06.23.07
Wolf Pack’s Lauderdale dominated
Wolf Pack’s Lauderdale dominated
BY BRAD RIDDELL, Californian staff writer
e-mail: briddell@bakersfield.com | Friday, Jun 22 2007 11:50 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 22 2007 11:53 PM
She spent the season blazing around the turn, running the fastest 200 meters in Central Section history. She created a purple blur, running her way to state in the 100 meters as well.
Simply put, Ridgeview’s Dominique Lauderdale dominated Central Section sprints in 2007, earning section titles in the 100 and 200, and medaling at the state meet in the 200 meters.
Now, she’s The Californian’s girls track and field Athlete of the Year.
“Now that it’s over, I can’t believe it,” Lauderdale said of her success this season. “I never thought I would make it that far. I never thought I would have it in me.”
In addition to the section titles and the state medal, Lauderdale etched her name in the record book when she ran a 24.06 200 meters at Mount SAC on April 14. The time inched her past Centennial’s Tiffany Bennett, who set the previous mark in the 2000.
Once Lauderdale set the 200 mark, she looked to chase down Bennett for the fastest 100 time as well.
She would come just short, by .02 seconds.
“I tried so hard to get it,” Lauderdale said. “I thought I still had a chance at the Valley meet, but my blocks slipped. I was really striving for it.”
Lauderdale’s 11.71 at the South Area meet left her achingly close to Bennett’s 11.69 record. She looked to break it at the Central Section meet in Madera, but her blocks did slip. She still won, and, in doing so, claimed a spot in the annals of section track and field history.
The name Dominique Lauderdale must now be mentioned with the Tiffany Bennetts that have come before her.
“Over the years there have been some pretty good girls, especially Tiffany Bennett,” Ridgeview sprints coach Bobby Gridiron said. “Dominique is a lot taller and more physically built for a sprinter. Tiffany, her body type is like a quarter miler, but they both have that determination.”
Determination and hard work is what elevated Lauderdale to elite status. In 2006, Lauderdale qualified for the state meet in the 100 and 200, but she wasn’t feeling 100 percent on the heels of a muscle strain.
During the offseason, she worked to strengthen her body, making sure she had the stamina to run hard all season long.
“Mainly we spent a lot of time in the weight room,” Gridiron said. “She started lifting way back in September at a gym off campus, trying to get her body stronger. I believe that’s what set her apart from the other girls.”
The lifting was something different for Lauderdale, and it was hard. By the time the season came around, she could feel the difference.
“I wasn’t used to it,” she said. “When (Gridiron) first got me into it, I was barely walking. It was really hard, but I was stronger when the season started.”
Lauderdale can look back on a career of success, and she’s pleased to have a record that will keep her name relevant in the Central Section for years to come.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the book,” Lauderdale said. “Once I finally got in there, I was so happy.”
The Sunday after the state meet, where Lauderdale finished sixth in the 200 meters, she signed a letter of intent to run at the University of Arkansas next season. Arkansas is one of the best programs in the country.
“Sometimes I get a little nervous, it’s real prestigious,” Lauderdale said. “But I think I can hang with those girls.”
Gridiron is confident in her ability to succeed in college and beyond.
“I think she has a huge upside, her better days are yet to come,” Gridiron said. “I really see her running world class track. She has the talent.”
