· USA Swimming National Team
· 2019 World University Games Gold Medalist (400m Free, 4x200 Free Relay)
· 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifier (200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m Free)
· Signed with A3 Performance after graduating from Purdue in May 2018
· Continues to train under Purdue coach John Klinge at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center
· Won gold in the 400-meter free at the World University Games in Italy with a time of 4:05.80 in the final
· Her winning time in the 400m free ranked third best for the U.S. and 10th in the world at the time
· Now owns three career medals at the World University Games after also winning a relay silver in 2017
· Was the top seed in the 400m free at USA Swimming's Phillips 66 National Championships in July 2019, but was forced to withdraw from the meet due to an appendectomy
· Won silver in the 400m free at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Budapest in October 2019, headlining her three top-six finishes that weekend
· Finished sixth in the 400m and eighth in the 800m at USA Swimming's Toyota U.S. Open Championships in December 2019
· Broke a Burke Aquatic Center pool record in the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:29 on Feb. 1, 2020
· Eclipsed a 1,000 free pool record that had stood since the 2005 NCAA Championships
2017-18 / AS A SENIOR
· USA Swimming National Team
· All-America (500 Free)
· Honorable Mention All-America (1650 Free)
· Second Team All-Big Ten (500 Free)
· CSCAA Scholar All-America
· Academic All-Big Ten
· NCAA Championships Qualifier (200, 500, 1650 Free; 800 Free Relay)
• Competed in the freestyle events, specializing in the 200 and distance
• Established program records in the 500 (4:35.82), 1,000 (9:38.46) and 1650 free (15.54.41), eclipsing her own marks in the 500 and 1,000 again
• Closed out her career as a four-year individual qualifier for the NCAA Championships, earning full-fledged All-America honors for the first time via a fifth-place finish in the championship final of the 500 free
• Silver medalist in the 500 free at the Big Ten Championships
• At the Purdue Invitational, eclipsed the program record in the mile that had stood since the 2010 NCAA Championships
• Broke her record in the 1,000 free with a time of 9:38.46 in a non-tapered meet at the Big Ten Triple Duals in Minneapolis
• Finished 10th overall in the mile at NCAAs for honorable mention All-America accolades
• Purdue’s first All-American in an individual events in consecutive seasons since 2010 and 2011
• On the 800 free relay, teamed with three freshmen on Purdue’s first relay to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 2015
• Selected as Team MVP and a co-recipient of the team’s Tom Reiter Commitment to Excellence Award
• Represented Purdue at USA Swimming’s Phillips 66 National Championships in July
• Also raced at USA Swimming’s TYR Pro Swim Series event in Indianapolis in May
• Eclipsed her program record in the 500 free at the Purdue Invite and NCAA Championships
• Posted season-best times in the 100 (49.91) and 200 free (1:44.90) at Big Tens
• Accounted for 75 team points at Big Tens via three top seven finishes in her events, leading the squad in scoring for the second year in a row
• In program history, finished her career ranked second in the 200 free (1:44.78) and 11th in the 100 free (49.83)
• Led the team with 18 individual event victories and contributed to six relay winners
• Won the 500 and 1,650 free while accounting for a team-high 57 points at the Purdue Invitational
• Swept the 200, 500 and 1,000 free in duals vs. South Carolina and Indiana
• Won at least two events and contributed to a relay winner vs. Miami (Ohio), Notre Dame and Iowa
• Also won the 500 free at the Big Ten Triple Duals
2016-17 / AS A JUNIOR
· Honorable Mention All-America (500 Free)
· World University Silver Medalist (4x200 Free Relay)
· World University Games Qualifier (400, 800 Free)
· NCAA Championships Qualifier (200, 500, 1650 Free)
· Big Ten Swimmer of the Week (Oct. 26)
· Academic All-Big Ten
· Competed primarily in the distance freestyle events
· Posted career-best times in the 200 (1:44.78) and 500 (4:37.45) at the Big Ten Championships
· Career-best in the mile (16:03.48) was at NCAAs, improving on her second-fastest time in program history
· Honored as the team's co-MVP
· Established new Purdue records in the 500 and 1,000 free (9:38.79)
· Won bronze with a third-place finish in the 500 free at the Big Ten Championships
· Finished in 13th place in the 500 freestyle at NCAAs to earn honorable mention All-America accolades for the second year in a row, becoming the first Purdue swimmer to repeat as an All-American since 2010 and 2011
· Became Purdue's first female swimmer to qualify for Team USA's roster for the World University Games
· Helped the USA's 4x200 free relay team qualify as the top seed for the final to earn a silver medal at the World University Games
· Finalist in both of her individual events (5th in the 400, 8th in the 800) at WUG
· Represented the Boilermakers at the USA College Challenge in Indianapolis, eclipsing the 1,000 free record at the all-star meet
· Also finished seventh in the A final of the 200 free and 11th in the 1,650 free at Big Tens to account for a team-high 66 points
· Co-recipient of the team's Tom Reiter Commitment to Excellence award
· Represented Purdue at the USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships in June, posting a trio of top-12 finishes
· Qualified for the World University Games by placing fourth in the 400- and sixth in the 800-meter free at Nationals
· Led the team with 16 individual event victories and also contributed to seven relay winners
· Swam on four of the five relays at Big Tens, helping the 400 free and 400 medley teams post the second-fastest times in program history
· Won the 200, 500 and 1,000 free vs. Indiana and Iowa as well as the Big Ten Triple Duals
