As a child, Lexington High School senior Caitlin Lennox pursued martial arts, but after discovering her aptitude for running in sixth grade, she decided to try out for track. Now about to graduate LHS, Lennox has committed to Trinity College for track and field.
In order to stay on the top of her game, Lennox trains by running for two hours every day. Lennox has attended numerous competitions, including the recent Junior Olympics in Texas.
“[The Junior Olympics] was the biggest meet I’ve ever done, and it really helped me grow because I was in this whole new environment. I was all by myself, so having to overcome not having your coach around with you was odd,” Lennox said.
The recruiting process for college-level track started when Lennox received an email from Trinity to fill out a recruiting questionnaire. Later, she decided to visit the campus, and after her third visit, she knew that Trinity would be her next home.
“I chose to attend Trinity because, as soon as I got there, I fell in love with the team atmosphere. I liked the head coach’s philosophy on having a holistically based team, which means valuing the people,” Lennox said.
Lennox said that she struggled early on during her journey with failure, but has now come to believe that failure is a part of the process that leads to growth and success.
“I used to not handle losses well at all. I definitely was very emotional after a bad race…but I think what I’ve learned is that it’s just one race. You can’t progress without failing because if you don’t change and go through different wins and losses, then you’re not really getting better,” Lennox said.
Lennox credits her friends, family, and coaches for being her biggest motivators, encouraging her to continue improving herself.
“There’s nothing I love more than making them proud and happy,” Lennox said.
Despite valuing the individual aspect of track, Lennox also enjoys games that are team-based. Running with other LHS athletes and supporting them is one of her favorite activities.
“I love doing relays. I think it’s a great way to get to know your team and get to run with other people. I think my favorite [relay] was [at] an indoor meet. We had a shuttle dash relay…with underclassmen and seniors, and I really enjoyed that,” Lennox said.
As she prepares to compete at the collegiate level, she encourages younger track athletes to pursue their goals with determination.
“If there’s something you want to do…or a goal you want to reach, just say it out loud; just go for it… People are only going to be supportive of you. They’re not going to try and hold you back,” Lennox said.
