Rachel Laurent Season 2025
Event: Pole Vault (IN: 14-3 ½; OUT: 14-3 ¼)
4-time All-American
SEC Champion
5-time All-SEC
CAREER CAPSULE
The most decorated pole vaulter in the history of the Lady Tiger program … Ended her collegiate career as the indoor and outdoor school-record holder in the pole vault … A four-time All-American and five-time All-SEC performer during her four-year career … Earned career-best finishes of third place at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2010 and seventh place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2011 … Crowned the SEC Indoor champion in the pole vault during her freshman season in 2009 … Scored a total of 15 points at the NCAA Championships and 55.5 points at the SEC Championships during her collegiate career … A three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection for her academic performance … A two-time College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District VI Team selection, earning first-team honors in 2010 and second-team honors in 2011 … Graduated from LSU in May 2012 with a degree in economics.
2012
Wrapped up her collegiate career with an All-American senior season in 2012 … Claimed her fourth career All-America honor in the pole vault with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships held in Nampa, Idaho … Cleared a 2012 seasonal best of 14-1 ¼ in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor meet to score three points for the Lady Tigers … Helped lead the Lady Tigers to a third-place finish in the final team standings at the NCAA Indoor Championships with her performance … Scored a total of 10.5 points at the SEC Championships between the indoor and outdoor seasons … Cleared 13-10 ½ to take fourth place at the SEC Indoor Championships … Tied for third place at the SEC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 13-4 ¼ … Earned a spot in the national semifinals during the outdoor season after taking seventh place at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds with a clearance of 13-5 ¼ … Finished in 18th place in the semifinal round at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a mark of 13-3 ½ in her final appearance as a Lady Tiger … Cleared an outdoor seasonal best of 13-11 ¾ in a runner-up finish at the Battle on the Bayou … Won the pole vault title at the Arizona State Tri-Meet (13-5 ¾) during the outdoor season and the LSU Twilight (13-4 ½) during the indoor season … Vaulted at the LSU NCAA Indoor Qualifier (13-7), Tyson Invitational (13-2 ½), Texas A&M Dual Meet (13-0 ¾), Razorback Invitational (12-10) and New Balance Collegiate Invitational during the indoor season … Also vaulted outdoors at the Texas Relays (13-7 ¼), LSU Alumni Gold (12-10 ¾), LSU Relays (12-6 ¼) and Penn Relays … Honored for her academic performance with a third selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll … Also named an all-academic pick by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association following the season.
2011
An All-America performer for the third-straight season as one of the premier pole vaulters in the NCAA … Earned her first career All-America honor outdoors with a seventh-place finish in the pole vault at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships … Cleared 13 feet, 9 ¼ inches at the NCAA Outdoor meet in Des Moines, Iowa … Scored two points to help the Lady Tigers earn a third-place team finish nationally during the 2011 season … Advanced to the national semifinals after finishing among the top 12 performers at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in Bloomington, Ind., where she went up and over the bar at 13-1 ½ … Earned her fifth career All-SEC honor with a runner-up finish in the pole vault at the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships held in Athens, Ga. … Went over the bar at 13-9 ¾ at the SEC Outdoor meet … Broke her own outdoor school record twice during the 2011 outdoor season … Kicked off the outdoor campaign by clearing 14-2 ½ in a record-setting performance at the LSU Tiger Relays … Her mark of 14-2 ½ also established a new Bernie Moore Track Stadium facility record in the women’s pole vault … Named the SEC Female Field Event Athlete of the Week on March 29 following her performance at the LSU Tiger Relays … Established her outdoor PR at the Texas Relays with a clearance of 14-3 ¼ for a third-place finish … Also won pole vault titles outdoors at the LSU Invitational (13-11 ¼) and Hurricane Alumni Invitational (13-3 ½) … Received all-conference recognition during the 2011 indoor season with her runner-up finish at the SEC Indoor Championships (13-7 ¼) … Cleared an indoor season best of 13-7 ¾ at the LSU NCAA Indoor Qualifier … Honored for her performance in the classroom with a selection to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District VI Second Team … Also selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll for the second-straight season.
