Miss Congeniality has nothing on Penn State.

We’ve already introduced you to Ms. Virginia, Tara Wheeler, an ’04 grad who danced in THON, played for the Lady Icers, and was in NROTC.

Now meet our second athletic bombshell, Alyse Schroeder. Alyse is a junior majoring in toxicology at Penn State and a sister of Kappa Alpha Theta.

In late June, Alyse won first place in boomrunning at the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series.

In one of the closest finals in STIHL TIMBERSPORTS history, Schroeder took down veteran and perennial favorite Shana Martin with a time of 11.14 seconds to Martin’s 11.28, digging into the last log and diving across the finish to take the win. [ESPN]

Her success was no fluke though. For the past year, she had been training with the 2008 champion, Taylor Duffy, who is from her hometown.

What is boomrunning?
Boomrunning is a Timbersport in which 8 logs are strung together free floating in the water connected to dock on each end. You run down, turn around a stantion, then run BACK across the spinning logs. The goal is to outrun your opponent (who is running along side of you), NOT fall off of the boom, and post the fastest time.

Would you ever date a lumberjack?
I AM dating a lumberjack actually. He recently took home Gold at the STILH TIMBERSPORTS Series in an event called Speed Climbing.

Was boom running a part of your life while growing up in Wisconsin?
Timbersports are a huge part of my life, and I have been competing in them since I was 7 years old. I started out logrolling then worked my way through winning into professional competitor status.

Best pre-competition drink: Natty Light or Jungle Juice? Why?
Natty…Like they say every beer your drink is like eating a porkchop!

What has your daily preparation for the Lumberjack World Championship been?
I train at least 2 hours a day boomrunning and logrolling with my training partner Taylor Duffy and my younger sister Lauryn Schroeder.

What about toxicology interests you?
I love the idea of being able to help people and learn new and interesting facts in the science world.

How has your experience with Kappa Alpha Theta been? Did you participate in THON?
Joining Kappa Alpha Theta was one of the best choices I have made since I have been at PSU. I came here not knowing a single person, and now I know that I have a family of sisters who always support me! Of course I participate in THON, its a big deal in Theta and we take our money raising efforts seriously!

If you could be any dinosaur, which dinosaur would you be?
I would have to be a raptor, because they’re fast and fiesty.

How is logrolling different from boomrunning?
Logrolling and boomrunning are very different, because logrolling is a single log that floats freely in the water, and spins rapidly frontwards and backwards. You are running on top of the log both forwards and backwards, also you are on the same log with your opponent, and the object is to get your opponent to fall off the log by “out rolling” them.

Which part of going back to school are you most looking forward to?
I can not wait to go back to school to be with my best friends again! None of them live anywhere near the midwest and its hard to travel in the summer with such a busy schedule… they are all so supportive and I can’t wait to work hard and play harder!