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September 22, 2007

College Report: Hard work, talent help North Central’s Shiflett shine with Boilermakers

By Joey Bennett

When I taught at North Central the last four years, I would sometimes shake my head and laugh while pulling my car into the parking lot every morning as a guy in sweats and a stocking cap was always running around the school. On purpose.

It didn’t matter what season it was or what the weather was like. Sometimes there was snow drifted up to a foot deep, but there he always was. Running and loving it.

I eventually asked around to find out who this devotee was. “That’s just Robert,” people said, as if I should have already known.

Robert Shiflett would eventually become the guy at the big cross country meets who would run through the chute first, and no one would follow him for a little while.

Now, his combination of talent and hard work have made him a Division 1 cross country runner at Purdue who shocked his coaches by placing second on the squad and 23rd among 194 competitors on Sept. 14 in the Indiana Intercollegiates.

Not bad for a walk-on freshman in his first collegiate race.

“I’m still in a shock state a little just thinking about it,” Shiflett said this week. “I wasn’t recruited, and I had to try out for the team over the summer. I really just wanted to make the team and be able to travel [by making the top seven].”

Done and done.

Shiflett’s tryout was 1.5 miles on the track and he ran a time of 7:05, which converts to an outstanding time of 9:40 in the two-mile.

Shiflett soon received a call from Conor Holt, a new Purdue assistant who was a six-time All-American in track and cross country, and was told he had earned a chance to run with the Boilers in the fall season.

“My first workout was awful, and I ended up running myself into the ground because I felt like I needed to prove myself,” Shiflett said. “But coach stuck with me and explained a little more in depth about what I needed to do to finish the workout because this was a new system.

“That all changed when I finished first for our team running unattached in the Great American Legends meet the week before Intercollegiates,” he added, noting that the team’s top two runners were out with injuries. “I went 26:43 for an 8k, then I cut that time again by 37 seconds running second on the team [with everyone] with a time of 26.06.

Needless to say, my personal goals have changed.”

Shiflett, whose time in the Intercollegiates was 26:05.52, now aspires to place in the Big Ten Conference and Pre-Nationals meets and to earn a scholarship as a walk-on.

John Warner, Purdue’s head coach, had experience with North Central runners after having Michial Jacob for the past several years.

Still, he admits he didn’t see Shiflett’s breakthrough debut coming.

“Robert has been a huge surprise,” Warner said. “He had never had a PR under 10:00 in the two-mile, which is one of our standards, but he assured me he could do it and he did. He was like getting a Christmas present in the summertime.”

Warner loves Shiflett’s work ethic, and is hopeful he can avoid the injury bug that slowed Jacob throughout his Purdue career.

“His guttiness is probably his best attribute,” Warner said. “He’s an incredibly hard worker, and he just has a great attitude – he definitely deserves the success he’s having.”

Purdue’s team success has been limited the past few years, but this year’s team provides hope for the future.

“We were very pleased to finish third in the Intercollegiates, especially having such a young team,” Warner said. “We hope Robert and this group of young men can stay healthy, and if so they have a really nice future ahead of them.”

Shiflett’s early-morning romps around North Central have unexpectedly prepared him for the twice-daily practices he now has.

“We usually have a 6:30 a.m. practice and then another one around 3:30,” he said. There are many advantages to being a D-1 athlete, and I’m really excited about the rest of this year.”

Shiflett knows he’s been blessed with a wonderful opportunity, and does not forget the people who have made it possible.

“I can’t go without thanking Coach Holt for giving me a shot,” he said. “He could’ve thrown me to the curb after the first workout, and I’m glad he stuck with me.

“My parents and family have always believed in me, even when I had some self doubt, and Michial Jacob gave me the 411 on college running,” Shiflett added. “I wouldn’t be racing as well as I am without him.”

Jerry Willard, Shiflett’s coach in high school, also draws exceptional praise.

“Coach Willard was the man that got me started running,” Shiflett said. “I wanted to be a football player growing up, and he convinced me to run. I owe him so much for all of my successes in running and in the classroom.”

