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Lee Shearer - From High School to College Series 2014Published by
The transition from being a high school student-athlete to a college student-athlete is quite different for everyone. While some decide to compete at programs close to home, some decide that out of State schools are more their fancy.
Some athletes decide that big Division 1 programs is where they want to compete while still others decide on DII, DIII, Juco, or even Ivy League programs. Everyone that takes the next step and competes at the collegiate level has a different, unique story, but some of the experiences and lessons along the way are universal.
Running at the collegiate level is a commitment with sometimes very different experiences from what runners experienced in high school. Our goal is to share those experiences and offer a glimpse into the life of the collegiate athlete irregardless of the size, quality or affiliation of the school. ============================================================= Lee Shearer graduated from Naples High in 2013 and started his college career as a Furman University Paladin in Greenville, South Carolina in the fall of 2014. In high school, Lee went 9:26.71 in the 3200 at the 2013 FSU Relays and finished 6th at State. His 5K PR while a Golden Eagle at Naples High was 15:57.50. Cory Sayyeau recently contacted Lee to see how things are going.
How was the transition from Naples to Furman? Was it more miles than what you were you used to on the High School Level?
It was definitely a big transition from high school to collegiate running. Last summer, before I arrived on campus, my coach sent me my workout grid; there was a BIG jump in mileage but he made sure throughout the summer and even through cross season that there was never anything I couldn’t handle. The coaches take care of you and make sure you’re handling the transition to running and being away from home alright.
Not the state champion in high school but now on the college level you have proved you can run with top talent. What was the goal coming onto the college scene , expectations you could say?
I wasn’t really sure what to expect this first season. I was mainly focused on adjusting and getting used to the training here, but then the Furman Classic came along where I had a very solid race (25:19 8K) and it just showed to me that my hard work and training is paying off! The recruiting class that was brought in with me is crazy fast as well (4th in the country) so I’m really working hard to catch up to those guys and hopefully make the varsity squad as soon as possible.
How has the experience at Furman been thus far? Being on the college level and having to deal with the work load and freedom of being away from home. How have you managed that?
It’s a very big change from home to here. As a matter of fact, as I’m writing this, it’s snowing outside, something you will never see in Naples! I’ve slowly learned to adjust to the cold and to hills on my runs as well. The academics here are quite a bit more challenging than those of high school but I’m adjusting and learning how to manage my time a lot better. All in all, I’m having an amazing experience here and cannot wait for the years to come.
Run us through a normal week with the Furman XC & Track programs?
Every morning I wake up at around 6:30 and either get a medium distance run in or I'm in the pool recovering. Tuesdays are workout days and those can vary from mile to kilo repeats.
Twice a week we also have strength and conditioning practices with medicine balls or in the weight room. With a medium distance run sometime in the middle of the week and a long run at the end, hitting around 60 miles a week, pretty much sums it up.
Can you give any advice to kids about saying "Hey I wasnt the state champion or the national elite guy , but now look at my times"?
I would advise them to never give up! It took me until after high school to start really training and dropping my times. You may not be the best right now, but give it some time and keep training and working hard and your time will come.
Distancepreps.com wishes you the best of luck in the upcoming track season as we always enjoy supporting our Florida alumni. What can we look forward to this track season from you?
During indoor season (something us Florida people aren’t used to) I’m focusing mainly on the 3K and working towards scoring In the Southern Conference meet and during outdoor I’m hoping to do the same, either in the 5K or the 10K. Thank you all so much and hope to make Florida proud! More news
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