University mourns track star with vigil

Lauren McCluskey, the University of Utah student who died Monday after being shot to death by a registered sex offender, is being remembered as a star athlete and beloved daughter.

She was supposed to graduate next May. She was 21.

Before attending the University of Utah, McCluskey had her pick of about five other schools, she told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News in 2014. The then-teen from Washington chose Utah because she “felt it was right.”

“I decided that Utah was the best fit for me,” McCluskey said at the time.

Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan said Tuesday that McCluskey did more than just earn her position on the team, she was a “senior track standout.” She was known for beating her own personal records. “This news has shaken not only myself but our entire University of Utah athletics family to its core,” Harlan tweeted.

McCluskey’s parents say they will remember their daughter’s strength and determination. The university’s website posted information about a campus vigil set for Wednesday night.

McCluskey’s body was found in a car on campus Monday night. Police say a man she briefly dated shot and killed her. They later chased Melvin Rowland, a 37-year-old registered sex offender, into a Salt Lake City church where he was found dead from a selfinflicted gunshot wound.

Rowland lied to McCluskey about his name, age and criminal history in the past month when they dated, her parents told The Salt Lake Tribune.

Lauren McCluskey