The latest in our All-Decade Team feature series.
LAUREN AUSTIN
Laruen first came onto the scene as a cross country runner. And she was a pretty decent one at that. Her freshman and sophomore year she was one of the top distance runners in Central Florida with a PR of 19:23. She was Ovideo's #1 runner as a freshman and #2 behind Jenny Barringer as a sophomore. But it was the one-lapper where she really found her niche.
Although it certainly was not her first performance in the event, she first appeared in our database with a stellar 54.51 performance as an 8th-grader. That earned her second place in the youth girls division at Junior Olympics.
Once she entered high school she didn't waste any time, earning her first state championship as a freshman with a time of 54.67. She followed that up at USATF Junior Nationals with a fourth place performance and a new PR of 54.41.
Sophomore year she had some success in the 100 and 200 in local meets, but the 400 continued to be her forte. She peaked well for the state meet again and came through with a 54.15, though it only earned her the silver. She came back and won the 400m championship at Golden South and then took sixth at JOs against top flight competition--the same race where Sanya Richards set the American Junior Record of 50.69!
Junior year, Lauren saw more steady improvement. This time she earned the bronze at state (54.77), but stepped it up big in the off-season. She took second place at the prestigious Golden West meet and broke the 54 second barrier, going 53.92 in the effort. A week later she came back for her all-time high school best and what at the time was #3 on the all-time list in Florida with a 53.61 at Junior Nationals.
Senior year she really shined. She worked on her speed and saw her 100 times drop consistently into the 11s and 200 times into the 23s. The result was a big day at the state meet. She competed in four events, winning the gold in the 100 meters (11.68) and 400 meters (54.36), took second in the 200 meters (24.20), and 14th in the long jump.
She continued trying the short stuff in the post-season. At Golden South she took second in the 100 (11.70) and first in the 200 (24.25). At Junior Nationals she hit a new 200 best of 23.77 in the prelims (23.85 finals) and 11.51 in the 100 prelims (11.57 finals). While back on her primary event, she concluded her high school journey with a Golden West championship with a time of 53.64.
Interview
When you reflect back on your high school career what are you most proud of?
The moment I was most proud of during my high school career was the 2004 State Meet when my teammates and I won the state championship. Everyone performed that day and it was a great moment for everyone who had supported us throughout the year. Also, I felt it was a bit of redemption as the previous two years I didn't win a state title and to come back in my senior year and win two events and help Oak Ridge get the state title felt amazing!
Who or what things made the biggest impacts on your success?
The biggest impacts on my success were my dad/coach and my family. Without all their love and support I would not have been able to compete at the level I did. They sacraficed a lot for me to be able to run and I am truly thankful for them!
Who were some of the athletes you remember that you loved competing against?
I loved competing against Angie Pressey, my teammates from Oak Ridge and the atheletes from the Miami area. Knowing I was going to have to face them in races really drove me in practice and constantly gave me motivation to train.
What are some of your fondest memories from high school athletics?
Some of my fondest memories of high school athletics were competing in the state series, running at Florida Relays and being surrounded by great teammates.
What are you doing now as far as career, competing, family?
Right now, I am in the middle of moving to Atlanta, GA to attend Georgia Tech for graduate school. I will be up there for about 5 years to work and attain my Ph.D. in Chemistry. I took this year off from competition to adjust to my new life and the work load and expectations of grad school.
What else do you want to add or say to the flrunners.com community?
I want to thank everyone who supported and rooted for me during my high school career. All the support really meant a lot to me :)