Western Colorado University Athletics

Lisa Pike (Fitzgerald) came to Western in 1985 from Quincy, Massachusetts, and ran track and field for the Mountaineers. In her four years at Western, Pike accumulated nine RMAC Championships, four team RMAC Championships and four All-American honors. Arguably one of her most accomplished feats came her senior year when she was named the first Western female Academic All-American. She would hold the title as Western's only female Academic All-American for 23 years.
 
As a freshman Pike made immediate impact on the team, ending a five-year run for rivals Adams State with the team's first RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship. As a freshman she won her first of four-straight RMAC 800 titles while qualifying for the NAIA National Championship meet.
 
During her sophomore season Pike would add to her RMAC title run, winning the 400 and the 4x400 while leading the team to its second-straight team championship.
 
Her junior year, Pike began moving into national contention. She became one of the first women's indoor track and field All-American in the 800 meters. That success poured over to the spring season where she won her second-straight RMAC 400-meter title, third-straight 800-meter title and the team's third-straight outdoor team title. The season would end on her best note, as she became the national runner-up in the 800 that season.
 
Pike's final year of competition was one that completed a dynasty of Mountaineer dominance in the mid-distance events. At the indoor national championships, she helped lead Western to its first relay title, placing third in the distance medley relay. In the outdoor season, she completed her streak of four-straight half-mile titles, as well as earning her third-straight 400-meter title and winning another 4x400 meter relay. Pike's dominance became a huge factor in Western's four-straight women's RMAC outdoor conference titles. She capped off her career with her final All-American performance in the 800 meters.
 
Pike graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western State College in 1989 with a degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. She would return in the fall to help coach under Duane Vandenbusche. Following her time at Western, Pike started the cross country program at Gunnison High School and serve as a teacher in the Gunnison School District for the past 28 years. Pike earned her graduate degree in curriculum and pedagogy from the University of Colorado in 2002.
 
Pike currently resides in Gunnison where she continues to teach at Gunnison Elementary School. She still holds the third-fastest outdoor 800 meters in school history, as well as the eighth-fastest 400 meters and sixth fastest 4x400 meter relay.