The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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52 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WHEREARETHEYNOW? "When I had graduated but still had a year of eligibility, he could have been self- ish, because I was still running decently, to keep me there," Riewald pointed out. "He looked out for what was best for me. He did some research to find out how I could pursue my career and graduate school and still stay at NC State and try and run for a fifth year. "He placed me as a person first and an athlete second." She closed her NC State career with three All-America finishes in cross country (1985, 1987 and 1988) and was All-ACC all four years she ran. The team finished as high as second nationally in 1987 and was third in 1985 and fourth in 1988. In addition to her national title, she won the ACC cross country championship in 1985 and finished second in 1987 and 1989. In track, she still has the sixth-fastest 3,000-meter and seventh-best 5,000-meter times in school history, and won the 1986 ACC outdoor championship in the 3,000. Riewald got her Ph.D. from UNC Greens- boro. From there, she quickly blazed a trail in the sports psychology profession. She was the sport psychology and sport science director for USA Swimming. She also worked four years as a sports psychology consultant at the University of Miami and was an associate director of coaching for the U.S. Olympic Committee. "I worked with local athletes up to my time with the U.S. National Team in swim- ming, working with elite-level, international athletes," Riewald said. "Whatever the level, it's just about helping their performance. "Athletes … are so committed and fo- cused and putting in so much, and to be able to even in a small way impact performance is gratifying. I truly enjoy interacting with coaches and athletes. "It continues to be a passion." Along the way she met her husband, Scott Riewald, a former swimmer at Boston Uni- versity. After two children — son Maddox (14) and daughter Callie (12) — Riewald made family life a priority. Together they settled down in Colorado Springs, Colo., where Riewald still stays ac- tive. She is currently doing consulting work part-time for USA Fencing. Her children are both into ice hockey, while Maddox also swims and Callie is a fan of rock climbing. And Riewald remains an active runner, getting out three or four times a week. "If my body would allow it, I would run every day," she noted. "I love it. It's my stress relief. It's my 'me time.'" She once did a half-marathon, but she found that the competitive aspect of it be- came too obsessive for her. "I'd rather just run for fun and be injury free," Riewald added. Her work and family have made it dif- ficult for Riewald to return to Raleigh, but she hopes to in the near future. She also has maintained contact with Geiger. "I'm always a Wolfpacker," she said. "It's tough out here because you don't read about it or hear about it, but whenever I can I am watching the games on TV. "I am grateful for what NC State provided me." Starting with a chance to run cross coun- try. ■ Riewald has forged a career in sports psychology and raised a family, including son Maddox (14) and daugher Callie (12). PHOTO COURTESY SUZIE RIEWALD "At the first invitational I went to, I did really well and just enjoyed it. I was thinking, 'Why have I not done this before?'" ■ Riewald on trying cross country