By Ashlyn Drury
Helen Braybrook, a sophomore out of the United Kingdom, makes her mark as a member of Colorado State University Pueblo’s track team. Finding a passion for running at the young age of four, she took this passion to the collegiate level.
Braybrook was a member of her local town running club, Grantham Athletic Club, out of Nottingham, United Kingdom. After hearing great things about the University’s track coach, Braybrook wanted to run at the next level and study somewhere new and interesting, leading her to CSU Pueblo, majoring in sociology with a minor in anthropology.
Two years into running competitively, Braybrook has made history for the Thunderwolves. As a member of both the cross country and track teams, she has had several National Championship appearances. Last season, Braybrook earned herself a podium placement at the 2022 NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field National Championship alongside three teammates; Yasmine Hernandez, Hailey Streff and Taylor Holland.
The four Thunderwolves’ won first place in the Distance Medley Relay with a time of 11:23.21, also breaking the University record. “It felt like the work we had done and the build-up to that paid off. It felt pretty surreal standing up there because I didn’t expect to do that well so quickly,” Braybooks states with a smile as she recalls this amazing accomplishment.
The DMR consists of four legs, each run by a different person. The first leg is 1200 meters, the second leg is 400 meters, the third leg is 800 meters, and the fourth leg is 1600 meters, totaling 4000 meters, approximately 2.5 miles. Braybrook normally runs the mile leg.
Aside from the Distance Medley Relay, Braybrook also competes in the 600 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, the mile, and occasionally the 4×400 relay.
The DMR isn’t the only race she has an honor in. This January, Braybooks placed first in the 600 meters with a time of 1:33.19 at the New Mexico Team Open, hitting the 5th fastest time in all of NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field for the 600 meters.
Intending to do her best, Braybrook states, “Honestly, I didn’t know that I had the record until we got back.”
Coming off of a championship from the last indoor season, it was not her biggest accomplishment, but she states, “It obviously felt good, though, knowing I could hit that time.”
Looking back on her career milestones, Braybrook says her favorite memories are winning the DMR or the last Cross Country Nationals. The Thunderwolves finished 6th as a team, and Braybrook finished 21st individually. While she excels in both, Braybrook prefers track over cross country. She states, “I was never really into cross country and I prefer more middle distance.”
Braybrook now prepares to compete in her second NCAA DII Indoor Track and Field Championship on March 10th and 11th in Virginia Beach, VA, shortly following the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Indoor Championship on February 24th and 25th in Alamosa, CO. The outdoor track and field season will kick off shortly after on March 17th and will end with the NCAA DII Outdoor Championship hosted at the Thunderbowl Stadium, May 25th-27th.
