Clarion Athletics

 Laurie Carter, a two-time national qualifier, was an outstanding hurdler, athlete and leader of the Clarion Women's Track Team from 1981-84 under coach Bill English. A native of Rutherford, N.J. and a 1980 graduate of Hackensack High, Laurie came to Clarion in the Fall of 1980 to join her sister Taryn Carter (2014 HOF Inductee) and made an immediate impact. Laurie placed 2^nd at PSAC's in the 100 and 400 hurdles and qualified for the 1981 AIAW Division II National Championships. She ran a school record 1:05.43 in the 400 setting a school record that lasted for 26 years, while also running a 14.5 in the 100 – second only to her sister. The duo led Clarion to a 4^th place finish at PSAC's as a team, another school record. In 1982 Laurie placed 2^nd at PSAC's in the 100 hurdles, 3^rd in the 400 hurdles, qualified again for the D-II nationals and earned all PSAC honors in the 4 x 100 relay. She placed 3^rd at PSAC's in 1983 in the 100 hurdles. A team captain for three seasons (1982-84), she was unable to compete during the 1984 season due to injury. The Golden Eagles did not lose a dual meet from 1981-83 with Laurie and her sister Taryn leading the way. They are the first sisters elected to the Clarion Sports HOF. Laurie contributed in other events in dual meets including sprints and in the long, high and triple jump. Carter earned a B.S. Degree from Clarion in 1984 and her M.A. from William Patterson in 1987 in Communications. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor Degree in Law from Rutgers in 1993. Carter was honored with the Clarion University "Distinguished Alumni Award" in 2007. Employed from 1988 – 2013 at The Julliard School, she was VP & General Counsel/Executive Director of Jazz Studies at the completion of her work there. She worked for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (2013-14) and was Executive VP and University Counsel at Eastern Kentucky from 2014-17 before being named President at Shippensburg University on August 7, 2017. Laurie and husband Gary have a son Carter.