There is little surprise in Orono and Hampden as two hometown runners have been breaking records at the collegiate level.
The local running community is very familiar with the drive and toughness that have powered Ruth White and Helen Shearer to the NCAA East Regionals this week. As White competes in the 10,000 meters for the University of New Hampshire on Thursday night and Shearer races in the 3,000 meter steeplechase for the University of Maine on Saturday, that community will be united in support of these two impressive athletes.
“I can say that the community here in Hampden is as excited to see Ruth White succeed as I’m very certain the Orono community is happy to see Helen Shearer succeeding,” said Hampden Academy track and field coach Jason Kash. “So I think it just speaks more to that broader sense of community support that track and field is really known for.”
White is in her freshman year at UNH after leading Orono High School to multiple state titles in track and cross country. Shearer is a former Hampden Academy standout in her senior year at UMaine after transferring from West Point. Both repeatedly set school records this season and earned spots in the NCAA regionals by being among the top 48 finishers on the East Coast in their respective events.
Neither the athletic director in Orono nor the track and field coach in Hampden are surprised to see these Maine stars shining bright this season as they get set to compete in the Jacksonville, Florida, regional event.
“First and foremost, I know Ruth never takes anything for granted and nor do I, but I’m not surprised,” Orono Athletic Director Mike Archer said. “I just know what her work ethic is. I know what her level of drive is. And I knew that when you got to college that the distance races were longer — and that would just play into her advantage. Because the longer the race, the better she gets. She’s just able to replicate mile after mile after mile, and she just wears you down.”
Kash has long been impressed with Shearer’s mental toughness.
“Mental fortitude is so important, and we could tell that she is just full of that,” the Hampden coach said about Shearer. “And I’m not surprised that it’s serving her well.”
Shearer has set multiple new UMaine records for the steeplechase this season, beating her own record with a May 17 time of 10:12.64 that was 27th best in the East Region this season.
White has done something similar with UNH’s 10K record, first breaking it in March and then following up with an even faster 32:57:83 time for the 6.2-mile race in May. The school’s previous 10K record had stood for nearly 15 years and belonged to fellow Mainer Erica Jesseman.
The Maine running community can sometimes seem more like one big family. And for proof, look at how Jesseman feels about White breaking her 10K record at UNH.
“It was so special to me to see a Maine kid break my record at UNH. I wouldn’t have wanted anything else,” Jesseman said. “It’s just really cool that another Mainer came and broke that record.”
Jesseman agreed that the Maine distance running community has a family feel to it, and said she has been very impressed by White’s freshman season and the hard work that has gone into it.
“And that’s the one thing about Maine: We’re hard workers, and we don’t give up, and we’re driven and we persevere,” Jesseman said, stressing how runners work together and help push one another. “We work together, and people do workouts together, and work with each other and support each other, and it’s really a special community.”
That specialness continues to be on display in the Bangor area, where past competitors will be rooting White and Shearer on from afar.
“You’re just happy to see people do well, and that’s one of the best things about track,” Bangor High School track and field coach Alan Mosca said. “You’re competitive and you want to win, but you’re also gonna tip your hat when the competitor does well and you’re happy for them, because you know that they put in the effort.”
Mosca said the collegiate success of athletes like White and Shearer provides “great inspiration” for local high school competitors.
There is little doubt that Shearer and White are inspiring the next round of talented distance runners with their record breaking performances. But that inspiration extends beyond the college meets as well, with both athletes continuing to help build the talent and culture in the high school programs that helped forge them.
Archer said that White will be overseeing the summer track program in Orono.
“Just having her there, she brings instant credibility,” Archer said. “There’s gonna be a lot of little kids that are gonna be wanting to do summer track because they’re gonna have an opportunity to be around her. And that’s the influence that she’s had in our community.”
Archer said that while White may be a talented athlete, “she’s an even better person” and stressed her humility and compassion.
Kash emphasized the continued legacy that Shearer has built in Hampden, where she and teammates have helped grow a culture of camaraderie, sportsmanship and hard work.
“In my years coaching, you’re gonna be able to find talented athletes in lots of different places, and it’s special when you get ones that really care about the legacy they’re gonna leave,” Kash said. “Not just in how they interact with their teammates, but just in how they conduct themselves, that serves as a model.”
He said Shearer is “just a wonderful example of that.”
Shearer transferring to UMaine provided an opportunity for even more connection with the Hampden program, including helping out as a home meet official, Kash said.
That continued willingness to give back to their communities hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I think one of the best things about these two is how they’re gonna give back to the sport,” Mosca, the Bangor coach, said.
“They aren’t forgetting their roots, which is awesome,” he added. “They are not forgetting where they are from, and they want to give back.”
That will continue to create more opportunities for the next generation, according to Mosca
“I just want to be a good role model for younger athletes,” White told the Bangor Daily News last week when asked if she thinks about inspiring that next generation. “And I appreciate the support from everyone and hope I can give back to the community what they are giving to me.”
Regardless of what happens at NCAA regionals this week, it’s clear that White and Shearer have already made the Maine running community proud.