Saint Rose runner Shannen Kerin continues to adjust
ALBANY, N.Y » After an injury caused her to miss her senior cross country season, Shannen Kerin (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie) had to adjust.
The hard-running training sessions were swapped out for alternative workouts. Winter’s indoor track season was used as training in preparation to go outdoors this spring. The outdoor meets never occurred, following the decision by the NCAA and Northeast-10 Conference to cancel the spring sports season due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. In addition, The College of Saint Rose shifted its classes online for the spring semester in the interest of disease prevention and the protection of our community.
“Outdoor season being cancelled unexpectedly was a pretty emotional event for me,” said Kerin. “I’ve been running since the sixth grade and don’t know what it’s like
not being part of a team. What added to it was not knowing my last race was the NE10 Indoor Championships.”
As a biology major with multiple labs on her schedule, going from the classroom setting to online was just another adjustment for Kerin. Luckily, the teachings from the injuredplagued fall are helping her this spring.
“One of the things I learned in running is things don’t always go how you plan them to and you have to adjust accordingly. I was injured for the entire cross country season. I had to adjust my training and work in biking and swimming workouts. That helped teach me that you can change how you do things. This semester hasn’t gone according to plan, but I’ve had to adjust to the situation.”
Kerin ended her season on a high-note, receiving the NE10 Elite 24 Award at February’s Indoor Track and Field Championships. She earned the prestigious award for having the highest grade-point-average among all participants at the meet.
“Winning that award was one of my top sports moments,” said Kerin. “As an underclassman, I always wanted to win that award and was going to work hard to do so. Hearing my name called at NE10s was pure happiness. It’s nice to be recognized as a student-athlete, compared to just the athletics component.”
“Shannen has been a studious student-athlete her entire career at Saint Rose. She works hard work and is dedicated to athletics and academics. The team is very, very proud of her,” added Saint Rose
Head Coach Ray Putnam.
Though Shannen still is running on her own, she’s noted that it’s different without her teammates. It’s just another adjustment for her to make, but history shows that it is one that she’ll be able to find success from.
“Things don’t always go as planned, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Our sport has taught us to adjust and that’s what you have to do. Thank you to all of my teammates for their support coming back from injury this year and I thank Saint Rose for allowing me to meet them.”