Track-ish, hosted by Joshua Potts, is back on MileSplit to spotlight the personalities behind the nation's best high school cross country runners. In every episode, Joshua dives into what makes these athletes great, giving them space to be real, reflective, and unapologetically themselves on the national stage.
Union Catholic's (NJ) Paige Sheppard joins the show to talk about leading one of the top-five ranked teams in the country while also chasing her own dream of becoming a national champion. Sheppard has been in the spotlight since she was just eight years old, when she won gold at the AAU Junior Olympics. Now, as an eleventh grader, her mindset has shifted this cross country season to be intentional and cement UC's XC legacy.
Paige Sheppard Accolades
2x NXR Northeast Champion
2x New Jersey XC State Champion
2024 New Jersey Meet of Champions XC Champion
4x800m & DMR High School National Record Holder
Led Union Catholic to back-to-back 10th-place finishes at NXN (2023 & 2024)
Mile PR - 4:33.67
800m PR - 2:01.05
In this episode, Sheppard shares what it will take for Union Catholic to climb higher at Nike Cross Nationals, reflects on how Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's legacy continues to motivate her, and offers perspective on competing with both joy and pressure on the biggest stage.
