Alamosa senior Lauren Martin signed a National Letter of Intent to run for Adams State College earlier this week. Photos by Konnie Martin.Martin and Martin
February 5, 2010Alamosa senior signs with father's Grizzlies; by Eric R. Flores
ALAMOSA, Colo.— Normally, when someone graduates from high school they like to get out and experience college in a whole different area. Lauren Martin turned down offers to leave Alamosa, and will remain in the San Luis Valley to run cross country and track and field for Adams State College and her father, ASC Hall of Famer Damon Martin.
The Alamosa High School senior and standout cross country and track and field athlete signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this week to continue her education while competing for the Grizzlies.
Lauren will be running for her father, Damon, who is the head cross country coach and the director of track and field for the Grizzlies.
Lauren has had a very successful high school running career up to this point as she has been a 4-year letterwinner in cross country and thus far, has been a 3-year letterwinner in track and field with still one season left.
While a Mean Moose cross country runner under legendary head coach and ASC Hall of Famer Larry Zaragoza, as well as former Adams State runner and now assistant coach, Peter DeLaCerda, Lauren played a major role in Alamosa’s current 4-year streak of regional championships.
All four years of her high school cross country career, Lauren qualified for the state meet and has helped her team improve upon state finishes. The Mean Moose finished in 17th place as a team her freshman year and improved to tenth place her sophomore year. In 2008, Lauren’s junior year, Alamosa jumped to third place and as a team they capped off the impressive improvements by capturing the 4A State Championship in November.
Lauren had her best personal finish at the state meet this past season as she finished in ninth place and with a personal record 5-kilometer time of 19:06. At the 2009 state track meet, Lauren ran a personal best time of 11:48 in the 3,200-meter race, finishing eighth.
In track, under the direction of Alamosa’s distance coach Enrique Guerrero, individually Lauren competes in the 800, 1,600, 3,200-meter run. She has also been a member of the 4x800-meter relay squad where she helped the team win the 2007 4A State Championship.
Lauren had two collegiate scholarship offers, one was to go to Greeley and run for the University of Northern Colorado Bears and the other to ASC. Lauren plans to major in government or pre-law with intentions of pursuing a career as a lawyer.
“I turned down the Greeley option just so I can stay close to home,” she said. “I really appreciate the fans from Alamosa that have been a huge support system throughout my career so far. I chose to go to Adams State so I can have a shot at running for a national championship team. I wanted to be part of a great tradition.”
That great tradition is Adams State’s current run of seven straight D-II national titles and two straight dual national titles that the cross country programs have won.
As many people who follow Alamosa and Adams State athletics know, Damon has always been a proud father, supporting Lauren and all of her endeavors and the thought of being able to coach his own daughter is a big deal for them both.
“It will be fun to run for him,” Lauren said of running for her father, “When it comes to practice, I will be like any other runner vying for a position on the team.”
“It is truly going to be a challenge,” said Damon, “but I am ready for it. I will always be her father but there are times where I will have to be her coach. She’s ready for it and that is why I am excited.”
“It’s truly a blessing to be able to share Lauren’s accomplishments with all who were involved with her in high school,” her mother Konnie Martin said. “Now it will be great to experience her college career with our Adams State family. It’s truly a blessing.”
“Her high school coaches did a great job with her and she has improved so much her junior year of track and this last year in cross country,” Damon said. “It just proves that she has potential to jump in and make an impact, but just like anyone on the team she will have to put in the work.”
“It’s true, the leap from college will be a lot of hard work,” said Lauren. “But, I’m ready to do just that, run, run, run!”
The one thing Lauren knows is that being a student-athlete at Adams State will be tough enough, but attempting to earn a spot on the cross county team will be another challenge all together. Lauren has her work cut out for her, but she’s ready for the challenge.
