Laurent earns Gatorade state track accolade

Coronado graduate Michaelanne Laurent was named the Gatorade Nevada Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

Laurent, who won the Class 4A state championship in the 1,600 and 3,200, is a finalist for Gatorade's national award, to be announced this month.

"Her dedication to the sport and just making herself the best runner she can be really stands out," Coronado girls coach Nic Bolken said. "She put in a lot of time, not just in practice, but on her own, running on off days to improve."

Laurent won the state 1,600 in 5 minutes, 6.01 seconds, more than three seconds faster than her nearest competitor. She won the 3,200 by more than eight seconds in 11:19.32 and finished third in the 800.

Laurent earned 26 of her team's 411/2 points at state, where Coronado placed third.

"She's a real team player," Bolken said. "A lot of times when somebody is that good, they're very competitive and they don't want to help other people. Michaelanne was all about helping everybody get better. She took the time to help the younger runners improve."

Laurent, who maintained a 3.95 grade-point average and finished third in the state cross country meet last fall, signed a letter of intent to run at Brigham Young next season.