Shaun Thompson Senior Profile

DURHAM, N.C. -- Recently, GoDuke.com sat down with senior Shaun Thompson to learn more about the Baldwinsville, N.Y. native.

GoDuke.com: What has been your favorite place to compete with cross country?
Shaun Thompson: I liked Virginia's course for cross country, because it is probably the hilliest place we've been. Back home, all the courses were really hilly so that's what I've always associated with cross country. It's kind of like, who's the toughest out there, not only the fastest. I'll admit that course has killed me a couple of times. It's a fun course.

GoDuke.com: What's a road trip memory you'll always have with you?
ST: We made it to nationals for cross country my sophomore year, and we all dressed up in nice suits and ties but also did ridiculous things. I had these wicked chops, Mike Moverman had cowboy boots, Phil Fairleigh had a bolo tie; it was just a lot of fun. That trip was really memorable because it was just a great group of guys we were with.

GoDuke.com: What is one lesson competing in cross country that you can use throughout the rest of your life?
ST: You've got to plan for everything, and even when you plan for everything, something will happen that you don't plan for, and you've just have to roll with it. A big thing I've talked about with other people is when you go to make a move, you have to go for it. You've got to commit to it, and I guess that's true for the real world too. If you're going to do a project or something, go with it 100 percent. Don't do half of it and back off. You just have to go with it and push through. I guess the other one would be that you definitely have to prepare for scenarios, but just realize it's going to go at some point and you just have to be ready to roll.

GoDuke.com: What has been your proudest academic achievement at Duke?
ST: Well I made it through Orgo 2. I loved Orgo 1; I did not like Orgo 2. I guess I've been All-ACC Academic since freshman year, that's a pretty good accomplishment. My favorite class was Comparative Anatomy. The lab was awesome. The lab manager was awesome, too. Dr. Eason ran the lab, and she was awesome, but Dr. Smith ran the class, and she was also a great teacher. But the lab was cool because not only was the info cool but you got to dissect cats, rabbits, lampreys, pigeons, a pig heart, a sheep brain, and all this other stuff. And it's really cool, because I'm big into physiology and anatomy, to actually see the components and how they all connect and learn how it originated.

GoDuke.com: What does it mean to you to represent Duke?
ST: I feel really honored to do it. I know a lot of people back home are always kind of watching what I'm doing, in a good way, watching, hoping for me to do well, so I always have to try to live up to some expectations. But it's an awesome feeling just to go out there and be like, I've made it into this institution, I'm representing them, I'm doing the best I can, and competing against everyone else out there doing the best they can. It's cool because you could go to another school, but Duke just has this name both academically and athletically, and to be able to balance both and to be out there competing at both levels academically and athletically at the same time is a cool thing to say that not everyone can.

GoDuke.com: What will you miss most once your time at Duke is over?
ST: The team. Hands down, the team. I've lived with them for four years now, and it's just awesome. It's one of the reasons I chose Duke, because the team is really close and a lot of fun to be with. Once you leave, once we go into the real world, we don't have that anymore. So that's definitely what I'll miss the most. I won't have those people to just catch a run with or hangout. I'll have to actively make a new group.

GoDuke.com: What is your prerace routine before each meet?
ST: The night before, a lot of people go carbo-loading, or get a steak or this or that. It doesn't bother me what I eat; I've actually had my best races eating pizza the night before so sometimes I do that. I feel like it's just whatever doesn't upset your stomach. Before the race, about five hours before, I'll do a ten-minute shakeout, and then an hour before, I'll do two or three miles, stretching, drills, and then twenty minutes before the race I'll do a three minute tempo pace-effort, and then some strides, and stretching, and go. So I try to do what I do before the race before every workout so it's consistent. But nothing crazy, maybe a bowl of cereal, something that's not going to upset my stomach, but tide me over at least.

GoDuke.com: What is your prerace meal before each meet?
ST: Pizza has never let me down!

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