Melissa Skiba
Melissa Skiba
Height: 5-3
Year: Sr.
Hometown: Simi Valley, CA
High School: UCLA

2015 (Track & Field)
Capped off an illustrious three-year CLU career as a National Champion in the 5,000m…captured the title by clocking a 17:04.04 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 23)…earned All-American honors for the fifth time…named the USTFCCCA West Region Track Athlete of the Year…named the SCIAC Track Athlete of the Year…claimed individual SCIAC titles in the 1,500m (4:32.68) and the 5,000m (17:22.35) at the SCIAC Championships (May 2)…finishes her career as a six-time SCIAC champion…ranked first in the nation in the 5,000m with her time of 16:17.87 that she set at the Occidental Invitational (May 9)…improved her own CLU record in the event…named The Ventura County Star’s Female College Athlete of the Spring…earned USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honors for her performance the week of May 4-10…earned SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week honors two times…named the CLU Athlete of the Week three times.

 

2014 (Track & Field)
Led Cal Lutheran to its first-ever outright SCIAC Championship...won the 800m at the SCIAC Championships in a CLU school record time of 2:15.24...also won the 1,500m, by more than four seconds in 4:32.18...ran the 5,000m in 17:28.69 to take second...finished second at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 5000 meters.

2013 (Cross Country)
Another record setting year for the All-American...became CLU's second ever runner to win the SCIAC Championship...qualified for second straight NCAA National Championship...finished seventh at the National Championship in a time of 21:29.60...won the SCIAC Championship individual crown by more than 20 seconds...earned USTFCCCA All-Academic recognition.

2013 (Track & Field)
Became CLU's first woman recipient of the West Region Track Athlete of the Year award...also earned All-America honors...led most of the of the 5,000 meter National Championship race before finishing in third and also earning a personal and school best time of 16:41.91...shattered the 28 year old SCIAC Championship meet time en route to capturing the conference championships, besting the previous record time by more than 25 seconds...also captured the SCIAC title in the 1,500 meter race, earning gold in a time of 4:36.23...also broke the school record in the 3,000 meter race with a time of 10:05.91.

2012 (Cross Country)
Became the first All-American in the history of CLU Cross Country by placing 11th at the NCAA Division III National Championships in a time of 21:28.0…finished second at West Regionals in 20:46.08 to earn First Team All-West Region recognition…placed 3rd at the SCIAC Championships in a time of 23.01.32 to lead CLU…named First Team All-SCIAC…won her first race for CLU as she ran her fastest 5K time of the season, 18:06.6, at the UCI Invitational. 

 

UCLA
Ran two seasons of both cross country and track & field for the Bruins between 2010-2012....placed 30th at the Pac 10 Championships in 2010 with a time of 20:53.

 

Oak Park High School
2010 graduate...ran four years of cross country and track & field for the Eagles...Ventura County Athlete of the Year in 2010...inducted into the Ventura County Hall of Fame in 2010...was the 2008 CIF champion...placed second in the state meet in D-3 state meet in 2008 and 2009...Tri-Valley League champion in 2008 and 2009...part of Oak Park team to place second at state meet in 2006 and 2007...Tri-Valley League champions in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

 

Personal
Full name: Melissa Anne Skiba...born on April 13, 1992 in Simi Valley, Calif...daughter of Cathy and Paul Skiba...has an older sister, Kristina, who ran for Oak Park HS and Cal Lutheran...greatest personal sports moment was winning the ss Master's Meet for track in 2009...chose CLU fo the learning opportunities and the athletics...majoring in liberal studies with the career aspirations of becoming an educator.

 

Favorites
Movie: Forrest Gump
Music: Katy Perry 
Food: Taco Bell
Sport (other): Snowboarding
Color: Blue
Number: 5
TV Shows: Big Bang Theory, Celebrity Apprentice
Super Hero: Superman
Quote: “The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race, it’s to test the limits of the human heart.”
If you could visit anwhere, where would it be? Hawaii
Most vast memory as apart of CLU athletics? Winning SCIAC championships as a team.