Illinois Wesleyan 2013 graduate Lauren Rock was a multi-time winner of NCAA Division III All-American honors, most recently for being on the fourth-place 4x400 team at the D-III outdoor track championships after being on the sixth-place 4x400 relay team at the NCAA indoor championships. In 2012 the 4x400 relay team she ran with was second in the national outdoor championships and the 4x400 was fifth outdoors in 2011 and second indoors in 2010.
Individually she placed second in 2013 and 2012 in the 400 meter dash at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin indoor championships.
The daughter of Pearl Leonard-Rock and Terry Rock, Lauren majored in educational studies at Illinois Wesleyan.
Why you chose Illinois Wesleyan: I grew up in Wisconsin, all of my friends were staying nearby, and I wanted something new and different! Illinois Wesleyan was away from home, but still close enough if I got homesick.
IWU class you’re most qualified to teach: It doesn’t exist, but "How to Walk Across the Entire IWU Campus (in 4 minutes or less)"
The hardest challenge about being a Division III student-athlete is: People don’t understand that competing in DIII isn’t bad. I always get asked why I didn’t go to UW-Madison for track. Division I is great, but in track…speed is speed wherever you go.
Worst grade in a class you ever got – what and when? When I get a 9 out of 10 on an assignment it drives me crazy and IS the “worst”
I’m deathly afraid of ... : Dark basements
Worst habit: Biting my nails
Most expensive traffic ticket: $182
Language I’d like to learn: Chinese
The longest I could survive without my cell phone: Oh goodness, I can survive for about 3 days before really becomes physically obvious that I’m “lost without my phone”.
One word your mother or father would use to describe you: Compassionate
Favorite sports figures: Michael Jordan, Venus Williams, Sanya Richards-Ross
My greatest moment in sports was: Anchoring my first IWU 4x4 at Indoor Nationals
The best player I ever faced was: Nevada Morrison
Worst dresser on my team: Jordan Collins
Thing that’s been in my fridge the longest: Ketchup
Person I’m dying to have dinner with: Ice Cube
Favorite food: Lobster stuffed mushrooms
Vegetable I won’t eat: Okra
Pepsi or Coke? Pepsi if I don’t have ice. Coke if I have ice.
Favorite TV show: "Cupcake Wars" or "The League"
Favorite musical group: TLC
Favorite movie: "The Best Man"
If a movie were made of my life, I would like the following person to play me: Sanaa Lathan
If my life were on TV as a reality show, I’d call it: "Entirely Too Much"
The person in history I would most like to meet is: William Shakespeare
My dream job would be: Headmaster at a boarding school
Place I’d most like to live: China
Two things that are tops on my “bucket list”: Go on a safari and owning a giraffe
My possession that would fetch the most on eBay: Antique African Queen Barbies
Who is the luckiest person in the world? I’m feeling pretty lucky as the "Featured Titan"
What I miss most about being in the third grade: The hot lunches--they used to be so good!