2010
Showed her All-America form as one of the nation’s elite pole vaulters during her sophomore season in 2010 … Became an All-American for the second time in her career after earning a third-place finish in the pole vault at the 2010 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships … Cleared the bar at 14-3 ¼ at the indoor national meet to score six points for the Lady Tigers … Broke her own indoor school record twice during the 2010 indoor season … Qualified automatically for the NCAA Indoor Championships after clearing an indoor school-record height of 14-3 ¼ to win the event title at the New Mexico Invitational … Then cleared 14-3 ½ to earn her third career All-SEC honor with a runner-up finish at the SEC Indoor Championships … Finished the indoor season ranked as the No. 4 performer in the NCAA with her best of 14-3 ½ … Was also an NCAA Championships qualifier during the outdoor season … Finished in 11th place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., with a mark of 13-5 ½ … Advanced to the national meet by finishing among the top 12 performers at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds … Scored four points with a fifth-place finish in the pole vault at the SEC Outdoor Championships (13-2 ½) … Recorded a 2010 outdoor seasonal best of 13-11 ¼ to win the event title at the Miami Elite Invitational … A standout in the classroom who was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI First Team and the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
2009
Finished her freshman season as the most prolific pole vaulter in the history of the LSU women’s track and field program … Became the first Lady Tiger to win All-America honors in the pole vault with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in College Station, Texas … Cleared a mark of 13-7 ¼ inches at the NCAA Indoor meet … Also became the first Lady Tiger to be crowned SEC champion in the event with an indoor seasonal-best clearance of 14-0 ½ at the SEC Indoor meet … Was an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Indoor Championships after posting a mark of 13-9 ¼ to finish fourth in the event at the Tyson Invitational … Also made her first career appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she finished in 11th place with a clearance of 13-9 ¼ … Earned her second All-SEC honor of the 2009 season by tying for second place at the SEC Outdoor Championships with a mark of 13-5 ¼ … Is the only Lady Tiger to win the pole vault title in the university division at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays … Set a then overall personal best of 14-1 ¼ at the Texas Relays … Followed that performance by being crowned pole vault champion at the 115th Penn Relays with a clearance at 13-10 ½.
PRIOR TO LSU
One of the most prolific pole vaulters in the history of high school track and field in the United States … Was the nation’s top-ranked pole vaulter for the Class of 2008 during her senior season … Ranks No. 2 all-time among high school girls in the history of the sport with a personal best clearance of 14 feet at the Nollie Arcement Relays during the outdoor season of her senior year … Was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces In The Crowd” in its publication released May 2, 2008, for her record-setting performance … Was the fourth-place finisher in the pole vault at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland … Cleared a height of 13-11 ¼ at the World Championships before fouling out of the competition with the bar resting at 14-1 ¼ … Earned the right to represent her country at the World Championships by winning a gold medal at the USA Junior Championships in Columbus, Ohio, with a meet record clearance of 13-10 … Also dominated the competition during the indoor season of her senior year as she swept pole vault titles at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Washington, D.C., and the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in New York … Successfully defended her title after also winning the pole vault at the Nike Indoor Nationals in 2007 … Her indoor personal best of 13-9 ¼ set at the state meet in 2008 ranks No. 4 all-time indoors by a high school girl in the United States … A six-time indoor and outdoor state champion in Louisiana, she won back-to-back Louisiana Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year awards in 2006 and 2007 … Was named a three-time Track and Field News All-American and a three-time American Track and Field All-American from 2006-08 … Was also a member of the Girls All-USA Track and Field Team by USA Today for her performance in 2007.
PERSONAL
Full name is Rachel Anne Laurent … Born on Sept. 21, 1989 … Daughter of Charlie and Paula Laurent … Both parents attended LSU … Has two siblings: Amber and Nicholas … Was an outstanding student at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, where she was a member of the Honor Roll and National Honor Society … Graduated from LSU in May 2012 with a degree in economics.