Sara Vaughn

Position:
Middle Distance
Height:
5-1
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Gering, Neb.
High School:
Gering

SARA VAUGHN

Middle Distance

Junior, RS/1L

Gering, Neb. (Gering)

PERSONAL BESTS

Indoor:

800-Meter: 2:11.7 (2006)

Mile: 4:58.14 (2006)

1,000-Meter: 3:01.68 (2006)

3,000-Meter: 10:11.85 (2006)

Outdoor:

400-Meter: 59.25 (2007)

1,500-Meter: 4:19.70 (2007)

Steeplechase: 11:18.91 (2007)

BIG 12 SCORING

2007 (O) 1,500-Meter, 3^rd (4:29.86)

NCAA MIDWEST REGION CHAMPIONSHIP SCORING

2007 (O) 1,500-Meter, 3^rd (4:21.33)

2008 OUTLOOK: Sara hopes to improve her 1,500-meter personal record during the outdoor season and hopes to return to the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships.

2007: Vaughn did not compete during the indoor season, but she had a strong showing during the outdoor season. She dominated in the 1500-meter event during the regular season and she continued to improve as the season progressed. Vaughn earned a third-place finish at the Potts Invite with a time of 4:40.04 and finished in first place at the Mt. Sac Relays with a regional qualifying time of 4:26.24. She topped that time with a personal record time of 4:19.70 (regional qualifying time) at the Stanford Invite, where she place twelfth. That pr time placed her at No. 5 on the CU Top Performers list for the 1500. Vaughn placed third in the Big 12 Outdoor meet with another regional qualifying time of 4:27.13 in the prelims and a time of 4:29.86 in the finals. Vaughn’s regional qualifying times earned her a chance to compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet, where she place third with a time of 4:21.33, wrapping up her successful outdoor campaign.

2006: Vaughn only participated during the indoor season in 2006. In her first meet of the season, she ran a 5:08.66 mile. At the Big 12 Championships, she ran the 1,000 and 3,000-meter run. She finished 13^th in the preliminaries of the 1,000 and took 21^st in the 3k.

2005 (at Virginia): Vaughn earned a letter in cross country and track and field at the University of Virginia.

CROSS COUNTRY: An alternate at the NCAA Championship and regionals, Vaughn became an important part of the Buffs success during the 2005 campaign. She started the season with a 19^th-place finish at the Rocky Mountain Shootout. At the Pre-Nationals race, she placed eighth on the team and took 183^rd overall. In Vaughn’s final race of the season, she finished 53^rd overall at the Big 12 Championship. She did not compete in 2006 and was married over the summer in 2007 to teammate Brent Vaughn. She came back in the 2007 season and won the Rocky Mountain Shootout for her first collegiate cross country victory and was named the CU Athlete of the Week along side her husband who also won his race. Vaughn finished in 21:00. She was the No. 2 scorer for the Buffs at pre-nats with a 20^th-place finish. Vaughn placed eighth at Big 12’s to earn her first all-conference honor and moved up to sixth at the regional to receive all-region recognition. Vaughn raced to a 31^st-place finish at nationals and was the second CU harrier to cross the line. With the placing, she became an All-American for the first time in her collegiate career.

HIGH SCHOOL: Vaughn was all-state in cross country all four years. She was named the Star-Herald Athlete of the Year in 2001m 2003 and 2004. Vaughn owns the GHS records in the 800, 1600 and 3200m and is part of the record holding 3200m relay. She was the Nebraska Class B 1600m champions with a time of 4:58.15. AS a senior, Vaughn won the All-class 800, 1600 and 3200m. Her cross country squad won the district championships in 2002 and 03 and her track and field team won in 2003 and 04. In 2003 and 04, the GHS track team was the state runner-up. Vaughn was a member of the National Honor Society in high school from 2002-04 and was on the honor roll her freshman year through her senior year.

ACADEMICS: Vaughn is a psychology major, but is also interested in Spanish. She was named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll the last three semesters. Vaughn recorded a 3.871 GPA this past fall, after giving birth to her daughter in Sept.

PERSONAL: Sara Marie Ensrud was born on May 16, 1986 in Kearney, Neb. Her parents are David Ensrud and Alicia Gibson of Gering, Neb. Vaughn’s father wrestled at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Her hobbies include cycling and camping. Vaughn’s favorite food is Italian and her favorite athlete is Lance Armstrong. Vaughn married fellow cross country/track and field teammate Brent Vaughn on July 28, 2007. They welcomed a daughter, Ciara Grace, on Sept. 23, 2006.