Women’s Track and Field athlete Lauryn Clarke ‘26 has stood out as an exceptional student-athlete this year, qualifying for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Track and Field Championship Finals on top of many other accolades.
Throughout the season, she repeatedly broke her personal records, all while helping Loyola stay in competition with the other elite schools at their track meets. Clarke took pride in representing Loyola at meets, especially when competing against bigger schools.
“Just knowing that we’re such a small school, but that we can come in and be as loud as we can be is the best part. I don’t think people ever expected Loyola to be a contender, but our team is just as fast as any other big-name schools to be right up there in the championships with them,” Clarke said.
Even at times where she felt fatigued or sore from running, Clarke made sure to push through the pain and leave everything on the track to give a performance she could be proud of.
“In the finals, just coming off our Patriot League championship a couple days prior, it was a very tedious experience. Muscles are tired, body’s tired, you’re just ready to get the next championship over with…at that point, finals day was kind of just putting out whatever I had left and putting my efforts out there. I’d never want to leave the track knowing that I didn’t do my best or try my best where I could’ve,” Clarke said.
Growing up in a family of three, Clarke has always been a standout in her family. She graduated from Damascus High School in Maryland, where she was crowned the Most Valuable Performer on her track team. She earned this title after setting the school record for both 55 meters indoors and 100 meters outdoors, with times of 7.29 and 11.94 seconds, respectively. Her passion for track goes back as early as middle school.
“In my middle school, we had this track and field unit, and we didn’t have an actual track team. So, at the time, at the track unit, I would be the person that [teachers would tell me], ‘Oh ok, you beat all the school records.’ So, my gym teachers at the time were like, ‘Oh you should try out for track in high school,’” Clarke said.
She also played other sports in the past, including soccer. While Clarke enjoyed these other sports, she said that they mostly furthered her passion for running. Her relationship with her dad and coaches also inspired her to pursue track.
“I would say that the inspiration came more from the coaches themselves and not a different sport… I would say that my dad is my biggest role model that I look up to because he not only guides me in directions where I could go, but he also helps me figure out myself and lets me choose my own path,” Clarke said.
Aside from the glamour and achievements, Clarke delves into her routine that earns her all these accolades, discussing how she maintains her top-level fitness.
“I usually like to be in a relaxed state because I believe the more tense you are, the more you’re not going to have fun. I genuinely think having conversations with my teammates, or just anyone who is in a relaxed mode as well, is just riveting because it then rubs off on you and changes your mindset, because at the end of the day, you’re here to have fun,” Clarke said.
This season has already been a promising one for Clarke, who has several more meets to look forward to with her team.
For more information on the Women’s Track and Field team, visit the Greyhounds official site here, as well as their Instagram to keep up with all their upcoming meets and updates as the season progresses.
