Tomeka Laffoon
Sophomore - Gary, Indiana
As an athlete:
Tomeka returns for her second season with Austin Peay, and comes prepared to run her first season of cross country. The 5000 meter distance is just a little longer than she's used to, but she's adjusting well. "Meka" hails from Indiana, but spent her high school days across the Atlantic in the Kaiserslautern American High School where she ran 3 years of track. For those three years, she was untouchable in Europe's Dept. of Dependent Defense School Championships in both the 100 and the 300 meter hurdles, where she rolled to a 15.4 lows and a 46.7 in the intermediates. She can also be called on at anytime to run the 200, 400, or long jump.
On the track last spring, Tomeka was constantly plagued by one injury after the other. She was able to squeeze a few races in at the 100m distance, and running hurt, still qualified for the finals of the 100m hurdles at the OVC Outdoors. In '99, she should combine with newcomer Roni Hopkins and with Ayesha in the intermediates to give the ladies their strongest hurdeling core ever. Fortunately, Tomeka is healthy so far in the fall. Her goal statement for this year goes like this: "I want to complete the season with as few injuries as possible, to run the 100H/400H to the best of my ability, and to support the entire team, both male and female."
More Personally...
Tomeka (born August 23, 1977) is a Health and Human Perfomance Major who is on track to earn her degree in 2000. Her spare time is best filled by either playing basketball, going dancing, or going shopping. She is highly respectful of her mother (a member of the U.S. Armed Forces), and she also lists Michael Jordan as a hero of hers.
Tomeka's honest evaluation of herself: "I am a wonderful person that works hard at everything I do, especially cross country & track and field."