Lauren Waterbury Named Female Athlete of the Spring

MICDS track coach Jim Lohr vividly recalls the trip his team took from Jefferson City back to St. Louis after the 2010 state meet.

He had a conversation with his star runner and jumper, Lauren Waterbury, who did about everything she could with the exception of winning a gold medal.

Waterbury, who was a junior, finished second in the long jump, the 200-meter dash and the 4x200-meter relay in the state Class 3 meet. She had also finished second in the long jump and 4x200-meter relay in 2009 as a sophomore.

"She had also qualified for the triple jump last year and didn't get to the finals," Lohr said. "I told her that was her last triple jump.

"I also told her that the next time we would be driving home from Jefferson City that she would have four gold medals around her neck. That was the plan."

Waterbury not only was able to wear the four gold medals Saturday but also return home with a team first place trophy, the first in history for the MICDS girls.

It was an amazing six hours or so which saw Waterbury stand on the top of the podium at the stadium at Lincoln University five different times.

That amazing performance resulted in Waterbury being named the Ladue-Frontenac Patch Female Athlete of the Spring. The Ladue-Frontenac Patch encompasses MICDS, John Burroughs, Ladue, Villa Duchesne and St. Joseph's Academy.

"My favorite moment was standing with all of my teammates and seeing all of the smiles on their faces," Waterbury said. "You could tell how excited everybody was up there."

And the Rams were up there primarily because of Waterbury's efforts. Her four gold medals accounted for 40 of the team's 71 points. It was almost more than any other team. Festus finished second with 45 points and Lincoln College Prep was third with 36 points in the Class 3 field.

"Lauren has been an inspiration to all of her teammates," Lohr said. "In practice, the girls try to come close to her and catch her."

There was no catching Waterbury either on the track or in the field Saturday.

The biggest moment may have come in the long jump, an event in which Waterbury had the lead until the very last jump as both a sophomore and junior. Maryville's Jordan Stiens would win state both years on her last jump.

Waterbury knows how Sullivan's Macy Ritter feels. Ritter had the lead until the last jump Saturday. And Waterbury had earned that last jump by having the top jump in prelims.

"I liked the fact that I was last," Waterbury said. "And I definitely was thinking about what had happened the last two years. The pressure was on but I like that."

Waterbury would come through with a jump of 18-5 which was more than enough to eclipse the jump of Ritter, who finished second at 17-10.25.

That was only the start to a day of highlights for Waterbury. She followed with a win in the 4x200-meter relay with junior Heather Cousins and sophomores Cameron Jackson and CeCe Moore. They won with a time of 1:42.24, which was over a second faster than runner-up University City.

Waterbury then won the 400-meter dash, an event she did not run in the post-season last year. She ran a 55.43, which again was over a second faster than Lexie Oak of St. Pius, who finished second.

Waterbury showed that she could win a close one as well as she capped off her day with a win in the 200-meter dash, running a 24.79. That was .08 of a second faster than Ayesha Ewing of Cardinal Ritter.

"I remember talking with Coach Lohr last year after state," Waterbury said. "I knew that the three girls who beat me were all seniors. I told him that hopefully my senior year was my year to shine."

And shine she did in an unforgettable and memorable performance that climaxed in the school's first girls track state championship.