Nikki is Kaitlyn’s younger sister and one of her favorite people in the world. Nikki and Kaitlyn have been inseparable since the beginning, from doing gymnastics together as children, then transitioning to teammates on their high school track team. Being Nikki’s older sister and watching her grow into an incredible human has been one of Kaitlyn’s biggest blessings in life. Currently, Nikki is a superstar personal trainer in Los Angeles. She is the sweetest soul with the best punch of sass, can tear up any dance floor, and is one of the most caring people you will ever meet. Nikki has been Kaitlyn’s best friend from the start, and they have been talking about being each other’s maids of honor since the age of six. There is no one more perfect to give y’all embarrassing stories from Kaitlyn’s childhood, be the life of the party, and bring her fun-loving energy to our special day.

Ethan has been a friend since sophomore year of high school when Nate started running with what would become perhaps the greatest running group western Pennsylvania has ever seen (IYKYK). Although from a different high school, Ethan was more of a friend and teammate than anyone else Nate knew. From ripping countless miles in North Park, to late night games of ultimate frisbee, to saving the world from zombies, Ethan was always the one to bring the fun and shenanigans to whatever they were doing. Years later Ethan also made his way out to Denver where Nate and Ethan now hike, camp, run, and continue to save the world from zombies. Over these years Nate has spent knowing Ethan, Nate has admired his drive and desire to challenge the status quo. He is always looking for ways to get more out of life and to bring more joy to those around him. Just be prepared if you start a conversation with him during this wedding, he will pull you into a deep philosophical discussion that you can’t walk away from. Ethan is one who might not remember his tent, but he will remember to bring the football, frisbee, and candy for the trail. That real-life metaphor will hold true as he might forget his shoes for the wedding, but he will for sure bring the fun and good vibes.

Caroline is another one of Kaitlyn’s amazing friends from Stanford. She was one of the four who shared a studio apartment in Kaitlyn's sophomore year of college. Despite the cramped quarters, surprisingly no one killed each other. Kaitlyn is convinced that Caroline is an actual genius, and one of the most determined and organized people Kaitlyn’s met in her life. Caroline also has one of the biggest hearts. She can go from crushing computer code to trying cheesy dance moves at the drop of the hat. She kept Kaitlyn laughing and became her adventure buddy after Kaitlyn had foot surgery her sophomore year of college. Kaitlyn and Caroline excel at getting lost at beaches together, setting speed records for walking around tracks, and having random deep talks at any time of the day or night. Caroline is the kind of friend who is always there with a listening ear. She currently lives in Palo Alto where she works as a software engineer. You can catch Caroline tearing up the dance floor at our wedding.

Coming from the eastern part of the state, Billy and Nate first met after their final race of high school track after Billy kicked away from Nate late in the final of the 1600m at the Pennsylvania State Championship race to take 2nd (and Nate 4th). Nate remembers sitting on the infield, changing out of his spikes when Billy came up to Nate, gave him a high five, and said “let’s continue this at Pitt.” To which Nate responded “…ok.” And so they did. Billy and Nate were roommates and training partners for all 4 years of college, and Billy was even Nate’s coach for a year. From good races to rough races, from good nights out to rough nights out, Billy was usually the one right there with Nate. Always setting big goals and working harder than anyone to achieve them, Billy is always one to pull others along with him and push them towards their own goals. He has continued to hold true to this as he pursued coaching after his time at Pitt. He has proven himself time and time again and worked himself in a position as the associate head coach at Richmond University where he has already led his athletes to incredible times and results. For the wedding weekend, if you are looking for a good place to eat, Billy will be able to quickly direct you to the nearest Chipotle and/or Olive Garden.

Nefeli is another gem of a human and an incredible friend. She was Kaitlyn’s freshman year roommate at Stanford and her rock throughout college. She is one of the most genuine, humble, and brilliant humans that Kaitlyn has ever met. They were paired together by the housing committee as all freshman roommates are at Stanford, and Kaitlyn is forever grateful for such a great match. Nefeli is originally from Athens, Greece and moved to California for her undergraduate studies. She moved in a few days early for international orientation, and their first meeting was Kaitlyn accidentally waking her up on “move in” morning. They were instant friends and adventure partners. Nefeli is the type of person who makes everyone feel like someone. She and Kaitlyn have had countless adventures including their most recent Half Dome climb. Nefeli currently attends Harvard Business School where she is crushing classes while still making time for adventure.

