Battling against the elements, the course, the competition, and themselves, cross country runners like Heidelberg University's Vanessa Shanaman know that every second counts. In Shanaman's case, it was exactly 1.0 seconds
Having spent two years away from her sport, Shanaman -- the Ohio Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete of the Month for October -- has attacked her senior season with a fresh perspective, one that has yielded a personal record four years in the making.
Hailing from nearby Bellevue, Shanaman was recruited to run at Heidelberg by former coach Brian Grime. Familiar with the school because it's where her grandparents met and fell in love, she quickly took a liking to the team and the exercise science program. Comfortable with the distance from home, Shanaman enrolled in the Fall of 2020.
Her freshman cross country season never materialized because of COVID, so Shanaman settled into the distance program through track & field. It wasn't until she was a sophomore that she began competing in cross country. But when she did, she quickly became one of The Berg's top runners.
On October 1, 2021, Shanaman clocked a numerically pleasing 23:45.6 at the Tiffelberg Invitational -- setting her own personal record. The mark put her in the top 15 on the program's all-time performance list. But her PR sat untouched for four years.
Well, four years and two days, because for a sport where seconds matter, the days do, too.
Racing at the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational on October 3, Shanaman felt good. And after the first 1,000 meters, she knew that elusive PR was feasible.
"I was over the moon when I heard the first K split, and knew that I had a good chance of a PR," said Shanaman, who finished with a time of 23:44.6. "When you see the clock like that, every straightaway feels like a mile long. Once you can see the finish is right there, it was just against the clock at that point."
It was a perfect day for racing. Shanaman was one of 15 Student Princes to set a new PR that day -- but none carried as much significance as hers. After all, it's been so long since she set her previous best, the golf course on which she performed the feat has since closed and been plowed into farmland.
The 2025 season is her first in competition since the end of the 2023 spring track & field campaign -- but she was connected with the sport the whole time. With her sights set on a coaching career, Shanaman spent 2023-24 coaching middle school track & field in her hometown.
"It was really cool to coach at my own middle school and learning the coaching side of things, learning more about the other events, because I really only know about distance running," said Shanaman. "It was great to help kids that age begin to develop a passion for the sport."
She wanted to return in 2024, but stress fractures in both legs derailed her plans. What started as a 12-week setback estimate ballooned into a season-long rehab process. But as an exercise science major, it was a hands-on lesson.
"Athletic Trainer Levi Myers was so helpful for me on my rehab journey. The logical side of me wanted to understand every step of what we were doing and why," said Shanaman. "At times, though, it was a challenge to overcome the competitive side of me that simply wanted to get back out and run."
Forced to adjust her training regimen to keep her body going, she remains optimistic about the process and the outcome -- not only for the rest of cross country season, but also for running indoor track at Frann's Fieldhouse.
"It's so exciting," said Shanaman. "I just walk in there and I get excited for indoor season, even though I'm definitely more of a cross country person. Hosting OACs this year is going to be such an advantage for us."
Four years, two stress fractures, one huge comeback — and a PR to prove it. Every second matters for Shanaman. And if her season so far is any indication, the best moments are still ahead.