Kara Lucyk: Mountain Vista To Colorado

Q) Talk about the recruitment process - what other schools were you looking at, and how did you come to choosing the University of Colorado?

The recruiting process began for me at the end of my sophomore year, and I started reaching out to coaches around October of last year. I actually wasn't even looking at Colorado to begin with, but I sent Coach Malone an email just to see what she had to offer. I talked to some amazing coaches at TCU, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Nebraska, but Coach Malone and her incredible program really stood out to me at Colorado.

I chose the University of Colorado because of the amazing family feel of the team and their continued success in their athletes, not to mention their facilities are some of the best in the country! I felt right at home, welcomed, and loved from the second I stepped on campus and met Coach Malone and the team, and I knew that this was where I was supposed to be.

Q) What do you plan to study at Colorado?

I plan to major in Information Science with a minor in Sports Media.

Q) What event do you see yourself focusing on at Colorado? 

I will be focusing on the heptathlon at CU, but I might be able to get some 400M hurdles in there occasionally!

Q) What got you into track and field in the first place?

I played competitive soccer for as long as I can remember, and I was always the fastest girl on the field. I played defense and would wait until a girl had gone by me with the ball just so I could sprint and catch up to her to show off my speed. My dad ran cross country and track at Florida State University, so he has always been a big influence on encouraging me to capitalize on my talent and use it off of the field. I enrolled in a summer track program when I was 11 (that I now coach for), and my life hasn't been the same since! 

Q) You've had success in everything from 100, over to the hurdles, and onwards to the field in the long jump, what would you say your favorite event is, and why?

My favorite event is the 300M hurdles because it is such an unpredictable and fun race! There aren't many people who run this event, so you get the opportunity to become good friends with your competitors, which is awesome, and you get to watch them improve and develop right along with you, which is even cooler! It is not as technical as the 100M hurdles, which allows a little room for error and a lot more room for full-on sprinting, which I think is so much fun!

Q) You made some major improvements last year, particularly in the long jump (going 18-7), and the hurdles, what would you say attributed to such gains?

I had been working very hard over the summer, and my coach, Coach Kunz, was really able to design workouts built to push my limits and make me stronger technically and physically. I was very zeroed-in on my junior season because I knew it was important to hit these good times in order to make good impressions on college coaches; I would say I have never been as focused as I was this past season, which I think really played a role in helping me improve so much. However, I also made sure to have fun and not be afraid to make mistakes, because that is how you grow the best!

Q) The first MileSplit result we have on you is a triple at the DCSD Middle School Championships in 2015 were you went 13.47 in the 100, 1:05.42 in the 400, and 13-4.5 in the long jump - what do you remember about this competition? 

I don't remember much of the meet itself, but I remember that I had forgotten to get my spikes from the school. Obviously, this caused some slight panic, and I remember frantically searching the team bus only to find that my middle school coach had them in her hands, assuming that I would be the only girl to lose her spikes, with good reason. Nothing has changed - I forgot my spikes at my sophomore year at State right before my 100M hurdles final (luckily I had an extra pair!).

Q) Could you share any goals you have for your final track and field season?

I hope to become a state champion in the 300 hurdles! I also hope that my 4x200 team can place high on the podium again and that I finish the season healthy! I am also working towards some school records, and I want to help get as many relays to State as possible!

Q) What would your favorite high school moment be (so far)?

My favorite high school moment would be my sophomore year league meet 4x400 relay final. I anchored a team that had Mary Mccullough, Syd Trichler, and Jenna Fitzsimmons, and it was our last chance to qualify for State (cue dramatic music). We were on track for a time that would just barely qualify us, and were ahead by about 30 meters when Mary handed the baton to me, so my job was to just sustain the lead and keep our pace. We ended up running the third fastest time in the state, breaking our school record, and the aftermath of the race was one of the most amazing moments I have ever experienced! Everyone went nuts, and I was just laying on the ground with that typical post-400 feeling, and then got helped up almost immediately to celebrate with the team! It was incredible.