Lauren Pollard

Winning both the javelin and high jump events at the SCIAC Championships in her sophomore year, Veronica Andrews help the team to claim its second conference title in three seasons. This year, Andrews, a senior, has played a key role in the Leopards’ track and field team and is expected to place at the national championships, which begins May 26.

Taryn Aguilar
Staff Writer

A renaissance woman, senior Veronica Andrews is looking to place in the national track and field championships, where being in the top eight will give her the All-American title that she’s been reaching for during her entire career at the University of La Verne.

Her friend and teammate, senior Chelsea Sherier, describes Andrews as the best athlete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Sherier, along with others on the team, believe that with Andrews’ strong javelin ability, she will be able to pierce right through the competition.

“I’ve been to Nationals with her for the past two years,” said Sherier. “She loves the competition. She’ll come out. She’ll do well.”

However, Andrews is more than a javelin thrower with potential for national competition. She is a television broadcast major, an avid surfer, who loves to travel, she has aspirations of attending film school and has a strong athletic history.

While she attended La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, in San Diego County, she played four sports.

She was on the volleyball, track, surf and basketball teams.

“Originally I was recruited here at ULV for both the basketball and track teams,” said Andrews. “I just really liked the individual competition because that’s what I liked about surfing. There’s still a team aspect, of course, but when it comes down to it, it’s about the individual’s performance. That’s why I chose to go with track and field here at La Verne.”

Right now, Andrews is gearing up for Nationals.

She has been trying to nurse a back injury she recently experienced during conference competition, but she’s not too worried that it will affect her performance.

She is trying to calm her nerves and focusing on the fact that she’s been to Nationals three times already and has nothing to lose, so she’s just going to go for it.

“She’s very dedicated and has been very successful,” head coach Pat Widolff said. “She’s won our conference championship in javelin three years in a row. She’s willing to do anything to win.”

Andrews, a woman of many talents, would love to win the All-American title at Nationals this year.

She placed ninth last year, one spot away from the title.

Taryn Aguilar can be reached at taguilar@ulv.edu.