HofF Profile: Kristin Quackenbush
May 18, 2009 10:03 AM | General
May 18, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - One often wonders where the great ones go – after winning conference titles, academic awards, All-America honors and praise upon praise, where do the great collegiate athletes retire?
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| Kristin Quackenbush earned All-America honors seven times in two different sports at WVU.
WVU Sports Communications photo |
What comes after college?
For former seven-time All-American Kristin (Quackenbush) Dibartolomeo, it seems Morgantown and motherhood are her Florida and shuffleboard. Gone are the days where Dibartolomeo would shame her opponents with the most advanced and graceful gymnastic skills. Today, when not found on the job as a project manager at Mylan, she can be found at home with her husband of almost four years, David, a fellow WVU grad, and their two sons, Anthony (3) and John (1).
Eleven years removed from her last All-America honor – the reward for finishing fourth in the pole vault (12’1 ½”) at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships – Dibartolomeo could not be happier in her current situation.
“I love living in Morgantown – I think it’s wonderful and a great place to raise a family,” she recently said. “To have once been a student-athlete in the town, it is nice to just now be a spectator. I’m a die-hard Mountaineer fan.”
The role reversal is still an odd concept for other Mountaineer fans to grasp, given the pages of glory and pride Dibartolomeo added to WVU’s athletic history during her magnificent five-year career. After putting together what is still considered the most illustrious WVU gymnastics career - which included six All-America honors, a third place vault finish at the 1996 NCAA Championships, the 1997 AAI American Award, given to the national collegiate gymnast of the year, nine conference titles, five perfect 10s, five program records and two NACGC/W Scholastic All-America honors – Dibartolomeo made the most of her collegiate years, and with her fifth season of eligibility, competed with the WVU track & field team, where she earned two BIG EAST pole vault titles, two ECAC titles and the aforementioned seventh All-America honor.
An athlete that refused to accept limitations, Dibartolomeo is honored to now not only share her history with her sons, but to also provide them the encouragement and confidence necessary to reach their future goals.
“I am a firm believer that the impossible is only something somebody has not done yet,” Dibartolomeo explained. “I want to instill that message in my sons. I want them to always remain positive and strong, and to set goals. Goals are important; without them, you can not accomplish anything.
“Most importantly, I want them to go for the stars. Why not? There isn’t anything out there that one can’t accomplish.”
And if her sons should one day follow in her footsteps and attend West Virginia University, Dibartolomeo will feel reassured in their decisions.
“One of the greatest memories of my time at WVU that I will always carry with me is the sense of loyalty that encompasses you,” Dibartolomeo reflected. “You just see a lot of that in Morgantown. When I think of Morgantown, I think of family – work family, athletic family and personal family. Everyone is tight here, and that is important.”
As the years go by, Dibartolomeo has made every effort to follow the WVU gymnastics team. Though she is extremely proud of the progress and improvements the program has made, she does admit being in the stands, and not on the floor, has a significant drawback.
“I felt a little aged at the last meet I went to this past season,” she laughed. “But, it’s so great to watch the team continue to improve and build on the success it has achieved over the years. You are so close to the team as a student-athlete, so it’s nice to be a spectator and still enjoy the sport.”
And while she may no longer be landing perfect 10s, Dibartolomeo insists there is one trait she will continue to carry throughout her retirement.
“I will always consider myself a Mountaineer – there is no doubt about it.”
