Bending over backward: Audrey Garrett finishes MBA, USU track career
Last year’s Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championships occurred just 12 days before Utah State University announced an abrupt shift to online classes due to COVID-19.
USU senior high jumper Audrey Garrett leaped 1.75 meters at the event, putting her in fourth place overall. Her championship jump was slightly behind her PR of 1.76 meters, or just over 5’9”, which gives her the fifth spot in all-time school history.
But USU was not in her original college plan.
Garrett is from Roosevelt, Utah, a town in eastern Utah with an estimated population of just over 7,200. While attending Union High School, she was a two-time state champion and three-time letterwinner as a high jumper. She graduated in 2013.
Garrett then redshirted at the University of Arizona. After about a year and a half, Garrett was injured. This setback led her to decide to serve a mission to Lubbock, Texas, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Upon returning, Garrett became connected with USU.
“I decided to enroll at the USU extension in Roosevelt, Utah, and then I decided that I still wanted to do track,” Garrett said. “And so I reached out to the USU track coaches and they were like, ‘Yeah, we’d love to have you come up.’”
Because of an interest in child development and parenting, Garrett pursued an undergraduate degree in family life studies.
Garrett finished her bachelor’s degree last spring. While COVID-19 canceled last year’s outdoor track and field season and graduation ceremonies, it did allow Garrett to have one more year of eligibility as a student-athlete.
She had a choice. Ultimately, she decided to stay at USU for another year.
“I decided to go with an MBA, partly because it was one year and most graduate degrees are two years. But mostly, I just felt like it would open a lot of doors of opportunity for me,” Garrett said.
Garrett graduates with her MBA this spring. While she does not know exactly what she would like to do post-graduation, she would like to stay in Logan, if possible.
The indoor season was canceled this year, but Garrett has been able to compete in the outdoor season. At a recent meet at Stanford University, she placed first with a 1.72–meter jump.
“One thing that I love about track is you have the team aspect, but it’s also really individualized. So, your success depends a lot on yourself and how hard your work. One of my favorite things has been to just see myself improve and get better,” Garrett said.
Garrett said her experience in track has taught her to do hard things, including persevering through her finance class this semester.
USU jumps coach Erik Rasmussen said he has enjoyed coaching Garrett.
“Audrey has been an invaluable addition to our team. Her example, experience and maturity has lifted our program to new heights. She is a fierce competitor and expects the best of herself and others,” Rasmussen said in a statement. “It has been a joy to coach her. I, only half jokingly, say to our other athletes: just do what Audrey does. That admonition can be applied on and off the field. She is a wonderful person, spectacular student and will go down as one of the greatest athletes I have had the opportunity to coach.”
@nelsonalek