KUTZTOWN, PA (May 8, 2010) – The track and field world is probably grateful that Shane Harvey decided to pass on lacrosse and carry on a lasting family tradition. (PHOTO GALLERY) / (COMPLETE MEET RESULTS)
Harvey's parents each hurdled at Slippery Rock. His six uncles were also successful soaring over the hurdles. One competed at Penn State and another at Ohio State. So for a few seconds, Harvey actually thought about leaving the hurdles behind to carve his own legacy by dodging defenders, carrying a stick and getting knocked around the lacrosse field.
“I wanted to play lacrosse, but I knew that wasn't going to work with the family,” Harvey said with a smile. “I am pretty much bred to hurdle.”
No matter the conditions, Harvey always delivers like the postman.
In each of the last two years of the Kutztown Last Chance Meet at University Field, Harvey has had to deal with only conditions that the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore would love. Last year it was the rain. Saturday evening, it was a fierce and biting wind that had the vicious bite of a bone-chilling November breeze.
Despite the wicked winds, Harvey placed third in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.10 seconds. He led a trio of Golden Bears in the top eight of the event. The race was run in the opposite direction than normal because of the really breezy conditions. Harvey's time was three seconds slower than last week's season-best effort at Princeton but considering the weather, it wasn't anything to be disappointed with.
“The wind is not a help,” Harvey said. “When the wind is pushing at your back while you're running; you're getting too close to the hurdles. It's not a good thing, your steps aren't right and you're hitting the hurdles. You just do the best you can on days like today and look forward to better days.”
Although all of the participants had to endure the chilly elements in which the sun played peek-a-boo during the meet, Harvey focused on gliding over the hurdles with his usual flair and grace. Harvey is blessed to have been able to learn from some of the top hurdlers in the PSAC during his time as a Golden Bear.
He came in as a freshman and watched the way Justin Gibbs and Vonkurt Redley went about their business. Now he has the pleasure of competing with teammate T.J. Longmore (Lititz/Manheim Township), who has pushed Harvey to great heights.
“Having Justin and Vonkurt around pushed me to be better,” Harvey said. “Last year T.J. had an outstanding year and he has helped me a great deal. On a day like today with all the wind, it's like running into a brick wall and it feels like you have a monkey on your back. The focus today was trying to snap my lead leg up as fast as possible. If the lead leg is not getting up quick enough, then you're going to hit the hurdles and fall.”
While Harvey is looking forward to next weekend's championship meet, he has a brighter future and a higher calling waiting for him when he earns his degree from Kutztown next year. Harvey wants to earn a doctorate degree and go into cancer research. Track and field coach Ray Hoffman envisions bigger and better things from Harvey on the track in the future.
“Shane has definitely grown into his own here,” Hoffman said. “TJ has been one of our leaders over the years and when Shane was younger, we had guys like Vonkurt Redley who had been big leaders for us and they've kind of groomed the way for TJ and Shane. Now, that Shane is a junior, he's realizing what his role is. Next year he's going to be the leader of this great hurdle group we have.”
--KU--
