In a couple of months, N.C. State Track and Field is going to miss a vital part of its team. Senior jumper and Chesapeake, Va. native Karimah Shepherd will be graduating.
Shepherd has been a standout performer since arriving at State. She led the Pack in the long jump and triple jump her freshman year, beginning her collegiate career a leader.
Yearly improvement saw Shepherd have a breakout season her senior year. She earned two second-team All-America honors in the horizontal jumps and was named the NCAA South Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year.
She also won the ACC Championship in the long and triple jumps, was named the ACC Championships’ Field MVP, broke the school record in the long jump (21’2.00″) at the ACC Championships and recorded the second-best triple jump in program history (43’0.50″) at the ACC Championships.
“Karimah has done exactly what I expected, and what I recruited her for,” jumpers coach Chris Coleman said. “She jumped 20 feet and 40 feet-plus out of high school, so for her to hit the big marks 21 and 43 her senior year was pretty big.”
However, the person that Shepherd has become stretches much further than the track. Technician had the opportunity to catch up with Shepherd about her time at State and her future beyond the track.
How did you become involved in track and field?
I started track in middle school my eighth-grade year. I actually didn’t become a jumper until my junior year of high school. I was actually the only female jumper at my high school, so it was kind of like jumping with the guys, and I just so happened to be kind of good at it.
What are some of your goals for after graduation?
Everyone keeps asking me if I am going to go pro, especially since my marks are where they would need to be for me to go pro … you have to really want it. To go pro and to be a pro athlete is very serious, a lot of dedication and a lot of work. I already have internships set up with Disney and ESPN, so I am going to be doing that right after I am done with Nationals, so do I want to go pro? No, it’s not in my plans right now.
What would you be doing without track in your life?
I don’t know. I would be doing some kind of sport … something. I have been doing sports my entire life. Coming to school and not playing a sport was never an option.
What does your training consist of?
Everything. One thing people always assume is that since we are jumpers, we just come out and jump, and it’s not like that at all. We do hurdles stuff, we run a lot, we do sleds, jump on blocks with a lot of plyometric with strength and conditioning. We do so much more than what people think as far as training is concerned.”
What is your motivation out on the track?
My parents. I just want them to be proud of me in whatever I do. My team — they motivate me, my coach motivates me. They are my top motivators.
Do you have a favorite place in the area to run besides the track?
No, no I don’t actually. Most people think that we run for fun … I don’t. You will not catch me just running. If I didn’t do track, I wouldn’t run at all probably.
Can you describe your teammates and what you have learned here?
We are kind of split up into four main sections. You have your throwers, distance and cross country people, the jumpers and the sprinters. I am mostly always with my jumpers, and we are so close — we travel with each other, we go out together, we are roommates with each other and we support each other.
We are such a strong-knit team and we work really well together, motivate each other. We play around, but we still compete against each other. No one wants to get beat by their teammate, so we are pretty good with all of that. I love my teammates and I am really going to miss them when it’s time for me to go.
How has N.C. State helped develop you as an athlete and a person?
Man, I have learned so much here. Before I got here I didn’t know what I wanted to do as far as career. Track and my sport and just the people here, the teachers and the coaches … everyone has been so supportive of me and they always want to help you. They are always looking out for your best interest, which is like the best thing. They are always on your side through everything.
I did not always have such a great season – I had bad seasons and they were still very supportive and wanted to be on my side through everything. They have helped with everything … I feel like a woman now. I came here when I was 18 and I was very much a child and immature. Now I am 22 and about to graduate and get a job, and I would like to give thanks to N.C. State, my teachers, coaches — all of them.