Shiflett and the Boilers will run at the Lavern Gibson Course in the Pre-Nationals on Oct. 13.

If you ask him about how things have gone at Purdue so far, he may need to pause for a second to see if it’s real.

“I’m completing the same workout with ease that I couldn’t do at all a couple of months ago,” he said. “Right now I’m living a dream.”



• More D-1 runners — Two other area standouts have moved on to Division 1 programs to continue their cross country careers.

Terasita Williams of Casey-Westfield is a member of the team at Eastern Illinois. Williams won the regional championship last year with a tie of 18:42 for three miles, and finished seventh in the IHSA state finals 3,200-meter track event with a PR time of 11:34. She also qualified for the Illinois state track meet in the 1,600 with a career-best time of 5:20.45.

Greencastle’s Andy Weatherford, a two-time Indiana state champion in track and field distance events, is a member of the Indiana University program.

Weatherford owns personal-best times of 1:56 in the 800-meters, 4:08.71 in the 1,600-meters, 9:30 in the 3,200-meters and 15:34 in the 5K.

He was a four-time county and sectional champion in cross country, an also earned a conference title in cross country during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Weatherford won the 1,600-meter regional title as a sophomore, junior and senior, and won the state title in the same event in his last two years of competition. In last year’s state cross country meet, Weatherford finished 20th in a time of 16:39.0.

• Fleschner HCAC’s top player — Hanover College junior Katie Fleschner of Terre Haute North has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s women’s tennis player of the week for the period ending Sept. 16.

Fleschner powered Hanover to a 2-1 record during the week with victories in three singles matches and a trio of doubles matches.

Playing in the No. 1 singles spot, Fleschner defeated Indiana University Southeast’s Britta Oliver, 8-1, in the Panthers’ 7-2 loss to the Grenadiers Sept. 13 and paired with junior Ali Gantz of Greenwood for an 8-1 win at No. 1 doubles.

She handled the College of Mount St. Joseph’s Judy Frey, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 1 during Hanover’s 8-1 triumph, and combined with Gantz for an 8-4 win in the No. 1 doubles battle.

Fleschner defeated Anderson University’s Rachel Makin, 7-5, 6-1, in the Panthers’ 8-1 victory against the Ravens. She paired with Gantz for an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles.

• Big day for “Bubba” — Former Terre Haute North standout defensive lineman Jared “Bubba” Lange had a huge day last Saturday for the Wabash College football team in its 28-6 win over Millikin.

Lange made five tackles, including 3.5 quarterback sacks for a total of 31 yards, as the No. 23 Little Giants won their second straight game. Lange had another tackle for loss and also broke up a pass.

Former North teammate Mike Russell was scheduled to see his first extensive action of the season on Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan after working to overcome a variety of leg injuries. Russell, a pre-season All-American, was restricted to limited duty in the opener against Franklin and did not dress against Millikin.

Russell will have a different quarterback when he returns, as standout quarterback Dustin Huff will be out 6-8 weeks after being injured in the opener.

Lange, Russell and the team’s other 15 seniors went on a team-bonding mountain climbing adventure at Pike’s Peak in Colorado this summer, one of the many very diverse activities that Wabash Coach Chris Creighton develops for his players.

There could be more Wabash Valley gridiron talent to join backup kicker Drew Oehler, also a North grad, next year at Wabash after Russell and Lange graduate. Michael Woodsmall, North Central’s all-state running back, attended the Franklin game and is strongly considering becoming a Little Giant.

• Russell family, Part II – Anderson University freshman receiver Christopher Russell, also a North grad and Mike’s younger brother, had 10 receptions for 108 yards as the Ravens went 1-2 to open the season.

His longest reception was for 30 yards.

Greencastle’s Matt Plessinger was the leading tackler for Anderson through three games, with 33 total tackles (19 of them solos). The junior linebacker also broke up a pass.

• Marian tacklers – North grad Daniel Watson had five assisted tackles for Marian in the Knights’ 39-7 loss to McKendree on Sept. 8. Adam Brewer of Linton had two solo tackles and two assists.



Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached by e-mail at tribstarcollegereport@yahoo.com.

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