Sept. 11, 2008

As a freshman, Shannon Walls has already made an impact as a Gamecock. In her first collegiate race, she finished first for the Gamecocks and third overall at the 2008 Gamecock Invitational.

“Finishing first for the team in my first race was very exciting for me,” she said. “I was shocked that I finished as well as I did because I know how many extremely talented runners are on this team. It was a huge accomplishment for me.”

Even with the early success, Walls knows she must continue to work hard to remain a top runner for the Gamecocks.

“Finishing in the top of the team, I know is not a guarantee,” she said. “I am motivated to stay at the top. I have been working as hard as possible in every workout to become the best runner I can be.”

As a freshman, Walls hopes to improve as much as possible and decrease her time to mid-to-low 18’s in her 5K races. She also hopes to see herself place in the top 25 at the SEC meet and continue to finish in the top five for the Gamecocks.

“In order to reach these goals, I must continuously keep a positive attitude, stay health and push my body to the next level daily,” she said. “If I continue to train with a competitive spirit and hard working attitude, I believe these goals are attainable.”

Having competed in only two collegiate races, Shannon has had to transition from high school events to those at the collegiate level. One major difference she noted is the intensity of the workouts. Her workouts as a Gamecock are faster with shorter rest, which has been a big adjustment for her.

“Being a collegiate athlete you are expected to bring one hundred percent to every practice, and it is a lot more stressful than high school,” she said.

Walls is looking forward to her freshman year as a Gamecock, especially running at the Disney Invitational.

“The meet I am looking forward to the most is the Disney Invitational,” she said. “It is over Fall Break, and a large group of women on our team are going to the meet. There are going to be a lot of teams there, and I’m excited to see how our team can perform.”

Walls and the Gamecocks will be back in action on Sat., Sept. 20, as they compete at the Asics/Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C.