Clemson & Virginia Tech TFRRS Profile

Clemson Cross Country bio

The Path to Albuquerque: Laurie Barton

Career Accolades

Awards & Accolades

• National Runner-Up — W 800m (O) — 2021
• National Runner-Up — W 800m (I) — 2021
• ACC Outdoor Women’s 800m Champion — 2021
• All-ACC Academic Honor — 2020 indoor
• ACC Women’s Co-Track P.O.T.W. (Jan. 27, 2021)
• ACC Women’s Track Performer of the Week (April 28).

All-American

• 800m (O) – 2021
• 800m (I) – 2021
• 800m (I) – 2020

All-ACC

• 800m (O) – 1st place (first-team) – 2021
• 800m (I) – 2nd place (first-team) – 2021
• DMR (I) – 2nd place (second-team) – 2021
• 800m (I) – 1st place (first-team) – 2020

Clemson All-Time Top 10 Rankings

• No. 1 – 1,000 meters (I) – 2:42.51
• No. 1 – 800 meters (I) – 2:01.21
• No. 2 – 800 meters (O) – 2:00.65
• No. 2 – 1,500 meters (O) – 4:14.20

Clemson Notes

• Became just the second Clemson woman to break 2:02 for the indoor 800m, running 2:01.99 during the final of the event at the 2021 ACC Indoor Championships.
• Became the No. 7 all-time collegiate performer for the women’s indoor 800m after running 2:01.21. (As of 3/14/21)
• Became the No. 15 all-time collegiate performer for the women’s outdoor 800m after running 2:00.65. (As of 6/17/21)
• Holds the ACC Championship meet record for the women’s 800m – 2:00.70.

Season Highlights

2021 Outdoor Season

• Finished as the national runner-up in the 800m at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships (June 9-12).
  • During the final, ran a personal best of 2:00.65 for the event. Ran 2:02.25 to qualify out of the semifinal heats.
• Qualified out of the NCAA East Region Preliminary (May 26-29) meet by running 2:01.21 during the quarterfinals.
• Won the ACC Outdoor 800m title after running 2:00.70.
  • This was a meet record and Paul Derr Track Facility (NC State) record.
  • This was the second individual ACC 800m title of Barton’s career.
• Made her outdoor debut for Clemson by contesting the 1,500 meters at the FSU Relays (March 25-26).
• Became the No. 2 all-time performer in the women’s 800m at Clemson during the UCF Knights Invite (April 23-24), winning the event in 2:01.57.
  • This is the second-fastest time of Barton’s career.
• Set a personal best in the 400m at the USC Open (April 17) by running 54.53.
• Turned in the then-No. 4 performance in program history in the metric mile, running 4:18.56 at the FSU Relays.
• Became then-No. 6 all-time in the women’s outdoor 800m at the Miramar Invitational (April 10), running 2:04.21.

2021 Indoor Season

• Made her season debut by contesting the 600 meters at the Orange & Purple Elite (Jan. 9).
• Finished as the national runner-up in the indoor women’s 800m at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships (March 11-13).
  • During her runner-up performance, Barton set the Clemson school record in the women’s 800m by running 2:01.21 during the final on March 13.
• Became the second Clemson athlete to break 2:02 in the women’s 800 meters by running 2:01.99 to finish 2nd in the event at the ACC Championships (Feb. 25-27).
  • Her final time was nearly a two-second personal best.
• Broke 2:04 in the 800m for the first time at Clemson during the Tiger Paw Invitational (Feb. 12-13), running 2:03.91.
• Set the school record at 1k during the Hokie Invitational (Jan. 22-23), running 2:42.51.
  • Barton’s time, as of 1/25/21, is the No. 12 all-time collegiate performance and No. 11 all-time NCAA DI performance.
  • The former record (2:43.03) was held by Natoya Goule and set in 2015.
• Was the top collegiate runner in the 600 meters at the Orange & Purple Elite, running a personal best of 1:30.9.
• Ran the 800 meters at the Clemson Invitational (Jan. 15-16), finishing first overall after running 2:05.10.
• Contested the 400m at the South Carolina Invitational (Feb. 6), running 56.58.
• At the South Carolina Invitational, Barton ran 3:25.50 as the leadoff leg on the team’s DMR.

2019-20 Indoor Season Highlights

• Earned the title in the women’s 800 meters at the 2020 ACC Championships (Feb. 27-29) after running 2:04.04.
  • Her victory in the event was her first individual victory while at Clemson.
• Qualified for the 2020 NCAA Div. I Indoor Championships following her performance at ACC’s.
• Ranked No. 6 in the NCAA for the women’s 800 meters entering the NCAA Indoor Championships.
• Ranked No. 4 in Clemson history for the women’s 800 meters and women’s 1000 meters following her indoor performances this season.
• Made her Clemson debut by racing in the women’s 600 meters at the Clemson Opener (Dec. 7).
• Earned five top-5 individual finishes this season across three different events.
• Competed in the 300 meters, 400 meters, 600 meters, 800 meters, and 1000 meters.
• Tabbed as a member of the Academic All-ACC Team for her academic and athletic excellence during the indoor season.

🏆VICTORY!🏆
Relive the moments surrounding Laurie Barton's 800 meter title and Clemson's 1-2 sweep of the event!#ClemsonTrackXC pic.twitter.com/Mzs7tllVJs

— Clemson Track & Field 🐾 (@ClemsonTrackXC) February 29, 2020

2018-19 Season

• Did not compete during the season.

Prior to Clemson

• Transferred from Virginia Tech following the 2018 outdoor season. Competed for two full seasons with the Virginia Tech program.
• Was a member of the DMR team that finished third overall at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. Barton was the 800-meter leg of the relay.
• Qualified for the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships as an individual in the 800 meters.
• Two-time qualifier for the NCAA East Region Preliminaries in the women’s 800 meters (2017, 2018).
• Three-time second-team All-ACC honoree in the women’s 800 meters.
• Set an 800-meter personal best by running 2:03.72 in the final of the women’s 800 meters at the 2018 ACC Indoor Championships, finishing fourth overall.
• Finished second at the 2017 USATF Junior Championships in the women’s 800 meters.
• Represented Team USA at the 2017 Pan American Games, finishing fifth overall in the competition with a time of 2:07.92.
• Earned her first collegiate victory while racing the 800 meters at the Virginia Grand Prix (Aug. 29, 2017).
• Competed in cross country for two seasons while a member of the Virginia Tech program.

Personal

• Health Sciences major
• Pre-professional health studies minor
• Deans list recipient
• Habitat for Humanity member.