A mix of passion, natural talent, remarkable range, an unrelenting work ethic and a drive to be the best propelled Paige Sheppard to a historic year as a freshman at Union Catholic last year.
How amazing was Sheppard's rookie year?
She smashed the state freshmen records in the 800,1,600 and 3,200 last spring, she won the Meet of Champions title in the 1,600 last winter, ran sub 18 at Holmdel Park, won the Nike NE Regional XC title, and she threw down an eye-popping anchor carry of 2:05.52 to bring the Vikings across the line first in the 4x800 in a national record time of 8:34.20 at New Balance Nationals!!
And while that's impressive enough, the best thing about Sheppard is she's the most humble superstar you will ever meet, who always levels up when it matters most and puts team goals ahead of her own!!! Sheppard is great on the track and the trails, and just as great off the track!!
Summer training is going well! For right now my mileage is still pretty low per week. Most of my runs have been at Oak Ridge. Compared to last year, my training is different in two aspects. Firstly, there's a stronger focus on integrating both speed and strength. A few times a week we have both running and core HITT (High intensity interval training) workouts. Secondly, at least for me personally, I think that this year that I'm approaching workouts with more intent and purpose. There's definitely more focus on the process than the end result.
Have you attended a Running Camp this summer, or are you planning to attend one? If so, which camp and in what ways do you feel running camp helps in your preparation for the upcoming season?
I'm not necessarily attending a running camp, but I am attending a Female Runners Summit in Utah this month. BYU coach Diljeet Taylor, sports Dietician Kaia Riester and pro- runner Keely Henninger are speaking at this runner's summit and I think it is so valuable in my preparation for this upcoming XC Season because it focuses more on diet, nutrition, and mindset rather than running specifically. I think it's important that we get faster and stronger from more than just workouts. It's so important to take care of yourself off of the track as well and l love that this summit focuses on that, rather than running.
After one of the best freshman seasons in state history where you ran 17:54 at Holmdel to place second at the Meet of Champions, winning the Non-Public A Title and running 18:12 to win the Nike Northeast Regional, the second fastest time by a NJ girl ever at Bowdoin, what are your biggest personal goals for this season? And what times would you like to hit at Holmdel, Bowdoin, and Warinanco etc?
I would say my biggest goal this season is to win MOC. Aside from that, I would really just love to match what I accomplished last year, like winning the Nike Northeast Regional and helping my team get back to NXN. I would also like to break 18 minutes at Bowdoin.
You are the top returning finisher from the Meet of Champions last year, so you come into the season as the favorite to win that race this season. How big of a goal is winning the Meet of Champions XC title after being so close last year, how do you feel about your chances to win that race, and what would that mean to you?
Winning MOC is definitely my biggest goal for this XC season. Obviously, it would be incredible to get the opportunity to return to NXN, and that's certainly another goal for this season, but that MOC race at Holmdel is what I'm most looking forward to! I think I have just as good a chance as anybody else to claim that title, and I will definitely do my best to get it. Winning this race would mean the absolute world to me. Holmdel is probably the course I'm most excited to race on just because I'm ready for some redemption, so yeah, I would be so happy to win this race.
NJ is obviously loaded with distance running talent with several runners. What are your thoughts on the amount of talent in NJ and how fast do you think it will take to win the Meet of Champions? Could we see times under 17:50 and even under 17:40?
Yeah, I think that New Jersey is packed with lots of talent, and it's that talent that pushes us all to work harder be better runners. Iron sharpens iron. Because of all that talent, it will most definitely take some fast times to win the meet of Champions. Anything could happen, so times under 17:50 or even 17:40 are certainly possible. I know that i personally am hoping to run around those times.
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What did you learn the most about XC and XC racing in your first season of Xc last year? What surprised you the most, and it what ways do you feel that year of experience will help you this season?
What I learned the most about XC & XC racing is that it takes patience; not every race is going to go the way you expect. It takes patience to know that you will get better and that you need to take everything one race at a time. Additionally, at the end of the day, each race is only 20 minutes of your life. It's important to give your best effort in every race, but also to remember that it's also only a small part of what you'll accomplish during your life and your career.
How about your team, Paige? After winning the Meet of Champions for the 2nd straight year last year, smashing the course record at Holmdel, winning the NE Regional and earning a spot at Nike Nationals, what are the goals and expectations that you and your teammates have for the upcoming season? Could this crew be even better this season? You and the girls must be super excited about what you can do!!!!
After all that we were able to accomplish last year, I think that our goals are obviously to repeat at MOCs and NXR and make it back to NXN, but to also just have fun with each other. I think sometimes teams take races and competing too seriously, and they forget that the best part of cross country is that we get to do it together. So, I think we just really want to have fun as well as push ourselves this season!
You are coming off the greatest freshmen year in NJ history on the track with times of 4:43.38, 2:07.11, and 10:26.85, which are all freshmen state record, you won the Meet of Champs 1,600 title indoors, and ran that sizzling anchor split in the 4x800 when your team destroyed the national record at NBN. How do feel about everything you accomplished last year on the track? What surprised you most about all those great times and performances, and which one are you most proud of and why?
I'm incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish within my freshman year. Not every race was perfect and there's room for improvement, but I'm satisfied with how it went! The performances that I'm most proud of is the 4x8 national record that my team was able to break twice. I had so much fun running with Peyton Hollis, Jimmiea King, and Sophia Thompson; I couldn't ask for better teammates!!
What is the story behind how you became a runner? When did you first start running, and how did it come about?
My running journey started several years ago. This October will actually be my tenth year running. When was little, I would ask my mom to take me to the track on our street and I would just run laps. Seeing that I loved running, she got me on the Plainfield Tsunami Track Team and I began racing and competing in the 8-under category the week after I turned 5. From there, l eventually joined Speed Skills Track club and the rest is history
When was your first big breakthrough moment when you began to realize that you could do big things in this sport?
My first big breakthrough moment was when I was 7yo at the Junior Olympics and I won the 800 in 2:43. Afterwards, I got to do a fun interview that you can still watch if you look up "Paige Sheppard Onions". Even though this was so long ago, it feels like the first time I got to see this fun side of track that made winning even more exciting!!!
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What do you consider the best race you've ever run and why?
Races like my Brooks PR wins in middle school or the Nike Northeast Regional; races where I go out and trust my training and stick to the plan are when I feel I've raced best.
Who is your favorite track and field athlete and why?
Obviously, I'm a huge Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone fan! Her faith, determination and accomplishments are remarkable. My favorite track athlete is Gabby Thomas. I love how she doesn't limit herself to just athletics, and how she also has a strong focus on school and education and helping people. Education and helping others is really important to me and it's encouraging to see someone not sacrifice some things that they are passionate about for one single thing.
What's your biggest long-term goal as a track and field athlete?
My biggest long-term goal as a track and field athlete is just to keep running, and just run for as long as I can in my lifetime.
When you are not running/training, in school or doing schoolwork, what other interests/hobbies do you have? I know you have some other talents/skills!
Outside of running and school, I love to draw and paint, and I also love to read.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I see myself running, whether that be professionally or not. And honestly, just having fun.
