By Jonathan Caudle, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Every team and program needs veteran leadership that other student-athletes can look up to for inspiration.
Wickham has been a huge source of inspiration for the Golden Eagle track and field team this season.
"Lisa has been a leading force of inspiration for the track and field program, both on and off the track this year," expressed head coach Peter Dalton.
Lisa Wickham has epitomized what it means to be a veteran leader, leading by example and serving as an inspiration to her teammates.
"She is widely respected by her teammates and the coaching staff," said Dalton. "She's not one to fear a challenge regardless of how big or small it may be."
This was most evident during the OVC Indoor Championship in Birmingham, Ala. Wickham shattered the previous OVC indoor record in the 60-meters, a record that she set during the 2019 OVC indoor championships, with an impressive 7.27-second performance. She bested the rest of the field by twenty-seven hundredths of a second.
She has not only been an inspiration on the track, but she has also been an inspiration in the classroom, serving as a tutor during her spare time when she is not competing.
"Lisa has made it her priority to motivate all the girls in her training group and assist in community service activities," said Dalton.
Wickham has also served in the community along with her fellow track and field student-athletes helping to restore Putnam County and the Cookeville community following the devastating tornadoes last week.
"She is calm, respectable and values the opportunity and platform in which Tennessee Tech has provided for her," expressed Dalton.
It is for these qualities and dedication that Wickham is the recipient of the February Unsung Leader Award.
The Unsung Leader Award is selected from student-athletes, who have been nominated by their coaching staff, for exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities during the past month. The leadership can be shown on the field, in the weight room, at practice, in the classroom, in study hall, on campus, in the community or for a student club or organization.
The award honors a varsity student-athlete who has made a positive impact on their team and the Tennessee Tech community as a whole, through his or her dedication to demonstrating leadership traits, such as:
- Keep learning, growing and improving
- Follow through with excellence
- Accomplish more than expected
- Inspire and motivate others
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
