After competing for a small high school, Eden Christian Academy senior Lauren Gronbeck looks forward to continuing her track and cross country career on a larger stage at Bucknell University in the 2016-17 season.
Gronbeck, 17, of Pine signed a letter of intent to the Bison women's team, becoming the second generation of her family to join the squad.
Gronbeck placed second to Vincentian's Marianne Abdalah at the WPIAL Class A girls cross country championship meet and third in the state in the fall. It was the second consecutive year she was WPIAL runner-up to Abdalah.
In track, she was second to Abdalah in WPIAL Class AA and third in the state in the 3,200-meter run last spring.
Bucknell track and cross country coach Kevin Donner likes Gronbeck's potential.
“I have been following Lauren since last spring,” he said. “Being from a smaller school, she has a lot of upside and will improve a lot when she gets in a college program where there are a lot of teammates pushing her.”
Bucknell won the Patriot League cross country title this season after placing second four times from 2010-14.
The Bison indoor and outdoor track teams have captured four league crowns each since 2010, including last season.
Bucknell is the preseason pick to repeat as indoor champion.
Gronbeck said her goal as a freshman is to make the travel team.
Gronbeck follows her mother, the former Kelly Marsh, on the Bison.
Marsh was a first-team Academic All American and the Patriot League Women's Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1990.
She took first place at the East Coast Conference indoor championships in the 2-mile run in 1988 and '90 and was the conference outdoor champion in the 5,000-meter run in 1990.
The elder Gronbeck, who coached her daughter on the Eden Christian cross country team, said she is proud of her.
“Getting to run (in NCAA) Division I is a huge perk,” Kelly Gronbeck said. “She'll be in a big group, (which will be) most fun for her.”
Lauren Gronbeck plans to study biology and become a physician.
Karen Kadilak is a freelance writer.
