Tuscola track star Patterson to continue career at Ball State

TUSCOLA Everyone was already curious about where Lia Patterson was going to continue her track and field career in college.

She won two more Class 1A state titles last spring, earning her News-Gazette Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors for the second year in a row.

Going into her senior year, her commitment became one of the areas most anticipated.

But when Tuscola announced the date of its star runners signing day back in late October, curiosity only grew.

The ceremony was set for Friday night, but Patterson wanted to keep everything else a surprise.

I could be going to the smallest or biggest school out there I just wanted to keep it under wraps so it would be a lot more exciting, Patterson said.

I was just really excited to share it with everyone on the same day.

I feel like spreading where I was going as soon as I committed would kind of lose that spark, and it would be a lot more fun and rewarding to have everyone wait.

The wait was well worth it for Patterson, as she found herself surrounded by friends and family Friday evening, celebrating her commitment to Ball State.

Pattersons recruitment process, which she said really picked up last July, was a long and stressful one, and landing at the Mid-American Conference program out of Muncie, Ind., wasnt an easy decision.

She wanted to make sure her academics came first, so even though her times were comparable to some incoming freshmen heading to bigger schools with more historically successful track and field programs, she kept all her options open.

I really fell in love with the campus.

It seemed very homey as soon as I stepped on the campus, Patterson said of what drew her to Ball State.

The main thing for me is being able to feel comfortable.

I walked onto the campus, and it felt like I could make this place my home for the next four years.

Of course, I really liked the coaching staff.

They were very welcoming, and it really felt like they were excited and wanted me to be there.

It really felt like I was getting recruited and not just another name on the roster.

At the end of the day, Patterson is simply happy to have the opportunity to keep competing at the collegiate level, especially considering she wasnt sold on the idea until just a few years ago.

When she was younger and first getting into sports, Patterson played soccer and ran cross-country.

It wasnt until eighth grade that she began considering the possibility of focusing on track.

Eventually, I got into track, and a bunch of people would say, Shes definitely going to run in college.

She could make a career out of it, Patterson said.

I thought it was just people being nice.

At such a young age, it was kind of over my head.

At some points, I really didnt think I was going to run in college.

For the longest time, I liked the thought of being good, but enjoying it enough to make a career out of it was something I didnt understand.

I wasnt in love with track.

That came a lot later.

Now, she holds four individual Warrior records in the 200- and 400-meter dashes and 100- and 300-meter hurdles and was also on the record-setting 400- and 800-meter relay teams.

On top of that, shes a five-time individual state champion and helped Tuscola win its first girls track and field state title as a team in 2022.

Patterson has her eyes set on lowering most of those marks this spring, but her biggest goal is to break Jenny Kimbros 1A state 300 hurdles record from 2016 (42.57 seconds), which she came just 25-hundredths of a second away from doing at last years state prelims.

And Patterson will have a full offseason of training to reach that goal.

She decided to forego her senior basketball season, much to the surprise of her peers, to focus on staying healthy for track.

With her commitment behind her and no basketball this winter, Patterson is already eager to make it to spring.

It was nice to be able to commit now and have a stress-free mind going into track season, Patterson said.

I know where Im going, I love it, the coaching staff is amazing and I feel really comfortable and supported.

Having that mindset, Im really excited for what I can accomplish this track season..

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