She sat out last year’s track season for personal reasons.

Now sophomore Chandra Golden is fresh off a first-place finish from last weekend’s Ohio Valley Conference track and field meet.

The casual spectator might have taken notice at Golden’s first-place 8.76 second finish in the 60-meter hurdle race Saturday at Lantz Fieldhosue.

But what they couldn’t notice from that is all the hard work she put into it.

“She’s probably one of the hardest working athletes I’ve ever met and it showed this weekend,” said senior pole vaulter Nicolene Galas. “She treats every day as if it’s a meet. She doesn’t sit down. She doesn’t complain. She comes here; she gets her work done.”

At track and field practice Monday, Golden worked a combination of speed and weight training. Golden, two days a week, works on hurdles where she’ll start out doing drills to get out of the first block and get over the first hurdle.

“Every day I just go out hard,” Golden said. “My teammates are here to push me and that’s what happens in the races too.”

The Panthers took home their first-ever conference title last weekend under women’s head coach Mary Wallace, with much owed to Golden. Golden added 10 points to Eastern’s point total with her first-place finish in the hurdles.

Yet, much is owed to Wallace all the same.

Wallace first met Golden while recruiting her at University High School in Normal.

Golden decided to take her freshman year off last year.

Wallace said she knew her addition to the team could have taken the women’s fifth place finish last year to a probable second.

Golden wouldn’t comment on why she sat out last season.

During the time off, Golden questioned her future in the sport, but said it was her teammates that finally led her back on track.

“Last year, when I was out for the entire year, I was just like.. I’ve been away for a year,” she said. “But my teammates always have been there for me telling me that I can do it so I did it for them.”

Once back, Golden knew it would feel good to be wearing Eastern’s blue uniform, and according to men’s head coach Tom Akers – another one of Golden’s high school recruiters – she has continued to improve throughout the year as well.

“(I) knew it only would be a benefit for us. coming back,” Wallace said.

Just like Golden said last year was a year of transition for her, track is in a period of transition right now as the indoor season is moving out. The move is one Golden is looking forward to.

“(I) like indoor hurdles better, but I like outdoor season better,” Golden said.

And with the new season, Golden is shooting for a new time on the 100-meter hurdles: 14.5 seconds.

And just like the casual spectator can’t pick up on her hard work, they also can’t pick up on her thoughts as she goes over her hurdles.

“It’s a challenge that there’s a barrier in the way and I just think of every hurdle as life’s trials and tribulations,” Golden said. “Getting up and going to class, family situations, social life, just like anything.”