· Also swept the distance freestyle events in duals vs. Miami (Ohio), Notre Dame
· Won the 200 and 500 vs. Michigan State
· Finished second in the 200, 500 and 1,650 free at Virginia Tech's H2Okie Fall Invitational to account for 51 points, good for second on the team
· Won the 100 free and her heat of the 50 while placing second overall at the Indiana Intercollegiates
2015-16 / AS A SOPHOMORE
· Honorable Mention All-America (500 Free)
· NCAA Championships Qualifier (200, 500, 1650 Free; 800 Free Relay)
· U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifier
· Academic All-Big Ten
· Big Ten Swimmer of the Week (Jan. 27)
· Competed primarily in the distance freestyle events
· Posted career-best times in the 200 (1:46.44), 500 (4:39.75) and 1650 free (16:04.04) at the Big Ten Championships
· Broke the program record in the 500 free at the Purdue Invitational and Big Ten Championships
· Finish sixth in the consolation final (14th overall) of the 500 free at the NCAA Championships to garner Honorable Mention All-America accolades
· Also competed in the 200 and 1,650 free as well as the 800 free relay at NCAAs while qualifying as an individual for the second year in a row
· Accounted for 64 team points at the Big Ten Championships to rank second on the team
· At Big Tens, finished fourth in the A final of the 500 free, fifth overall in the mile and sixth in the B final of the 200 free
· Also helped Purdue establish a new program record in the 400 medley relay at Big Tens, one of four relays she was a part of at the conference championship meet
· Was also second on the team in scoring at the Purdue Invitational, winning the mile to go along with runner-up finishes in the 200 and 500 free
· Helped the Boilermakers win the 400 and 800 free relays at the Purdue Invite, two of the five relay winners she contributed to for the season
· Ranked fourth on the team with seven individual event victories
· Named Big Ten Swimmer of the week after sweeping the 500 and 1,000 free in the dual meet at Indiana
· Won the 200 free at the season-opening Michigan State Outdoor Invitational
2014-15 / AS A FRESHMAN
· NCAA Championships Qualifier (200, 500, 1650 Free)
· Competed primarily in the mid and distance freestyle events
· Established a new Purdue overall and freshman record (4:42.11) in the 500 free at the Big Ten Championships
· Purdue's first freshman to qualify for NCAAs in individual events since 2012
· Top showing at NCAAs was 22nd in the prelims of the 500 free, posting a time of 4:42.39 that was just shy of her program record
· Accounted for 13 team points at the Big Ten Championships by finishing second in the B final of the 500 free and 11th overall in the mile
· Also accounted for Purdue's season-best times in the 1,000 (9:47.68) and 1,650 free (16:13.83), ranking second in program history in both events
· Season-best time of 1:47.38 in the 200 free at NCAAs ranks eighth in program history
· Scored in three individual events at the Ohio State Invitational to account for 39 team points and help Purdue win the meet
· Finished fifth overall in the mile, sixth in the A final of the 200 free and seventh in the A final of the 500 free at Ohio State
· Accounted for five individual event victories over the course of the season
· Posted her season-best time in the 1,000 free while winning the event in the dual with Indiana
· Won the 1,000 free a week later at the Big Ten Triple Duals in Minneapolis
· Also won the 1,000 free in dual meet wins vs. Notre Dame, Michigan State and Miami (Ohio)
· Contributed to two freestyle relay winners against Michigan State
HIGH SCHOOL
· Two-time Wisconsin state champion in the 500 free as an upperclassman for coaches Blaine Carlson and Andy Schaser
· Member of 400 free relay team that set a new national public school record
· Helped lead Waukesha South High to three straight Wisconsin state titles
· All-American in the 200 and 500 free as a senior
· Four-year WSHS scholar-athlete
· 2013 NCSA long course national champion in the 800 free
· Set a new 400-meter free state record for 17- and 18-year-olds
PERSONAL
· Major: Selling and Sales Management
· Full name is Kaersten Frances Meitz
· Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin
· Parents are Curt and Kristel Meitz
· Family also includes younger brother Kristjan
· Father competed in track & field as well as club football at Marquette University
Purdue Personal Preferences
Favorite Pro Team: Green Bay Packers
Favorite Coach: Chris Klinge
Favorite Aquatic Center (Other Than Purdue): McCauley Aquatic Center
Most Exciting Event to Watch at a College Meet: 200 Free
Unique Skill/Hidden Talent: Can Eat 10 Scoops Of Ice Cream In 14 Minutes
Favorite Marquee Event: Olympics
Would Like to Have Dinner With: Santa Claus
In Her MP3 Player: Taylor Swift
Last Concert She Attended: Ed Sheeran
Musician She'd Love to See Play Purdue: Taylor Swift
Favorite Author: J.K. Rowling
Last Book She Read: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
Favorite Multimedia App: Spotify
Favorite Actor & Actress: Ryan Reynolds & Emma Watson
Favorite TV Show: New Girl
Favorite Movie to Watch on Team Bus: 10 Things I Hate About You
Favorite Sci-Fi Series: Harry Potter
Favorite Month: December
Favorite Holiday: Christmas
Favorite Food: Steak
Favorite Dessert: Key Lime Pie
Favorite Purdue Building: Wiley Dining Court
Favorite Purdue Athletic Venue (Besides Aquatic Center): Mackey Arena
Favorite Big City: Paris
Unique Travel Locale: The Amazon Rainforest of Peru
Continent She'd Like to Visit: Africa
Favorite Outdoor Activity: Tubing
Another Sport She Enjoys: Cross Country Skiing
Most Memorable Meet at Purdue: 2017 Big Tens
Favorite Thing About the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center: Snack station in team room
Enjoyed this Professor's Class: Andy Freed, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Furry Friend: Zach, German Shorthair