teammates could lean on and work with in workouts and races. Her discipline to training and race plans was second to none.

HAILEY MILLER

Orchard Park, New York | Aeronautical Engineering

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Hailey was always so much fun to run with. I have so many adventure run memories with her, from discovering new routes or even making new trails. I am going to miss Hailey’s competitiveness before races and her fun attitude at practice. She's going to make it big in life, I’m calling it!
• Hailey was one of the first people I met when I joined the team, and she made me feel so at home and I will never forget her kindness and smile.
• Hailey is an amazing mentor. She is able to create a fun team atmosphere but also inspire a strong work ethic at the same time. I’m so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to be on a team with her even if just for one year. 
• You always had us laughing. Thanks for all the memories and adventure runs. I know you have great things ahead of you.
• From a coach: Hailey was always willing to find a place to help the team and was willing to step up at any time. She also brought a fantastic charisma to practice that made her teammates and coaches smile and laugh. When it came to racing, she was fierce and always pushed her teammates around her.

MICHELLE MURRAY

Greenlawn, New York | Mechanical Engineering

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: Getting to race at 2019 Cross Country Nationals in Louisville, when we placed 13th overall. 2019 Women’s XC Liberty League Champions. Racing at BU for the 5k indoor track and meeting Jenny Simpson! My first meet at SPAC as a freshman and looking back and seeing how much I have improved since then. 

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: My teammates who were so dedicated and committed to the sport. Without them, all the great practices, races and memories in between would not have been possible.

Post-Graduation Plans: Master's Degree.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Michelle showed amazing growth through her career at RPI and is a great teammate to all! 
• Thanks for always having fun with me and making the best memories! So proud of your determination and all the work you've put in this year. I know you have big things coming.
• Michelle is one of the warmest people I’ve ever met. She makes everyone on the team feel right at home, and is so humble but yet she’s an absolute beast.
• Michelle is an amazing mentor and an inspiration for me. Her strength and kindness is unmatched and I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to spend even just one year on a team with her. 
• From a coach: Michelle has developed over her four years into one of our best runners. She has fought through a lot of early aches and pains to find herself as a runner. She now has a wonderful passion for training and racing that will last long after college. I am excited to see her continue to race in the future!

ALYSSA RICHTAREK

Morristown, New Jersey | Civil Engineering

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: The 2019 Outdoor Liberty League Championship was hosted at RPI, which was such a special experience. The spirit of the event was unparalleled and I could not have been more proud to race my heart out with my team, our friends and family cheering us on. I love the 400 hurdles, so it was incredibly rewarding to PR and place on my home track!

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: RPI is such a special school - and everyone says this - because of the people who go here. Everyone I know has a niche that they are SO excited about. Once you know what that is for someone, it's so great to see how animatedly they talk about it!

Post-Graduation Plans: I will be interning for CDM Smith this summer in their Kansas City office before returning for my final semester of my Master's degree in the fall. 

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Alyssa was a great leader for our team. She always showed up giving 110% and that showed in meets. I'm going to miss her crazy socks and fun personality on the track!
• Alyssa is one of the kindest and funniest people I know. She is a great teammate who always encourages others and is an overall hard worker. 
• From a coach: Alyssa is known for her colorful sock choices!  She brings a quiet focus and intensity, yet is always one to joke with coaches, teammates and competitors.  Mainly a 400 hurdler, Alyssa also excels in long sprints and relays. She shares her passion for "dirt engineering" and helped lead the RPI team to the national championship in the 2020 GeoWall Competition at the GeoCongress conference.

KATIE ZUREK

Tupper Lake, New York | Mechanical Engineering

Favorite RPI Athletics Memory: Every single memory is my favorite. Every practice, every competition, any time being able to be with my teammates and coaches, they are all my favorite memories. Thank you to my teammates, coaches and the entire Athletics community for their endless support and encouragement throughout my time here. I will be forever grateful!

What Makes Rensselaer So Special: The people make RPI special. They are some of the hardest working, determined and kindest people I have met.

Post-Graduation Plans: I will be working for the Department of Defense in DC.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

• Katie is incredibly kind and loyal to her teammates. She is always found taking everyone into consideration and working hard to cheer on the entire team.
• Katie is one of the most positive people on Earth. She always has a kind word, and just being around her makes everybody better. She is a great thrower, and a fantastic teammate.
• Katie is the nicest gal around! She is so smart and always has something positive to say about her day that helps bring out the positivity in your own. 
• An amazing person and an even more amazing teammate! Always brought a fiery, competitive spirit!
• Katie is the most humble, kindest person I’ve ever met. Her positivity radiates around the team, and makes even the worst days happy. She is an incredible athlete, and an even greater person!
• Katie always made an effort to say hi to me and wish me luck at meets. She was a smiling face I always looked forward to seeing around Troy.
• From a coach: It has been my absolute pleasure working with Katie. It is very likely that she is the most kind and caring person that I've ever met. She always brings great energy and works very hard. Anyone who has met, or will meet her, is truly fortunate and can attest to her wonderful personality and work ethic.

Attention Rensselaer student-athletes, coaches & staff: Should you wish to add any information or provide comments, please click HERE and submit the form.

as of May 25, 2021