1st Lt Mueller: America Strong, Rugby Strong

After being cut from the Catholic Memorial High (CMH) volleyball team, it took some time before Katie Mueller could appreciate the opportunity to flourish in a new sport, rugby. But two years later, the Wisconsinite was at Penn State en route to four 15s national championships and entry into the collegiate All-American system. That time in State College also readied Mueller for the U.S. Air Force, and the public affairs officer is remaining busy during the Covid-19 shutdown. [Lead Photo: 1st Lt Ashlyn Paulson]

The Crusaders’ volleyball and rugby 15s seasons overlapped, but both ended in time for basketball, Mueller’s number-one sport in high school. When volleyball disappeared from the schedule junior year, rugby head coach John Waliszewski pitched his team to Mueller. “No thanks,” was her initial response, but not her final response.

Mueller, a tall, lean prototype of a lock or No. 8, played rugby her final two years at CMH. In spring 2012, senior year, the Crusaders made their first appearance at high school nationals. The event at Stanford University coincided with the USA Rugby women’s college national championships in Palo Alto, Calif.

 

 

“And that’s where Pete Steinberg saw me play,” Mueller said of the former Penn State head coach. “He and Lance Connolly watched us play our last match and talked to me after the game. They asked about my college plans and I told them that I didn’t know where I wanted to go even though I was graduating high school the next week. I had a lot of options but I hadn’t made up my mind yet.”

That was all Steinberg and Connolly needed to hear, and they promoted Penn State as another option, even though the application deadline had passed.

“We’ll make this work,” Mueller recited Steinberg’s encouragement.

“Before that [conversation], I was convinced that I was going to play basketball at a small DII or DIII school,” Mueller said of college expectations. “I didn’t have a clue about Penn State, didn’t know they were the [rugby] program or that they had just won another national championship that same day.”

 

 

Mueller’s GPA and academic resume met Penn State’s standards and Steinberg pushed her application through. Weeks later, Catholic Memorial traveled to Philadelphia for the CRC 7s high school tournament, and Mueller tacked on a visit to State College. She toured the campus, met the team, reconvened with Steinberg, and then readied for a decision. But first, one more stop.

“I also met with the [U.S. Air Force] ROTC instructors and talked to them about what’s required and whether I could still play a sport,” Mueller said. “Pre-season for rugby was also pre-season for ROTC. We had those conversations – what it would be like to be a student, an athlete and a cadet – but I was willing to put in the work.”

Mueller reported to Penn State rugby practice and Air Force ROTC pre-season in late summer 2012.

“It was still kind of a new thing,” Mueller said of high schoolers prioritizing elite rugby colleges. “A handful of alums were playing at UW Stevens Point or Marquette, but a lot hadn’t moved outside of Wisconsin. After me, they started going to Northern Iowa and then Quinnipiac and Harvard.

 

 

“It was super exciting. I loved going out on my own,” Mueller continued. “If I went to [UW] Madison, I would have been with so many friends that I grew up with. It was nice to move far away and make new friends and have new experiences.”

During Mueller’s tenure, Penn State won three USA Rugby DI National Championship titles and then the first DI Elite trophy in spring 2016. The Nittany Lions won the USA Rugby College 7s National Championship in 2015 and three CRC 7s. She entered the All-American system and represented the U20s internationally, and was a regular at the now-defunct National All-Star Competitions.

“I could not have asked for a better college experience. Penn State was a perfect fit for me,” Mueller said. “The rugby program won four national titles. I was president, captain, had the greatest teammates, was coached by Pete Steinberg and Kate Daley – it doesn’t get any better than that.”

It also helped that the ROTC staff was flexible with Mueller’s rugby engagements and vice versa. So long as she communicated her obligations in advance, both programs were happy to facilitate her life as a student-athlete-cadet.

 

 

Mueller graduated with a degree in public relations, advertising and applied communications, as well as a spot at pilot school. She had nine months before she had to report to training, so she returned home and joined CMH coaches Waliszewski and Alex Glorioso for the fall 2016 season. Coaching was a pleasant experience, one that Mueller intends to revisit when her playing days are over.

Mueller then relocated to Columbus Air Force Base for a year-and-a-half.

“Being in Mississippi, we were so busy. It was: East, sleep, study, fly,” Mueller said. “I didn’t have much time to miss rugby, but there wasn’t a local club team for me to play on anyway.”

In the end, pilot school didn’t work out for Mueller and she made a career switch. The first lieutenant is now a public affairs officer at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. The 26-year-old has more time for things like rugby and she’s been playing with DI Philadelphia since fall 2018. She’s also represented Air Force at the Armed Forces championship, and then was selected to represent the all-services team at the most recent NDIT 7s in Little Rock, Ark.

 

 

Professionally, Mueller handles media relations and tours on base, as well as community outreach. And since she’s on a joint base she also coordinates with the Army and Navy. Media are often escorted on flights for various events, but Mueller hadn’t had the opportunity to participate until recently.

The Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force’s Thunderbirds have collaborated on America Strong, a series of joint flyovers that serve to honor the healthcare workers, first responders, military and other essential personnel fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 28, Mueller participated in the first leg of the mission that involved New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey.

 

 

“I flew … with the KC-10 Extenders from the 305th Air Mobility Wing refueling the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds,” Mueller explained. “There were four tankers refueling the Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels demo teams. This was the first time something like this had been done. I also escorted CBS for their evening news piece on America Strong. 

“It was awesome,” she said of seeing 19 aircraft up close and flying in formation.

 

 

There’s a public relations position that is solely dedicated to the Air Force Thunderbirds, their media escorts, community outreach, social media, etc. Mueller indicated that she would love to fill that position one day in the future, but she has some building to do before then. This July, she’s moving to Guam, a transfer that also includes a promotion, and after that stint will consider next steps. The Air Force offers a program where service members can pair with a big company – e.g., Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson – and shadow its PR department. The stint counts toward time served and not only allows participants to funnel that experience back into the Air Force but also make good connections in the civilian world.

As for rugby, Mueller is just hoping to play at the highest level possible and remain in the Air Force and Armed Forces player pools. She’ll be on the lookout for playing opportunities in Guam and looking forward to reuniting with rugby friends around the country.