It’s no secret that the life of a college athlete can be a rollercoaster. Students who pursue athletics at the collegiate level have a lot on their plate each and every day. They have to put 100% effort into their sport and their academics, and they also have to balance that with the pressures of having a social life. While balancing a variety of commitments, it can be hard to excel in more than one area, but that’s exactly what Rylie Mundell does.
Rylie Mundell is a junior at Denver. She’s been a staple in the Pioneers’ lineups since she was a freshman and boasts career-high scores of 9.975 on both bars and beam. It’s safe to say she excels on the competition floor. What people may not know is that Mundell also excels in the classroom.
After her freshman year, Mundell received Denver’s undergraduate research grant to study physics. “That summer I studied geometric phase shift of lasers,” Mundell said. “I just like to tell people I built laser mazes all day, which is very fun.”
Being awarded a research grant as a freshman is no easy task. Luckily for Mundell, she worked hard to make connections with people that could help her reach her goals. Dr. Mark Siemens is one of those people who supported Mundell through the process.
“He was…
