Hard work pays off for Coronado runner

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Home News

Coronado senior Michaelanne Laurent rounds the bend of the final leg of an 800-meter run during practice.

Thursday, March 19, 2009 | midnight

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Home News

Senior Michaelanne Laurent, the defending Sunrise Regional cross-country champion, has her sights on winning the 2009 State Championship for Coronado High School. Following graduation, Laurent plans to continue competing in the 800m, 1600m and 3200m at Brigham Young University.

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Home News

Coronado senior Michaelanne Laurent leads the pack while running the mile with her teammates during cross-country practice.

High school sports section

There is a reason why Coronado senior long distance runner Michaelanne Laurent has had a record setting career for the Cougars.

Laurent has logged plenty of laps around Coronado's track to be one of the state's best, coach Nick Bolken said.

"She is definitely one of the hardest workers on the team," Bolken said. "She always set the bar for effort put forth."

Laurent, who will run for BYU next year, has impressed in both track and cross country during her four-year career. She is looking to add to those accomplishments as the track season starts for most schools this week.

In track last spring, she set Sunrise Regional meet records in capturing the 800 (2 minutes, 17.83 seconds), 1,600 (5:17.48) and 3,200 (11:33.57) meter races.

This fall in cross country, she ran the 3.1-mile regional course in 19:56 to help Coronado win the team title. Laurent took third in the state meet and Coronado was second as a team.

"I love running and competing," she said. "I love pushing yourself as hard as you can in a race."

Laurent has some unfinished business before she leaves for BYU. She took second in both the 800 and 1,600 at state last year and said she feels a state championship is an obtainable goal.

She learned a valuable lesson last year at state. She placed sixth in the 3,200, running out of energy after competing in 800 directly before the race.

She plans on skipping the 800, more of a sprinting event, to focus on the longer races she will specialize in at college.

"I'm not doing that again," she said of competing in consecutive races. "That's impossible."

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@hbcpub.com.