AUBURN, Ala. – A standout track and field athlete in Jamaica, Lacena Golding-Clarke intended to compete for the University of Texas but one visit to the Plains in the mid-1990s changed her mind.
"I met Janice Robinson," she said, referencing Auburn's director of student-athlete enhancement. "I felt like she wanted me to succeed as a student more than as an athlete. I really needed someone's guidance. Someone who was going to push me, who was going to motivate me every day when it came to the classroom. She was that person for me, more like a mother away from home. I chose Auburn because I felt like there was more care here."
'It makes me happy to give back'
Golding-Clarke excelled at Auburn as a student and as an athlete, earning six All-America honors and winning the silver medal in long jump at the 1998 NCAA Championships.
"It was amazing when I came here and succeeded both in the classroom and on the track," she said. "There's no better deal than that."
At Auburn, Golding-Clarke trained first under Harvey Glance, then Ralph Spry.
"Coach Spry was great, getting me fast and strong, certainly made me into an Olympian," said Golding-Clarke, who graduated from Auburn University in 1999 in political science and government, then remained on the Plains as a volunteer coach while competing professionally, helping the women's team win the NCAA title in 2006.
"It makes me happy to give back, to teach what I know, what I've learned throughout the years," said Golding-Clarke, who competed for Jamaica in the Olympics in 1996, 2000 and 2004, when she finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles.
Golding-Clarke did make it to Austin, Texas, after all, serving as an assistant coach for five years before departing for Texas – El Paso for a decade as an assistant following her professional career.
After spending the past 10 years at UTEP, Golding-Clarke came back to the Plains last summer to join head coach Leroy Burrell's Auburn staff.
'This is where I wanted to be'
"Auburn is home," she said. "Auburn is one of those places where the tradition lives on. When I got the opportunity to come back here, it was a no-brainer. This is where I wanted to be. This is where it all started for me. I'm happy to be back in the place where I can soar and excel.
"Coach Burrell is a great leader. I've always wanted to work with him, to learn from him. He's been a world record holder. He's someone who can give me a great deal of information to be better at what I do. I regard him as one of the best in the business."
When recruiting prospective student-athletes, Golding-Clarke shares the qualities that drew her to Auburn.
"When I recruit, I tell them about the Auburn family, the traditions that we have," she said. "It's a great university. The opportunities I had here were far greater than anywhere I could imagine."
Along with Burrell and fellow assistant coach Ken Harnden, Golding-Clarke works with Auburn's sprinters and hurdlers.
"I can't wait to see where we take them," she said. "I feel like we are one of the best, together, in the business. I'm ready to take the group far beyond what I have done."
Nearly three decades after first choosing Auburn, Lacena-Golding Clarke chose Auburn again.
"Auburn is a great place," she said. "Who wouldn't want to be here on campus? Auburn sells itself. I feel like anyone who visits would fall in love with this place.
"I'm excited to make an impact on this program. I've learned from different mentors along the way. I feel like I have a tremendous amount of information to give back to a student-athlete. I enjoy seeing them excel and happy in what they do."
LGC: 'Happy to be back in the place where I can soar and excel'
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer