Sept. 7, 2011

By Samantha Franz
Athletic Communications Contributor

Whether it is its nationally renowned academic programs, the variety of student programs offered or its beautiful campus with sprawling scenery, there are countless selling points Oakland University offers to its potential students. But if you ask many a Golden Grizzly what drew them to OU, most will say that it was its prime location that ultimately helped make their decision.

Far enough away to get the university experience, but close enough to maintain driving distance to family and friends. Kristie (Kieffer) Slowke (1999-2003) was sold and knew Oakland was the place to launch her collegiate cross country career.

"I really liked living on campus," she said. "It gave you more of an opportunity to get involved in all the activities that were happening around campus and enjoy the full college experience. Plus the fact that my parents' house was only 20 minutes away was nice whenever I wanted to see my family."

That meant that Kristie's loved ones did not have to drive too far to see her make her mark on the cross country program. During her career as a Golden Grizzly, Slowke set school records in the 5K and 6K events, marks that remain at the top of the all-time list to this day, and has the distinction of being the only woman in school history to have competed at the NCAA Division I Championship in 2003.

"My senior year was really special to me," she said. "Throughout my whole career, one of my main personal goals was to go to the NCAA championship. That season, I finally qualified and it was awesome to be among the top runners."

Her list of accolades reads like an impressive resume; Academic All-American, All-Region, two-time Summit League champion, four-time All-Summit League performer, two-time Summit League Athlete of the Year and eight first-place finishes.

"Competing for Oakland was a great experience," she said. "I feel like I learned a lot about team work, hard work, and leadership skills. I had such a fun time and met a lot of great people and friends and I still keep in touch with quite a few of them."

Slowke`s drive was also evident in the classroom. In addition to her consistently strong academic performance, she immersed herself in her accounting studies and joined two business student organizations, Beta Alpha Psi and OASIS.

"I believe getting involved in these organizations helped me get my first full-time job and also helped me decide how I wanted to start my career," she said. It also didn't hurt that her extracurricular involvement also introduced her to her future husband, whom she married in 2007.

After earning her bachelor's degree in accounting in 2004, Slowke started her career at one of the big four accounting firms as an auditor and earned her Certified Public Accountant License. While accumulating valuable work experience as a public accountant, Slowke didn't want to extensively travel her entire career, so she recently began working for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as a financial coordinator.

"It has been a great change for me and I am really happy where I am right now in my career," she said. "I definitely have a better work life balance. "

As for running, after taking a five-year break to focus on her career, Slowke, now living in Shelby Township, laces up the running shoes on a regular basis, going for runs before work and participating in local 5K and 10K events. She hopes to compete in a half or full marathon soon.

What made Slowke a landmark student-athlete was not just her prowess on the course, but the fact that above all, she put the student portion of her role first.

"It is great being a student-athlete, but I think getting involved in organizations related to your major are really important and can definitely help you get your career started," she said. "I'd also advise current student-athletes to just take advantage of all the activities going on around campus and to have fun."

Though she earned her degree more than seven years ago, Slowke still likes visiting Oakland and has enjoyed watching the university expand.

"It is a great school with a beautiful campus," she said. "I really like going back, as there always seems to be new things going on and it continues to grow."

-OAKLAND-