Kaitlyn Wilcox arrived on Utah State’s campus in the fall of 2012 not really knowing what to expect.
However, her journey through college was better than she could have ever imagined.
“Utah State in general has exceeded my expectations,” Wilcox said. “I came in as a nervous freshman and didn’t know what to expect. I’ve had a lot of coaches, but they’ve all been great and have helped me get to where I am today. This senior season has been everything I’ve hoped for. I’ve worked really hard and stayed pretty healthy throughout the whole season, which has been awesome.”
A senior sprinter on Utah State’s track and field team, Wilcox graduated this past Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in marketing. With that part of her college experience now behind her, Wilcox is looking to conclude her track career on a high note.
Wilcox and the Aggies are headed to the Mountain West Outdoor Championships this week in Clovis, California. The four-day event, which is being hosted by Fresno State, begins Wednesday, May 11, and concludes Saturday, May 14.
“A conference championship is always one of our goals,” Wilcox said. “The 4x400-meter relay team did really well at the Weber State Twilight Meet last week, so we’re trying to build off of that and place better than we are seeded right now and get another PR with that.
“One of my personal goals for the 400 meters is to be in the top three because at the indoor championships I placed fifth. I want to secure a spot in the NCAA regionals, which is going to be really tough, but it’s definitely one of my goals.”
Wilcox has Utah State’s top times in the 200m (25.22) and 400m (55.81) this season. She ran a leg on the Aggies’ 4x400m relay team that placed first with a season-best time of 3:47.56.
One aspect that has made Wilcox’s senior season extra special is having her little sister, Whitney Wilcox, on the team. The younger of the two is also a sprinter.
“I’ve loved it and she’s awesome,” Kaitlyn said. “We push each other a lot. It’s competitive, but it’s a healthy competition and I think we just help each other get better.
Whitney agreed with her older sibling.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” she said. “I was worried that we would fight a lot and not get along very well, but we have actually gotten a lot closer because of it.”
Just like all siblings, though, the Wilcox sisters have had their share of quarrels.
“We fought a lot growing up,” Whitney said with a smile. “I was closer with my older sister (Amanda) and we kind of ganged up on her a lot. But then she moved out and Kaitlyn started beating up on me.”
Neither sister thought they would end up at Utah State coming out of high school. For Kaitlyn, she had her eye set on a couple of schools in Utah County. Those didn’t pan out for her, though, and she’s extremely glad she became an Aggie.
“I was looking at a lot of the in-state schools,” Kaitlyn said. “I was really interested in Utah Valley and BYU, but USU just seemed like the right fit for me and it definitely proved to be that way.”
And Whitney?
“She wanted to do her own thing and go somewhere else,” Kaitlyn said. “She wasn’t really interested in Utah State until the end. She was kind of like me and decided at the last second that Utah State would be the best and she’s liked it so far, too.”
Yes, she has.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to get away from her or be closer to her,” Whitney said. “In the end, I decided to be closer and I’m glad I made that decision.”
Whitney has also learned a lot from Kaitlyn in the year they have spent being Aggies together.
“She’s really serious about the little things, like diet and being on time and everything,” Whitney said. “When it might be easier to skip out on the small things, I remember that I want to be good and accomplish the things like she has, so I’ve got to do the little things, too.”
Kaitlyn was tabbed second-team all-Western Athletic Conference as a freshman in 2013 after placing sixth in the 400m with a time of 56.23 at the Indoor Championships. She has also garnered academic all-Mountain West honors in 2014 and 2015.
“She has a work ethic that is really strong and she has a desire to be successful,” veteran Utah State head track and field coach Gregg Gensel said. “We love having her on the team.”
While individual accomplishments are nice, Kaitlyn’s most memorable moments at Utah State always involve her teammates.
“I’ve loved having my teammates and we’re all really good friends on and off of the track,” she said. “We’ve just had some really good times on trips and whenever we do well together is awesome.”
Wilcox also played soccer for the Aggies, redshirting her first season in 2012 before playing in 12 matches the following year and helping Utah State to a 10-7-5 overall record.
“Kaitlyn came to us as a dual-sport athlete,” Gensel said. “She wanted to be a soccer player and we wanted her to be a track person. (Head women’s soccer coach) Heather (Cairns) and I worked out a deal and she ended up doing both for the first two years that she was here. She actually ended up earning some good playing time, but after her sophomore year of soccer she decided to make track her main emphasis and she really started to blossom when she did that.
“She was a contributor before that, but she really worked hard and became a great runner and good leader on this team. It’s been fun watching her improve and have success.”
Once her track career comes to a close, Kaitlyn will turn her attention to the future, which includes marrying Hayden Plummer on June 18.
Outside of track, schooling and planning a wedding, Kaitlyn is a bookworm and has read the Harry Potter series twice. She also loves anything to do with the outdoors.
“Anything outside,” she said. “It is hard being inside studying when it’s beautiful weather. I like to go hiking, boating and climbing.”