Auerbach chases Olympic dream after graduating with two majors, two minors and a 4.0 GPA

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Media Contact: Tanner Holubar | Communications Specialist | 405-744-2065 | tanner.holubar@okstate.edu

Sivan Auerbach’s pursuit of her passions has led to the highest levels of success in her academic and athletic endeavors.   

Auerbach, who is from Ein Ayala, Israel, is set to graduate from Oklahoma State University's College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology with two majors, two minors and a 4.0 GPA, and those are just her academic achievements.   

She has also written quite an impressive list of athletic achievements during her time competing in cross country at OSU. She is a two-time Big 12 Indoor Champion in the 1,000 meters and a multi-time NCAA All-American academically and athletically.  

She is the recipient of the 2023 and 2024 Cross Country Elite 90 award, given to the student-athlete at national championships with the highest cumulative GPA — one of two OSU athletes to accomplish this feat. 

In addition, she was named the Big 12 Women’s Scholarship Athlete of the Year in December and OSU’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in April 2025.   

Auerbach’s double majors in computer engineering and computer science and double minors in mathematics and physics represent her passion for learning and research. After completing her required two-year military service with the Israeli Navy, she wanted to pursue her education while also competing in track and field.   

Auerbach started running competitively in fifth grade and showed talent early on, representing Israel in the Junior Olympics and European Championships. She continued competing while in the military, striving to be the first person from Israel to make the Olympics, competing in the events she excels in.   

She plans to continue training to represent her country in the 2028 Olympics and aims to compete in the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo and the 2026 European Championships.   

“When I finished my military service, I wanted to start my bachelor’s degree, but I also wanted to keep running,” Auerbach said. “And there really isn’t an opportunity to do that in Israel; the NCAA system here in the U.S. is one of the few worldwide that gives athletes a chance to compete in their sport while also earning their degree.”  

She discovered OSU while trying to find a university strong in undergraduate research that also had a strong track program. She was impressed with Coach Dave Smith’s ability to help athletes improve after they arrive on campus.   

“Generally, athletes leave here better than they came in,” Auerbach said. “So that was something that I was really interested in because I felt that I was still a developmental athlete. I had really high goals and aspirations from Israel to represent my country in the Olympics and Europe championships because we haven’t had any representatives in my events, ever. So, I saw college and my four years here as a steppingstone toward a professional career post-college.”  

 Witnessing firsthand the evolution of the team during her tenure was an “amazing and really cool experience.” They became more competitive on the national level by her senior year, making the experience even more special.   

“It was special to be a part of that evolution, and I’ve had so many amazing people from the cross country and track teams and have made lifelong friends, and I think there’s just something special about it all,” Auerbach said.  

Auerbach is a naturally curious person with many interests. Many in her family hold degrees in physics, which developed her passion for science and math. After taking advanced computer science classes in high school, she wanted to find a university that could allow her to pursue all her passions.  

“I thought it would be cool to do computer science with computer engineering because it would give me a wider understanding of computers from both the hardware and science standpoints,” she said. “That way, if I find myself working on the software side, I can develop software that is specific to the hardware constraints and vice versa.”  

She is thankful for the support of her professors, who, she jokes, may have grown tired of the number of questions she asked. With a schedule unlike most students, she was out of the classroom for much of the semester, but her professors always supported her in ways that ensured her success.  

“I am so grateful for everyone,” she said. “I didn’t have any engineering experience coming in. I wasn’t exposed to the engineering field before being at OSU. When I got to campus and I asked about the best programs, everyone said CEAT.   

“I just wanted to find the best place with the best professors. It has exceeded all my expectations. I have been pushed on a personal level, and the research opportunities provided to undergraduates have been great, which I always wanted to be a part of.”  

Having such a strong support network from CEAT and from the track program eased the burden of juggling such a heavy load. She said without that support, it would have made it harder for her to finish all she had started.   

“I think with juggling academics and athletics, I honestly find that I do better having a lot of things on my plate and being able to have a lot of things I’m passionate about,” she said. “When I’ve found that, everything goes better.”  

She is set to begin graduate school in computer engineering. As with anything, she feels finding something she is passionate about will lead to everything else falling into place.   

“I think doing graduate research is going to help me hone in on that,” she said. “That’s kind of my North Star, guiding principle, and then I hope to enjoy wherever that leads me.”