Cierra Lively, a senior and track and field star at WSU, will be leaving with a legacy to remember. Coming from Hillsboro, Ohio, she has made a tidal wave of success for herself, becoming one of the best high jumpers in Horizon League History. Lively competed in indoor and outdoor track and field all four years at WSU; each year she competed, she continuously strived for success, not only for herself, but for her team as well.
Gaining momentum
Coming into college, Lively had a personal best of 1.55 meters for high jump, and now sits at a personal best of 1.78 meters, gaining closer to her goal of 6 feet. In her freshman season, she PR her high school height to 1.63 and tied with the school record. From this point on, Lively pushed more and started to strive.
Assistant Jumps Coach Jeff Ross discussed the effort she put in.
“We worked on her technique all fall of her freshman year, and she produced a personal best at her very first college meet,” Ross stated.
Last fall indoor season, Lively set her new personal best at the indoor track and field Horizon League Championship, reaching 1.78 meters for the high jump, securing the title. Not only did she secure the championship title in high jump for the Horizon League, but she also tied her new personal best with the Horizon League Championship record mark.
Each season, Lively stepped out onto the track and proved her history of excellence by pushing further each time. Within these four years at WSU, Cierra Lively has broken the High Jump School record countless times.
“Cierra has grown tremendously since her first year. Not only as an athlete but a student and a person,” Ross said.
Her legacy
In her final seasonat Indoor Track, Lively received the Horizon League Sportsmanship Award. At each practice and meet, Lively was there supporting her teammates and cheering them on, no matter the time.
“I have found that I am not the type of athlete that needs to be locked in at a meet. Socializing and cheering on my teammates calms me down more and gets me in the competitive mood,” Lively stated.
Now in her last season as a Raider, Lively is continuing her great record until the end. After her first track meet, Lively earned HL Female Field Athlete of the week for her fabulous performance at the Blizzard Buster in Miami, Ohio.
According to Wright State Athletics, “Lively grabbed the top spot in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.70 meters.”
Finishing her college career, Lively will be graduating with a Bachelor's in communication studies. Not only was Cierra Lively a fantastic athlete, but she shined outside of the sport as well, by spending three years working for the Athletic Department in marketing while doing her studies.
After she graduates, Cierra plans to continue a career in sports as well as continue to be an athlete.
