Leaders are typically described as commanding and loud-voiced. However, when speaking about Lori Vaught, track and field coach Kathleen Raske says she is dependable, caring and competitive.

Senior track and field athlete Vaught is the Lady Hornets’ two-time captain because of her displays of leadership on and off the track.

“She is a tremendous leader, a great competitor, a four-time Big Sky champion between the long and triple jump, and an all-academic for both Big Sky and NCAA Regional. She is the type of athlete you can build your team around,” Raske said.

Vaught came to the Sacramento State after she spent a year at Cal State L.A. in 2005 where her accolades first started. There she earned NCAA D-II honors for jumping 19-04.75, and won the California Collegiate Athletic Association long jump title in 2005, earning her the Freshman of the Year award.

She continued her success while transferring to Sac State, where she won four first place medals in the Big Sky Conference between the long jump and the triple jump. She is a two-time NCAA Regional Qualifier and helped the Lady Hornets win the Big Sky Indoor Championship earlier this year.

“The key to my success is my team. Bunky (Tyreina Henly-Henderson) and I first worked on getting the freshmen’s mentality on winning the Big Sky Championship this year. Wanting that title and having the team to win helped me stay in the right attitude to perform well when I needed to,” Vaught said.

Vaught said her practice mentality and competition are not one in the same. When she practices with her teammates they keep it competitive by seeing who can jump the farthest and try to beat each other’s marks.

Still, in practice Vaught said the team tries to keep it fun so the players won’t get stressed out and keep the right attitude for the meets to come.

Nevertheless, Vaught stays on the right foot when it comes to her attitude.

“Lori leads by example and has a winning attitude. She is very encouraging and is always first on the runway letting her teammates know they are doing a good job during competition. She actually leads. When it is time to do things in practice, she is the first to do so – then people follow,” jumps coach Terry Van Laningham said.

It is not only the coaches who give Vaught praise. Her teammates said she is the right lady for the job as captain.

“Lori is a great teammate and is very positive. We are usually not close to the track competition, but if she can make it she comes and cheers on the throwers,” senior thrower Kati Lodato said.

As the Big Sky Conference Championship comes to Sacramento this year for outdoor competition, Vaught said she has to do what is necessary for the team to win outdoors.

“I am super excited for championships to be at home this year,” she said.

David Green can be reached at [email protected]