Nate met Hughes at Pitt where they were teammates and lived together for all 4 years before Ryan went off to Virginia Tech for grad school. Freshman year, Hughes would grind out pretty high mileage in training, and Nate thought he could too (RIP to his sacrum). So Nate and Ryan naturally did a lot of their training together along with sharing a lot of the same classes…both of which Hughes excelled in much more than Nate (also RIP to Nate’s grades). During that time Nate appreciated Ryan’s ability to not just balance but excel in all aspects of his life, all while still always being up to go to the bar, watch a dumb rom com, or hang out with the group. Now back in his home state of Virginia, Nate and Ryan still manage to travel around to see each other by going on fun trips to Moab, Telluride, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and more. When not making trips together, Nate and Ryan are likely sending pictures of Baloo (Kaitlyn’s dog) and Dobby (Ryan’s dog) back and forth. Hughes remains someone Nate turns to for advice, guidance, or just for a laugh. If you run into Hughes at the wedding, you can ask him about work, but he won’t be able to tell you much (government work). So instead, ask him about his tattoos, to see a picture of Dobby, or what wine at the reception is the best.

Brittany is another one of Kaitlyn’s “inner circle” friends who was also a Stanford Track and Field teammate. Brittany was a heptathlete for Stanford and one of Kaitlyn’s roommates during her 5th year post-bac. She is a true gem of a human and the kind of friend who shows up just when you need her. She is brilliant, a freak athlete, and absolutely hilarious. Brittany is someone you want to be around when the going gets tough because she is resilient as all get out. Brittany went through many injuries during her time at Stanford and provided much needed perspective, sweatpants large enough to fit over Kaitlyn’s cast when Kaitlyn was post-op, and friendship when Kaitlyn needed it most. She is a lover of cats, can solve every puzzle, is a crafting genius, and has even built her very own computer. She currently lives in San Francisco where she works as a Bioengineer/ Formulation Scientist. Brittany is going to bring some amazing energy to this wedding party, so catch her on the dance floor.

Nate knew who Cordon was in high school before he met him. He was the tall, lanky guy on North Allegheny’s cross country team that always kicked Nate’s butt. It wasn’t until about junior year that Nate remembers Cordon coming to play frisbee with Nate or join him on the occasional long run. After high school, Cordon became Nate’s teammate and first roommate at Pitt. Not long after college, true to Cordon’s nature of always looking for a way to make sure his life is full of what he loves doing, Cordon made his way out west to Colorado chasing the big-view running, fast times, and fun hikes. Getting Nate out the door more than he ever would have otherwise. Nate and Cordon would tackle hike after hike in the cold, snow, heat…any condition. Nate’s favorite hike in Colorado so far has been with Cordon in about 2 feet of snow up to Chasm Lake. Now, Cordon is back east in Massachusetts continuing his passion for running by coaching and continuing to train for some pretty gnarly ultra racing this summer (or he may have already run it depending on when you read this). He is always in a good mood, knows how to have a good time, and will always hype up those around him. If you happen to be feeling a bit of a lull in the evening at any point during the wedding, just look for the tall guy with a big smile and go say hi. He will give your mood a boost for sure.

Izzy is Kaitlyn’s sister-in-law and one of her best friends from college. Kaitlyn feels lucky that one of her closest friends also became her sister-in-law (a story of its own). Izzy and Kaitlyn lived together sophomore through their senior years of college. Izzy is driven, always exploring new hobbies, and has the most genuine way of making everyone feel a little happier when she is around. Izzy can also tear up any dance floor, will come up with goofy games for everyone to play, and is a genius at under-cooking brownies to absolute perfection. She is a tried-and-true friend who is a genuine light in this world. Kaitlyn’s college experience would have lacked spice filled face masked nights, mint mint chocolate chip ice cream, and sanity without Izzy by her side. Izzy currently lives in Elizabeth, Colorado and works remotely as a product manager. It was very kind of her to live close by, so that she and Kaitlyn can continue adventuring.

Colin was a part, or better said, a leader of their training group in high school where Nate and Colin first met and became close friends. But, while Colin was one to make sure they never missed a run and kept everyone in line, he was also always the one crack a good joke and make sure they didn’t take things too seriously. Although Nate may have spent more time staring at Colin's back while getting dropped in workouts, Colin has always been one to have Nate’s back. Colin and Nate have shared thousands of miles, dozens of breakfast Wednesdays (at times to Nate’s stomach’s regret), and camping and beach trips. He has unwavering dedication and determination that has allowed him to succeed in everything from becoming an Olympic Trials marathoner to being a PhD candidate (perhaps even a complete PhD by the time you read this) at Carnegie Mellon. Colin continues to be a source of inspiration both in Nate’s running and life, and Nate is happy to have him share this special day. Just a word of advice: try not to outlast him on the dance floor…that marathon endurance is no joke.

