Menomonie's McCalla named L-T Female Prep Athlete of the Year
· Yahoo Sports
MENOMONIE — The pressure had been lifted. And Lauren McCalla had nothing left to prove.
She had already captured a state cross country title.
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And she had won the 800 and 1,600 meter races on the first day of the Wisconsin state track meet at UW-La Crosse.
But when McCalla took the baton the next day in the final race of her high school career, she wasn’t about to be denied.
The Menomonie senior made up a four-second deficit and anchored the Mustangs to a Division 1 state title in the 4x800 relay early last month.
She won her fourth state championship gold medal. It was a fitting finish to a fabulous high school career for the record-setting runner.
For her outstanding accomplishments, McCalla has been named Leader-Telegram Senior Female Prep Athlete of the Year.
“Lauren just had an incredible senior year,” Menomonie coach Craig Olson said. “We knew she was capable. She worked extremely hard and she just keeps improving. It was really impressive what she did. It was amazing.”
It has been quite a journey for McCalla, who has overcome her share of obstacles and adversity along the way.
She is originally from Menomonie, and excelled in downhill skiing at a young age.
“I moved to Colorado with my family in fifth grade because of skiing,” she said.
McCalla earned all-state honors in skiing and qualified for nationals.
“I improved very quickly and had some good success,” she said. “But I got injured frequently.”
McCalla also excelled as a runner. As a freshman at Summit High School, she qualified in five events for the Colorado state track meet. She ran on the 4x400 and 4x800 relays that placed at state.
McCalla and her family moved back to Menomonie during the summer of 2023.
“I loved skiing, but the injuries from it were taking their toll,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I liked doing it anymore. It was a really tough decision, but I decided I would like to focus on running more.”
McCalla returned to Menomonie and reconnected with friends she had gone to elementary school with.
She made an immediate impact after returning to northwest Wisconsin. McCalla placed 10th at the state cross country meet as a sophomore in the fall of 2023. She then placed fifth in the 800 at the state track meet the following spring.
McCalla came back with high hopes as a junior.
“That was a rough cross country season. I struggled with illness the entire season,” she said. “I placed fifth at state, and I was devastated. I really struggled physically at the end of that race. I was not happy with that race. I wanted to get top three. It wasn’t what I was capable of.”
Determined to come back strong in the spring, McCalla placed second in the 800 and 1,600 at the 2025 state track meet.
“I got healthier and learned how to deal with my stress better,” she said. “I felt so much more fit. My times took off in track. I made such a big improvement from my sophomore year.”
McCalla ran 4:45 in the 1,600 and 2:12 in the 800.
“It was definitely a breakthrough,” she said. “I was really close to winning the 1,600. I made a strong kick at the end. I lost by two-tenths of a second. I was so close. I gave it everything I had.
“That definitely motivated me to keep training to run a faster pace. It made me want to be a state champion even more.”
That was evident last fall when McCalla put together one of the best cross country seasons in Wisconsin state history.
“My junior track season started the fire for my senior cross country season,” she said. “Everything really clicked for me.”
McCalla followed with her best race, running a time of 16 minutes, 52 seconds and breaking the state cross country record for five kilometers at the Old Abe Invite in Eau Claire.
“I broke 17 minutes running by myself. It was awesome,” she said. “It took a lot of work, but I stayed healthy and took care of myself. I was mentally strong and prepared.”
McCalla was favored to win the state meet.
“I was a little nervous,” she said. “I didn’t go out as fast as I should have. My first K was way too slow. I started picking it up and running my pace after that.”
McCalla delivered with a state meet record of 17:26. She finished 15 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
McCalla carried the momentum from cross country into the track season.
She made an immediate splash in the first session of the state meet last month. She blazed to a new state record of 4:38.54 in the 1,600. She won by six and a half seconds.
“Breaking 4:40 had been the goal the entire year,” she said. “All my workouts were geared toward running the pace I needed to achieve my goal.
“I ran 4:45 at conference and sectionals. I was a little doubtful going into state, but Olson told me, ‘I know you can do it.’ I wanted the state record in the 1,600.”
McCalla stuck to her game plan.
“I was definitely prepared,” she said. “When I crossed the finish line, it was just pure joy. I was so, so grateful. I finally did it. It’s been a long time coming.
“I was so excited and so happy.”
McCalla came back 90 minutes later and won the 800 in a school record time of 2:08.68. She won by nearly three seconds.
“I wanted to run close to 2:06,” she said. “I had never broken 2:10 in an open 800, so that was good. I was definitely tired at the end. I felt good after the first lap. I just had to push through.
“I wanted that win. I was the favorite and I knew I could do it. It was a sense of relief when I crossed the finish line.”
McCalla came back for Saturday’s final session and earned one last victory in the 4x800.
The Menomonie quartet of sophomore Bree Barfknecht, freshman Lauren Ohman, sophomore Addison Schuler and McCalla won the race in 9:04.13.
Trailing the leaders by four seconds when she got the baton, McCalla ran a blazing 2:07 anchor leg to prevail.
“I was absolutely dying on the last lap,” she said. “I was so tired. I was kicking as hard as I can. It was a huge relief when I crossed the finish line. I was so grateful when I won. It was awesome to get a third state championship.
“To do it for my girls was so awesome. My teammates did a great job and kept us within striking distance. I was so proud of them.”
McCalla embraces everything about being a runner.
“I don’t view practice as punishment. I like to run,” she said. “I have fun doing something I love. I like to train. I love the camaraderie with my teammates. We have a lot of girls who like to run.”
She also benefited from the influence of her coach.
“Olson has taught me how to be a better runner and better person. He’s an amazing coach,” McCalla said. “He taught me how to train and how to prepare to compete. He helped me mentally and helped me believe in myself.
“He taught me how to race and how to pace. He has done so much for me. I am going to take that with me for the rest of my life.”
Olson credited his star runner for her achievements.
“Lauren is just such a great kid and has been so much fun to coach,” he said. “She totally bought in 100 percent to what we were doing. The communication is awesome between us.
“I am really proud of the progression that she has made. She has a ton of potential. I am excited to see what she does in college.”
McCalla landed a track and cross country scholarship to the University of Washington, where she hopes to study nutrition.
“I want to eventually go pre-med,” she said. “And become a doctor.”
McCalla will join a Washington women’s track program that has recently finished in the top 10 in the country.
She also visited Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Minnesota, but McCalla loved everything about Washington.
McCalla committed to the Huskies in September of 2025.
“I really like their philosophies and how they train,” she said. “I am really excited. I love the coaches and the girls on the team. And I love Seattle, it is a great city. I am looking forward to going to college there.
“I think this will give me a chance to really grow as an athlete and a person. I think Washington is a perfect school for me.”
Not only did McCalla excel as an athlete, she is an outstanding student and finished high school with a 3.99 grade point average.
McCalla said she will always consider Menomonie home.
“I knew I would be happiest in Menomonie,” she said. “I love this town. I have so many big supporters here. I have a lot of family here. I am so grateful. Coming back, I learned how special it was here.
“Looking back, my decision to come back here was the best one.”
No doubt, it was a dream senior season for McCalla.
“I could not have asked for a better ending to my high school career. It was insane,” she said. “I had never won a state championship until this year and now I have four. It was so rewarding to do that and win a state title in the 4x8 in the last race with my teammates.
“I really appreciate all of the support I have received from my family, coaches, friends and teammates. I couldn’t have done this without them.”