College students can agree that school is stressful and challenging at times. But Student-Athlete of the Month Lauren Wyckoff competes in both the classroom and on the track without any trouble.

Just a freshman, Wyckoff has gotten into the grind of her schoolwork and her practices.

“I planned my classes before I have practice, which helps so I can go home right after practice and do my homework,” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff is studying criminology and justice and dreams of becoming a homicide detective. But it was her goal of competing in track and field that brought her to CSUSM.

“[Track & field] is why I came here in the first place and it has been more than what I expected,” Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff has competed in the 100m, 400m, 4x100m and the 4x400m events this season.

She recently ran a personal best in the 100m with a time of 13.40 seconds at the Rossi Relays Invite on Feb. 27. Additionally, she ran another personal best at the Cal State L.A. Invitational on March 5 for the 400m with 59.84 seconds.

Assistant Track and Field Coach Wes Williams said Wyckoff has an outstanding future ahead of her and has a lot of skills, especially as a freshmen.

“I’ll ask her to run a race a certain way,” Coach Williams said. “She’ll shake her head and say, ‘Okay, Coach,’ and she’ll go out and do it.”

Before the track season started, Williams told Wyckoff that she could beat her personal record for the 400m from high school. She did just that.

“[Lauren] is just an outstanding kid. I wish I had 20 more like her. I really do,” Coach Williams said.

To be nominated for Student-Athlete of the Month, Wyckoff went through the process of being nominated by all coaches. Then coaches, staff and the faculty athletics representative voted on the nominations. It is no surprise that the coaches adore Wyckoff and her dedication to the sport of track and field.

Wyckoff doesn’t only leave a positive impression on Coach Williams, but also on teammates, like fellow sprinter Jasmine Williams.

“If there’s something [Lauren] doesn’t want to do, she goes for it still. She has incredible perseverance,” Williams said.

Wyckoff has qualified for California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships with a qualifying time of 59.84 seconds for the 400m.

She has also qualified for the 4×100 team with teammates Kamarria Rehn, Jolene Widmer, and Jasmine Williams with a time of 49.81 seconds.

Wyckoff was close to qualifying for the 100m and was off by only .03 seconds. She hopes to qualify for the 200m for CCAA championships as well.

“I owe a lot of my success to my coaches. They are very supportive and are helping me grow a lot as a runner,” Wyckoff said.
For the upcoming CCAA Championships on May 5 through May 7, Wyckoff hopes to qualify for finals in whatever events she can.