Following a series of impressive victories that included breaking the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III 60-meter dash record two home meets in a row, Lauren Jarrett sat down with The Racquet Press to share her journey to the podium.
Track and field has been a central part of Jarrett’s life from a young age. Her mother, Emily Jarrett, was a two-time All-American for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse track and field team. Her older brother, Andrew Jarrett, also excelled in the sport, earning All-American honors as a thrower for UWL.
Growing up immersed in athletics, Jarrett developed a strong familiarity with the demands of competition.
It wasn’t until after her sophomore and junior years of high school, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her training, that Jarrett stumbled upon her true passion for the sport.
“My senior year of high school was when I really fell in love with track… I had done it my whole life but that was when I made the decision to really love it and put my energy into the sport,” Jarrett said.
With a newfound passion for track and field, Jarrett followed in her family’s footsteps by choosing to compete for UWL.
Since joining the team in 2022, Jarrett has accumulated an impressive list of accolades, including numerous local honors such as Howie’s Player of the Week, ESSLYS’ Female Athlete of the Year, and Kwik Trip’s Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Athlete of the Week.
Her success also extends nationally with five All-American titles, holding multiple event and facility records, and twice being named National Track Athlete of the Week during the current academic year.
On Jan. 25 at UWL’s indoor track season debut, Jarrett added even more titles to her name.
Having unofficially broken the NCAA DIII record for the women’s 60-meter dash during her time trials in December, Jarrett spoke on her feelings going into her opening meet.
“I went in with confidence because I knew what I could achieve but it was still nerve-racking because I actually had to do it,” Jarrett said.
The previous NCAA Division III record for the 60-meter dash, set by Wadeline Jonathas of the University of Massachusetts-Boston in 2018, stood at 7.40 seconds. Jarrett broke the record with a time of 7.37 seconds. Additionally, she broke the Hetzel Fieldhouse facility record of 7.47 seconds, set by UW-Milwaukee’s Dominique Thomas in 2024, as well as her own school record of 7.41 seconds.
Jarrett didn’t stop there. In the 200-meter dash, she clocked a 24.26 second finish, breaking Emma Lawrence’s 2023 school record of 24.44 seconds, and surpassing the Hetzel Fieldhouse record of 24.93 seconds, set by UW-Milwaukee’s Natalie Block in 2023. Her 24.26 second time now ranks sixth in NCAA Division III history.
When talking about her record-breaking achievements Jarrett said, “I try not to put a lot of my worth on [breaking records]…I just try and better myself and if that’s what comes with it then that’s a great bonus”.
After celebrating her accomplishments with teammates and coaches, Jarrett refocused on her next goal: qualifying for the USA Track and Field (USATF) Indoor Championships. This event serves as a qualifier for the World Championships, with the top three finishers earning a spot at the World Championships or, during Olympic years, a ticket to the Olympics. The qualification standard for the 60-meter dash is 7.35 seconds—just 0.02 seconds faster than Jarrett’s record.
With the USATF meet set for February 23, time to qualify was limited. But on February 8, Jarrett surpassed her own record clocking a 7.34 second race, meeting the minimum time for the USATF Championship. On Friday, Feb. 21 she will travel to Staten Island, New York to compete against some of the nation’s top track athletes.
“I’m super excited because I’m going to be racing professionals and I hope that they pull a better time out of me…if I get last, I get last but as long as I better myself, that’s all I care about,” Jarrett said.
Jarrett’s semi-final race will take place at 11:56 a.m. Central Time (CST) on Sunday Feb. 23, with the finals scheduled for 1:45 p.m. CST. The event will be broadcast from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST on NBC and Peacock.
Looking beyond the USATF indoor meet, Jarrett has her sights set on competing at the USATF Outdoor Championships, a goal she’s held since her first year at UWL, when she participated in the 20-and-under category. In order to return she must qualify for a professional category during her next outdoor season.
Reflecting on her journey, Jarrett expressed her gratitude for the support of her coaches and their drive to help her achieve her goals. After graduation in 2026, she hopes to continue her track career. While she is uncertain of the exact path, she is determined to keep running beyond her time at UWL.
“I knew my four years would go by fast, and I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity to continue competing after graduation,” Jarrett said.
For those eager to see Jarrett in action, the next home meet she will be running in will take place on Saturday, March 8, at 1:00 p.m. in Hetzel Fieldhouse.
