Shelby's Luke Lesseuer signs with Bowling Green for cross country
Shelby cross country athlete Luke Lesseuer will be taking his running skills to the college level.
In a ceremony held Tuesday at Shelby High School, Lesseuer signed his national letter of intent to join the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) cross country team starting this fall.
The event, witnessed by family, friends, teammates, and coach Chris Zuercher, was a testament to Lesseuer’s dedication and success as a student-athlete.
“I want to thank my family for being there for me for all the years,” said Lesseuer, a senior. “I want to thank Coach Z for being there...all of my teammates” and runners on the girls cross country team, as well. “It’s really exciting to get going for the next few years of my life at Bowling Green. I’m excited to be a Falcon.”
Lesseuer, whose strengths are middle to long-distance races, expressed his excitement about the future.
“At first I wasn’t expecting to run (in college), and then I got a few coaches talking to me. I went on a visit to Bowling Green,” he said in an interview. “It was just amazing to visit there.”
Initially, he thought college sports were not in his plans, but after visits and conversations with coaches, he embraced the opportunity.
“Initially, I just wanted to get my education and kind of be more laid back in college,” Lesseuer said. “But then I realized it’s something I wanted to do in college, and it’d be a super fun experience to have with the guys there too.”
Lesseuer is a strong student. At February’s school board meeting, he was among 12 high-achieving students from Shelby High School honored for their exceptional performance on the ACT by achieving scores of 30 or above.
Choosing to major in business analytics, Lesseuer looks forward to the academic and athletic life at BGSU.
The ceremony was held in the Shelby High School commons area, and several attendees wore BGSU orange clothing.
“I’m just blessed to have the people around me that I do and all the coaches and family and friends that have supported me along the way. It’s just an amazing opportunity to go to a Division I school,” Lesseuer said.
His parents, Brent Lesseuer and Leti Lesseuer, shared their pride and anticipation for their son’s collegiate career.
“He is dedicated, he sets a goal, and he has worked diligently,” Leti Lesseuer said, reflecting on Luke’s journey from a kindergartner with a passion for running to a committed athlete ready to compete at the collegiate level.
“It’s hard not to get teared up, to see him beat a goal and to be able to go further with his dreams,” she said.
Brent Lesseuer, noting the family’s history with BGSU, expressed pride in seeing the tradition continue. There’s also the excitement of watching Luke compete in a BGSU program that is close enough for a family to watch him compete.
“That’s why I was kind of happy out of the other schools, this was the closest,” said Brent Lesseuer, a BGSU graduate.
In announcing the signing ceremony, Pat Lewis, Shelby’s athletic director, highlighted the significance of Lesseuer’s signing with the Division I program and a Midamerican Conference (MAC) member.
“I’m sure we’ve got several more coming up this spring,” Lewis said of signing ceremonies for other Shelby athletes.