It would be an understatement to say that senior Tauren Mitchell is a track star. From zooming around the field in Marshall Lane Elementary school to dominating the Westmont track, Mitchell holds running, not as a sport, but as a lifelong passion. She will be continuing her running career at a collegiate level at the University of California, Davis in the fall of 2024. Read an exclusive interview with the athlete below.
What was the recruiting process like?
The recruiting process for running was very easy. I started my recruiting process as a soccer player when I was a Freshman in high school. In soccer there are a lot more aspects that are needed to get noticed and recruited like highlight videos and endless emails. Fortunately for me, recruiting for running is a lot more simple. I would send emails to schools that I was interested in and link my times for the coaches to look at. After getting responses I would set up calls with coaches and eventually I started planning official visits.
Why UC Davis?
Growing up I always went to Davis for soccer tournaments and I fell in love with the area. However, my love for UC Davis came from my cousin who was a softball athlete there. I loved hearing her talk about how much she was enjoying her college experience as both a student and an athlete. Ever since then I knew that UC Davis was my dream school, but I never thought I would actually be given the opportunity to go there.
What was your reaction after committing?
Committing to UC Davis was one of the greatest feelings ever. I was beyond excited and grateful to be given an opportunity to run for my dream school. I was also very relieved knowing that the recruiting process was finally over and that I would only be needing to apply to one school in the Fall.
Is there anyone you want to thank?
I want to thank my teammates, coaches, and most importantly my family for encouraging and supporting me through all these years. Specifically, I want to thank my mom who has always been my biggest supporter and has helped me more than anyone with getting recruited. She has spent countless hours taking me to races and traveling all across the country just to make my dreams of being a collegiate athlete a reality.
Is there any advice you would give to any students hoping to further their athletic career into college?
My only piece of advice I would give other athletes hoping to further their athletic career into college is to continue having fun and enjoying their sport. Being a high level athlete can be stressful and very difficult, it is easy to lose your love for the sport. As long as you are having fun, you will keep improving and it will translate into becoming a college athlete.