Dedication, work ethic, leadership, competitive and hungry all describe Florida A&M cross country/track and field distance runner, Shuaib Winters.
Winters began his running career in his hometown of Conyers, Ga. He started running track in the 7th grade under his elementary school Physical Education teacher Brian Smith.
Winters attended Heritage High School, which was the first placed Winters took on both track and a new sport in cross country.
It is also there where he was again coached by Smith. He achieved instant success
at the high school level.
“I did really well against other schools. I won most of my races, but we never ran big time schools,” Winters said. “Whenever we did, I would hit a PR (Personal Record) but never win.”
Throughout the struggles of adjusting to the two different styles of running for their respective sports, Winters managed to make it to the state meet all year.
His high school career was capped by a 4th place fi nish
in cross country.
“By my senior year, I had seen the growth and I was winning big time races,” he said. “Freshman year I didn’t place, sophomore year I finished 6th, junior year I finished 9th, and senior year I finished 4th.”
Winters first encounter with Florida A&M athletics came as he ran with an
outside organization called Club Nitro.
He ran against collegiate competition and met his future coach, Ray Robinson, at a Tennessee State meet.
He chose to come to FAMU and immediately grew a hunger for college competition.
“I loved the competition. I came in and got demolished by other schools,” Winters said. “Most people get depressed by coming in and not doing as well as they did in high school. I used that to drive me.”
The third year Criminal Justice/Civil Engineering major, has been running track all three years and is entering his second year of cross country.
He has already earned Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference athlete of the week and does not plan on letting the awards stop there.
“I feel like I’m ready. This is my year and I’m going to go for it.”