WPDE Sports caught up with Lauren Ellis at the US Youth National Track and Field championships at Myrtle Beach. Ellis capped off a stellar high school career at West Florence High by winning her second state championship in the 400 meter dash.
SCHSL Track and Field State Championships
2011 Girls AAAA 400 Meters
| Place | Name | School | Year | Time |
| 1 | Lauren Ellis | West Florence | Senior | 57.17 |
| 2 | Sharmaine Barnes | Northwestern | Senior | 57.78 |
| 3 | Sarah Johnson | South Aiken | Sophomore | 57.94 |
| 4 | Faith Calloway | Colleton County | Freshman | 59.05 |
| 5 | Nyala Waring | Summerville | Senior | 59.82 |
| 6 | Brianna Sumter | West Ashley | Senior | 1:00.32 |
| 7 | Tianna Davis | Ridge View | Senior | 1:01.27 |
| 8 | Brianna Pressley | Blythewood | Freshman | 1:03.02 |
Ellis has an impressive resume. She was named the Florence District One female athlete of the year and was a five time all-state selection.
Lauren Ellis Track Resume
With a 4.7 weighted GPA, Ellis is taking her academic and athletic prowess to the west coast and the Pac 10 to run for the Stanford Cardinal. Ellis says she'll run the 200 and 400 at Stanford. The Lady Cardinal finished in a tie for 8th at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Ellis told Mark Haggard that she's looking forward to working hard and improving her time in the 400. She estimates that she needs to shave off two seconds to be competitive at the Pac 10 level.
