Pullman track standout signs on with Utes

After years of hard work, Lauren McCluskey is finally seeing her dream come true. The Pullman senior signed her letter of intent to run track next year at the University of Utah.

"I decided that Utah was the best fit for me," McCluskey said. "The major was a great fit and also the coach really liked me and specialized in the high jump. I also like that it had a lot of student support."

McCluskey was joined by her family and coach Mike Hinz [corrected from the original publication]. The senior waited to have the ceremony Wednesday so Hinz, who was on vacation in Oregon, could be there for the celebration.

"It's the culmination of a lot of years of work on her part. She's been doing this since she was about eight years old," Hinz said. "That's the realization of a result of a lot of diligence on her part."

McCluskey starred for Pullman as a heptathlete and high jumper. As a sophomore, McCluskey was selected as the MVP of the Great Northern League in the high jump with the top mark in Washington at the 2A level with a height of 5-foot-6. Even though she was unable to qualify for the state championships due to a strained hamstring, she returned with a vengeance over the summer. She finished in seventh place in the heptathlon out of 28 national competitors at the 2013 USATF National Junior Olympics.

That performance helped her receive offers from WSU, Idaho and Colorado. But the school that stood out most was Utah.

"It was a really hard choice. I was looking at about five other schools," McCluskey said. "I think the best advice was just go with your gut reaction of what you felt was right."

McCluskey ultimately decided Utah had the best combination of athletics and academics. She will be taking her prerequisite classes initially in an effort to prepare for veterinary school.

The senior was not at Pullman High School last year, as she chose to attend Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby, Ohio, in order to train at the SPIRE Institute, a U.S. Olympic training center in Geneva, Ohio.

Now she is back at Pullman to win a state championship for the Greyhounds, just as she did her freshman year when she won the 2A title in the high jump.

Tom Hager can be reached at (208) 883-4633 or by email to thager@dnews.com.