Rachel is Nate’s older sister and Kaitlyn’s soon to be sister-in-law. Rachel currently lives in Meadville, PA where she works in college admissions. Rachel is thoughtful, not afraid to advocate for what she believes in, and wonderfully and beautifully herself in every situation. She and Nate were always close growing up and continue to be partners in crime in adulthood. Kaitlyn is so grateful to have gained such a kind and wonderful sister-in-law in Rachel. She and Kaitlyn first bonded over their mutual love of reading, specifically historical fiction books. Kaitlyn looks forward to continuing sharing their passion for both hot tea and books. If you need a good book recommendation, Rachel is your person. Rachel is also uber creative and has an impressive eye for design. If you see anything at this wedding that looks particularly well decorated or put together, it was probably thanks to her expertise.

Ryan and Nate go way back to early 2024. One evening, indulging in their shared passion for piano music, they ran into each other at the dueling piano bar. When Nate went to introduce him to Kaitlyn (on their 3rd date), Ryan and Nate realized that they had more in common than just their love for pianos. In fact, Ryan is Kaitlyn’s older brother. Who knew? ...Well…everyone knew and were supposed to be meeting him there (what a great story). While they both might not really have an interest in piano music, Nate is proud to have Ryan as his future brother-in-law. Although Ryan is an LA Lakers and KC Chiefs fan, they still enjoy watching some games together, having game nights, or dinner nights. Nate and Ryan also get to commiserate about the joys of travelling for work all the time. Although, Seattle seems like a much better place to travel than Mobile, Alabama. Ryan is a hard worker in all aspects of his life, and Nate looks forward to having Ryan to help him and Kaitlyn along in their life journey. Ryan is equal parts caring and famous for his one liners, and Nate is looking forward to being his brother in law. For those of you that are looking for a new passion project or side gig, seek out Ryan at the wedding and ask him about his snake breeding business. Or, if by some chance you are already in the snake business, he probably has snakes up for sale.

Nicole is also one of Kaitlyn’s college best friends and a fellow pole vaulter who competed as a teammate with Kaitlyn for the Stanford track team. Kaitlyn and Nicole became steadfast pole vault besties during a pole vaulting camp freshman year of high school. Later attending the same college, they roomed together sophomore year of undergrad. Nicole brings the fun no matter the situation and knows how to brighten anyone’s day. She’s just about the most compassionate person you will meet and also one of the most creative. She filled Kaitlyn’s college days with adult heelys, rotten fruit baseball, vaulting in onesies, and a constant list she kept by her bed of random inventions to try. Nicole now lives in Milwaukee, WI where she works as a creative labs engineer. Although Nicole lives in Wisconsin, she is still one of Kaitlyn’s first Facetime calls for any big life event.

Meeting Stratty freshman year at Pitt as a teammate and fellow engineering student was likely the reason Nate didn’t fail most of his classes. Aside from being a very talented runner from the other side of the state, Stratty was just as dedicated to his classes. Nate and Stratty roomed together for the majority of cross country and track meets freshman year, and Stratty would typically guilt Nate into doing his homework instead of watching tv (or more likely) bothering him while he did his work. But don’t get the wrong impression that Stratty is all business and no fun. Nate and Stratty spent an equal amount of time exploring the buildings around campus, stumbling upon random art shows downtown, or grabbing a beer. After 4.5 years at Pitt, Stratty went off to work, but quickly made it to the University of Wisconsin where he is still pursuing his doctorate in the field of Industrial Engineering (or hopefully he is done by the time you read this). Nate has had the privilege to experience all the incredible things Madison, WI has to offer by visiting Stratty such as the Mustard Museum, 20-some acre corn mazes, bars with N64 Mario Kart, and the Wisco Mile. In all of Nate and Stratty’s adventures, Stratty has always been the one to be aware of and look out for the needs and wants of others. That is part of the reason Stratty would push Nate so hard in his classes. At the wedding, if you are having trouble choosing what to drink, go find Stratty and ask what beer he recommends…he took a class on beer in college, so he knows what he’s talking about (hint: it will be the Belgian or closest thing to it).