With only five years of competitive running experience, junior Will Shuflit is a star. This year, he set a school record in the 8K with a time of 24:04 and became the second runner in CC history to win back-to-back titles at the Ted Castaneda Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Shuflit was the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Runner of the Year for the second year in a row, and his first-place finish at regionals helped bring the men’s team to second-place overall, guaranteeing them a spot in nationals, where Shuflit was once again named an All-American.
Originally a soccer player, Shuflit joined the cross-country team as a high school junior.
“I picked up running and quit soccer, because it turns out I was a lot better at the running part of soccer than the kicking-the-ball part of soccer,” he said.
A history-political science and Russian and Eurasian studies double major, Shuflit also co-leads Magic: The Gathering Club. He continues to enjoy playing soccer for the cross country team’s intramural futsal and outdoor soccer teams.
Although Shuflit’s track career has been as successful as his cross country career, he was last year’s SCAC Champion in the 5K and 10K. However, he enjoys cross-country more.
“25 laps around the track for the 10K is a bit rough,” Shuflit said. “I just think cross country [is] more fun… having the team there with you is just different.”
Shuflit said that the team has a lot of good times together, from traveling for meets to their themed end-of-year parties called Coming (homecoming) and Tron (track prom).
The team atmosphere is important to Shuflit. Last year, he was the only one from the men’s team to race at nationals. While he enjoyed spending time with the women’s team, he is excited that the men qualified this season and got the opportunity to race together.
“Qualifying for nationals this year, getting second in the region as a team, me winning the region, I think that’s my favorite memory. The men’s team, at least, hadn’t made it to nationals since my freshman year. And it was really cool to be there with the guys as we made it back.”
Winning regionals had been Shuflit’s goal for the season. “I don’t think I expected it at the beginning of the year, but after the first race, it was kind of clear that I was going to be quite competitive this year on the national level,” he said.
For Shuflit, it’s not the medals and the accolades that drive him. Instead, he’s motivated by watching his work pay off. “Athletic success, to me, is like the culmination of all the work that I’ve put into [running]. I love the sport, but seeing the results come is just another thing.”
He believes his success is fueled partially by routine. Before each race, Shuflit has the same breakfast: two cups of oatmeal, a Mango Naked smoothie and 200 milligrams of caffeine. The team then does a warm-up to review the course and share words of encouragement, then rounds it out with a cheer.
In terms of mental preparation for a meet, Shuflit believes the biggest test comes during the race itself.
“You have to be mentally in it the whole time, but there’s nothing much you can do before,” he said. “It sounds cocky when you say it, but you have to believe that you’re better than the people you’re around.”
“You can’t let it become a question of will I beat them? Because then you’ve already lost,” Shuflit said.
Being a part of a team with a strong sense of community has fostered Shuflit’s personal and athletic growth. He has come into his own over the past three years and now considers himself to be a leader on the team. While he couldn’t name what caused it, Shuflit said there has been a clear shift for the better in team culture since his freshman year.
Shuflit has high expectations for his senior season, aiming to win nationals as an individual in cross country and, potentially, in track. He also wants to extend the men’s streak of qualifying for nationals and he hopes they can place higher next year. “Most of all, I just kind of want to have fun. And I also want to get that track 5K record,” he said. “I need that 5K record.”
Overall, Shuflit’s style is marked by dogged perseverance and an insatiable appetite for more. “It’s just what you have to do. I can be happy about this one, you give it a couple of days, and it’s just like, all right. Next one’s bigger. Let’s go get it.”