During the winter season, The Chronicle is polling its readers every week via its Sportswrap newsletter to highlight one Blue Devil athlete’s outstanding performance. This week, the spotlight is on Lauren Tolbert, a Duke track and field sprinter:
For the second time in two weeks, Lauren Tolbert etched her name in the Blue Devil record books. The junior sprinter won the 600m at the Hokie Invitational Friday, cruising past the competition on her way to a 1:28.15 finish, a school record and personal best.
“It feels great breaking school records this early in the season, which is setting me up to achieve the goals I have aligned,” Tolbert said. “I want to go sub-two minutes in the 800m with a top-three finish at NCAAs, and in the 400m I want to run in the low 51s. For the team aspects, I would love to win ACCs and take the 4x4 to the NCAA Championship and place there.”
Just a week prior, Tolbert claimed the 300m title with a 37.67 performance, also good for first place at the Dick Taylor Challenge.
Tolbert’s performance paved the way for a strong team effort that saw 20 podium finishes and seven top-five all-time program marks. The Belmont, N.C., native also ran strong on the 4x400 relay, placing first along with graduate student Ally Gomm, senior Megan McGinnis and freshman Braelyn Baker. A 3:36.82 beat out second-place North Carolina by almost three seconds.
Accolades came quickly for Tolbert upon her arrival to Duke, beginning with a gold medal and All-ACC First Team honors as a member of the distance medley team who placed first in the conference indoor meet. The outdoor season yielded three first-place finishes, All-ACC Second Team honors in the 400m and 4x400m along with a team title.
Sophomore year meant more top-five placements during the indoor season and two All-ACC Second-Team honors. Tolbert notched a personal best of 52.00 seconds in the 400m at the ACC Outdoor Championships, giving her the gold medal. Tolbert then won gold as a member of the 4x400m relay that finished in 3:31.76, another first-place finish for the Blue Devils who ended the championships with their second title in a row.
For a third straight year, Duke has its eyes set on more records and a third-straight ACC title — a quest Lauren Tolbert will play a key role in.
Get to know Tolbert
- Favorite pre-meet meal: A hot turkey and cheese sandwich with a side of applesauce
- Favorite athletics memory at Duke: Winning outdoor ACCs in 2024
- Favorite hobby: Shopping
- Favorite song: “Snooze” by SZA
- Favorite class at Duke: I&E 253 — Social Marketing: From Literary Celebrities to Instagram Influencers
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