Westfield State’s Lauren Gilderdale launches the shot put at the 2019 Jerry Gravel Invitational meet. (WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS PHOTO)
WESTFIELD – “I need to get that All-America award,” says Westfield State senior track and field athlete Lauren Gilderdale.
Gilderdale was on schedule to earn it a few weeks ago, as a national qualifier in the 20-lb weight throw for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, but that pursuit was derailed when the meet was abruptly canceled due to the Covid-19 crisis.
While the actual award may have to wait, as Gilderdale considers returning to school next year to complete the final season of eligibility in the outdoor track and field season, it does not invalidate the work that she’s put in to reach the highest level of her sport.
“She’s the complete package, she’s really developed herself. She practically lives in the weight room – more than some of our football guys,” laughed Westfield State head track and field coach Sean O’Brien, who also doubles as the Owls’ defensive backs coach in the fall. “She’s worked at her craft, it’s taken four years, to really figure out the weight throw and the hammer. Last year was a learning experience as she was close to qualifying for nationals, but came up just short.”
A native of Monterey, Mass. who attended Housatonic Valley Regional High School just over the border in Falls Village, Conn., Gilderdale planned to attend Westfield State for the school’s well-recognized criminal justice program. She played soccer for the Owls in the fall of her freshman year before locking in on the throwing events – where she has been a standout.
“My dad really pushed me to continue with the throwing events to stay in condition, and I found a niche,” she said.
“We really didn’t know a whole lot about her when she got here,” said O’Brien.
“Westfield State track and field felt like a family from the beginning, when I walked on,” said Gilderdale. “Everyone introduced themselves, opened me up to a whole realm of friends and adventures, let me build more and more bonds. Riley (Moore), Keefer (Canty) and Tayor (White) – they motivate and inspire me, they are passionate about their sports and its contagious.”
“Experience has helped,” said O’Brien. “She wanted to work out all the time and would lift and run right up to the day of the meets. She’s learned to pull the reins back a little bit, to rest a little bit for the bigger meets in order to be at her best and qualify.”
“Fall of my sophomore year, one of my roommates, Mikayla Ferrini, was really into the gym and fitness routines and helped get me into it,” said Gilderdale.
“Sports really helped push me outward at Westfield State – to my different classes, professors, random people on campus know what we do in athletics and recognize how we represent WSU, and I’m proud of that,” said Gilderdale.
“Everybody on the team looks up to her,” said O’Brien. “The success she has had, the work ethic, she’s easy to work with and listens to coaching. She and (throws coach) Carly (Markos) are a good pair and have worked well together over the last year. I think that has helped Lauren.”
“Lauren has a great work ethic, added O’Brien. “The average athlete works, but doesn’t put in that amount of work day in and day out for four years. Lauren will stay at the end of practice and do continuous work on turns, and do 1,000 turns on her own. You don’t need a coach there for that. But if you don’t do extra, and have that effort for four years you are not going to be at the level she’s at.”
Gilderdale has been a key component as the Owls have won four-straight MASCAC women’s indoor track and field championships. She’s won a total of six MASCAC individual titles over the past three years in the indoor and outdoor throwing events, culminating with two dominating performances at the 2020 MASCAC indoor championships, where she won both the weight throw, and the shot put, each event with throws more than two meters farther than her closest challenger. She has titles in the hammer, the weight throw, the shot put and the discus as she balances the four throwing events.
Her shelf full of awards continues, as she was All-New England in the discus in 2019, All-New England in the weight throw indoors 2019, All-New England in the weight throw and the shot put indoors in 2020, and a posted a top 10 finish at the New England All-Divisions meet in the weight throw in 2020.
“Hammer is by far my favorite,” said Gilderdale. “There’s nothing better than feeling the weight of the hammer pull against you and feeling the release of a hammer well sent.”
The skills and training for the four events are somewhat interchangeable.
“Whether focusing on disc, hammer or shot, the same idea behind focusing your weight to counter the implement and keeping your core tight seems to be the base for all of my throws,” said Gilderdale. “I work on a lot of explosive training to work quick twitch muscles which is all that throwing is; explosive strength, driven by tightened technique!”
Gilderdale was making her first trip to the NCAA Championships for the 2020 indoor meet, after just missing both indoor and outdoor as a junior. The top eight finishers in each individual event at the meet earn All-America honors. She, Canty, and the coaching staff were already in Winston-Salem, N.C. for the meet when the announcement came that it was canceled.
It’s “Really emotional,” said Gilderdale. “I’ve worked so hard for so many years for my dream to be an All-American. To get to the nationals, to have a chance to practice there, feel the (throwing) circle under my feet. It was a great moment to be there and feel like I belonged. I was happy to be there and see my other competitors and everyone trying to be great at what they do.”
“It’s a little sore, a little painful,” to see that taken away with the sudden cancellation of the event.
“It’s almost like being an Olympian,” said O’Brien. “It’s been a four-year process to get there for her. It’s like having the Olympics cancelled.”
“I’d love to come back, and love my coaches and teammates,” said Gilderdale, noting that she could expand a minor in psychology into a double-major. “I need to get that All-America award. I’ll get it.” – Courtesy of Westfield State Associate Athletics Director Dave Caspole
