Lauren Norton knows a thing or two about perseverance. The senior cross country and track long distance runner has been plagued by injury, yet has the resiliency to not stop running. Her freshman and sophomore years of college, Norton qualified for the NCAA meet as an individual, seeing incredible success on the course, facing injuries along the way.

In an article in the Campus Times last February, Norton recalls working hard to recover. “In the beginning of cross-country my freshman year, I developed an injury,” she explained. “I had just come off of a great summer of training, but I didn't let that stop me from competing. I spent hours in the pool aqua-jogging and working my butt off, and then managed to have the best season of my career up to that point.”

In September of last year, Norton sustained a season-ending injury and faced a long road to recovery. Again, the tall task didn't faze the runner – by February, she was already back to her regular form, qualifying for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships in the 3000 meter race.

“I love competition and I have an affinity to running, so despite a long battle with injuries, I have kept coming back to the sport,” Norton explains.

The native of Troy, Pa., shows that toughness in other areas of her life as well. For that reason, she is one of 10 student athletes to be honored with the Lysle “Spike” Garnish Award this year for excellence both in the classroom and as an athlete.

A mathematics major, Norton wasn't always sure which direction she wanted to go academically but was encouraged by another female academic.

“I started out as a chemical engineering major here, but ultimately chose to be a math major after really enjoying the math classes and the math department,” Norton explains. “I really enjoyed Algebra with Professor Naomi last semester because she was the first female professor I had in my three years of college here.”

But the senior doesn't plan to limit herself to one field. She hopes to go to law school eventually, though plans to take some time between graduating in the spring and starting a graduate program. “ I would like to work a few years before going since I have never really known much outside of academics up to this point in my life, and think I still have a lot to learn about myself and what I want to do with my life.”

One thing people should know about her is that she is determined. Following a freshman season where she earned a postseason berth, Norton came right back to have an even more successful 2010 season. At the Oneonta Airfield Invitational, she set a University of Rochester record in the 6K, with a time of 21:59.3, earning fourth place in a field of over 200 runners. Later that season on a muddy course, she ran the Paul Short Run in just over 22 minutes. She has been named University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week, as well as earning New York State Collegiate Track Conference Athlete of the Week honors.

And she's sacrificed other activities so that she can succeed, noting that with year round training and school, she doesn't have time for too much else by way of extracurriculars. Running has always been a mainstay for Norton, in part thanks to the support of family.
“I have been running competitively since I was 13,” says Norton. “Both my parents were great runners, and I always remember looking at their collection of awards thinking, 'I want to be like them someday.' They have been very supportive of my running career, and I look to them for advice on many occasions.”

Whatever advice they've been giving her, it's clearly worked well. Norton has shown the quality and toughness across the board – the Garnish award she is receiving isn't so much a culmination of that work, but a precipice for more accomplishment. That drive will take the senior runner far.

“It can be a lot of pressure,” she admits of being a student athlete, “but it is worth it.”