Women's Cross Country

Student-Athlete Spotlight: Peyton Opsahl, UW-River Falls

MADISON, Wis.--Each week during the 2023-24 academic year, the WIAC will feature two student-athletes (one male and one female) from one of its eight institutions for a “Student-Athlete Spotlight” Q & A segment. The segments will be posted every Thursday and individuals are selected by the institution. The WIAC Student-Athlete Spotlights are presented by Culver's.

Name:  Peyton Opsahl
Institution:  UW-River Falls
Hometown (High School):  Zimmerman, Minn. (Zimmerman High School)
Year in school:  Sophomore
Sports:  Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
Major:  Exercise Sports Science
Minor:  Psychology

Why did you choose UW-River Falls?
I chose UW-River Falls because of the athletics atmosphere. As soon as I walked into the Falcon Center, I immediately felt like I belonged, and I could picture myself going there to practice every day. When I met with the coach and a couple athletes, it solidified my decision to commit.

What do you like most about competing in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and being a NCAA Division III student-athlete?
I really enjoy the competitive aspect of the WIAC. It definitely is not an easy conference to be in, but I love the motivation that it gives me to constantly strive to be the best athlete that I can be. Being a NCAA Division III student athlete, I think it’s really cool that I can say I’m a college athlete. So many people do sports in high school just to have something to do, but I think being a college athlete shows just how committed someone is to a sport that they truly care about and want to excel in.
 
What is your favorite…
Flavor of the Day from Culver’s?  Cappuccino Cookie Crumble
Menu item from Culver’s?  Vanilla Concrete Mixer with Cookie Dough
Non-Athletic Spot on Campus?  Einstein Bros. Bagels
Holiday?  Halloween
Food?  Chipotle
Animal?  Capybara
Smartphone App?  Strava
Musical Group/Artist?  Noah Kahan
Professional Sports Athlete/Team?  Kansas City Chiefs
Vacation Spot?  The Bahamas
 
What is your greatest sports moment? 
Qualifying for state in nordic skiing my senior year of high school as a team.
 
What is your favorite thing to do off the court/field with your teammates?
Wednesday movie nights with the team.
 
Who is someone that you look up to?
My mom. She was a college athlete at St. Cloud State, so I’m very lucky to be able to call her a role model that I can look up to athletically, but she’s also sacrificed so much for me and my siblings when we were younger and even still to this day, and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities that she’s given us.
 
Do you have any words of advice for younger/upcoming student-athletes?
You are so much more than your sport. It’s so easy to let your performances dictate how you feel about yourself, and to focus on all the negative things that happen during a game or meet, and we always forget to think about all the positives. The biggest piece of advice that I would give to anyone, especially my younger self, would be to stop basing my self-worth on how I performed in my sport, and to take time to think about all the good parts that come out of every practice, meet, or game.
 
One word that describes you?
Unpredictable.
 
What is your dream job? 
Physical therapist, but specifically for high school and college athletes
 
Three things on your "bucket list"?
---Go sky-diving.
---Run a half-marathon in every state.
---Have a pet capybara.
 
A non-athletic talent that you have is?
I like to crochet granny squares.

Do you have any pre-game/pre-event superstitions or rituals? If so, what are they?
I can never listen to slow-paced music during the night before or the day of a meet. My go to songs that I have to listen to on meet day are Fergalicious, The Club Can’t Handle Me, and King Kunta. I also need to have a pre-race tea from the River Falls Nutrition shop about 5 hours before I race, and another caffeinated beverage that I start drinking 7 hours before I race.
 
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