The Daily Iowan: What’s your favorite type of music?

Karina Muñoz: That’s very hard. There’s a lot of music genres that I listen to. I love listening to Spanish music.  There’s like different genres within Spanish music, but I would say I listen to that most of the time. And you can see during meets I have headphones on before I compete, and that’s usually what’s going through my headphones.

What’s the last concert you went to?

It was July 22, it was The Weeknd concert. I also went to Bad Bunny, and that was so fun. That’s what my floor music is going to be this year, Bad Bunny.

Who is someone you look up to and why?

I would say Adeline [Kenlin]. She’s a senior and I’m a sophomore, so I feel like I can learn a lot from her experiences here, and I still have a lot to do on the team when she’s gone.

What was your favorite thing you did over winter break?

I’m from New Jersey, so I missed Jersey a lot because of the bagels and stuff like that. So [my family and I] went to the city and just walked around. We got hot chocolate. I ate so much Spanish food — my grandma’s food, my mom’s food. The food was my favorite part.

What are some things you like to do in Iowa City when you’re not competing?

Go to The Dandy Lion. I’m there every week and the waitress knows my order. I walk in, and they already know to set down the chocolate milk. And then she looks at me like, ‘Breakfast sandwich with extra crispy hashbrowns?’ That’s my favorite spot.

Have you brought any of your teammates there?

I took Adeline over Thanksgiving break. I was like, ‘You’re from Iowa City, but you’ve never been to The Dandy Lion?’ So I took her on a little date.

What is your latest guilty pleasure?

Eating Trader Joe’s feta cheese, just straight from the container. I love cheese.

Are there any other athletes from different sports who you are close to?

I came in fall 2022, so my class didn’t have COVID protocol, and I actually had a normal dorm life. So I was able to mingle with basketball, football, volleyball, and we’re still so close and we have group chats. In my apartment building right now, I have two basketball friends I’m really close with that live like a door away, Josh Dix and Dasonte Bowen.

Do you live with any of your teammates or other athletes right now?

I live with Hanna Castillo. She’s also a sophomore, and we’re so close.

Iowa faced Washington a little while ago, who is joining the Big Ten. How was that matchup and are you excited to see them more in the future?

It was really fun. We were really inclusive, took pictures with them, and welcomed them to the Big Ten. Every time we face a Big Ten team, it’s like a rivalry, but everyone is there for each other, and there’s no weirdness.