Over the next few weeks, Bellarmine's Athletics Communication Staff will be spotlighting student-athletes from each Knights athletics team through a question-and-answer series.

Today's Q&A session is with women's swimming's Grace Roegner. Grace was a four-year member of the Knights and three-time All-American. She earned two of those All-America honors this past season at the NCAA Championships — in the 200 medley relay and the 400 medley relay. In addition, Grace, an Academic All-GLVC mainstay, is a program record holder in four different relays and the 50 freestyle.

What were the reasons why you chose to attend Bellarmine?
I am from southern Wisconsin and I was ready for a change of scenery. I absolutely loved Coach John (Brucato) and (Assistant Coach) Gord (Veldman) when talking with them. I knew I wanted to swim and the small class sizes seemed like the right fit for me, not to mention the beautiful campus. I had connections with one of the swimmers who was a senior my freshman year, and she is the one who introduced me to BU!

What is your major and what is your ideal career path?
My two majors are criminal justice and sociology. I will be attending law school and the goal is then to become an attorney.
 
What has been your favorite class during your time at Bellarmine and why?
I really enjoyed one of my criminal justice electives called "Inside Out." It was supposed to be 15 Bellarmine students going to a prison to have a class with 15 currently incarcerated individuals. Long story short, this did not end up happening; however, we had a lot of guest speakers and interacted with some folks on the inside. It was a very eye-opening class!

You were a member of the first relay team at Bellarmine to earn All-America honors and have been on two more All-America relays. Do you feel like part of a group that's really set the standard for the program?
I am so proud of everything that our team has accomplished over the past four years I have been a Knight. I would love to think that I helped raise the bar each year being on the team. I could not have done it without all of my teammates who work day in and day out in the pool with me.

You were competing at the NCAA Championships when it was canceled on the second day due to the coronavirus. What was that experience like?
This was just a crazy experience to say the least. A LOT of emotions, and I do not say that lightly!!! The session before they told my parents they could not come back to watch, so that was crazy. Little did I know, the next session we would get canceled completely. I did not know when I got out of the pool that morning from warming down, that it would be my last time getting out as a Knight. We were having a great meet and I was so excited to see what was going to happen in the remainder. I am so proud of what we did, but I know we had a lot more left in the tank for that night and rest of the days.

What's a typical day been like for you while practicing social distancing and dealing with these unprecedented circumstances?
I have been waking up at a decent time to start on my homework, so I do not have to do it late into the night. I try to work out once a day. It is still cold here in Wisconsin, so I have not been able to get outside much. I usually watch "All-American" on Netflix with my family in the evening (HIGHLY RECOMMEND). I do take a lot of trips to the fridge!!

What's your favorite movie, television show and musician/band?
Movie: "Bridesmaids"; TV show: "Grey's Anatomy"; Musician: Taylor Swift.

What's your favorite meal and what's your favorite snack?
Meal: chicken fajita quesadilla with chips and salsa; Snack: bagel with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

What are some of your favorite things to do outside of athletics and school?
Puzzles and listening to music.

What was your favorite memory of your time in athletics at Bellarmine?
Every year at conference. I swear, you cannot beat the hype you feel behind the blocks at a championship meet!