Keegan Shirley '26 Recruiting Profile

My name is Keegan Shirley. I have lived overseas all of my life due to my parents' jobs as international teachers. We moved from the US, to Kazakhstan, to Italy, to China, which is where I have been located for the past 5 years. My Dad ran cross country in high school and college and went on to become an ultra-endurance runner. Because of this, I have been surrounded by running my entire life. Although I was little, I was able to run in Kazakhstan and Italy because my dad was the cross-country coach. Although I wasn't very fast at the time, starting running at a young age has given me a strong mental and physical foundation.

My most recent achievements have been this cross-country season (2023) at Dixon Illinois. I was able to drop my time from 19 minutes at the start of the season to 16:30 at the end while suffering multiple injuries, tendonitis and a calf strain. My mile time also dropped from 5:26 to 4:59. This was because of our close-knit team, focused on improvement, and our amazingly devoted coach. I also had a lot of support from my parents.

Another important aspect about me is that I work hard in everything I do, not only cross country. I maintain a GPA above 3.8 while being a multi-sport athlete, student council member, and key club member. While living in China, I was determined to learn the language, despite it being one of the hardest languages to master in the entire world. I am now a fluent Chinese speaker and have passed a college-level Chinese test, HSK 4. 

One of the things I love most is being a part of a team and a community. I hope to find a college where I can use my skills and ambition to both improve myself and make a difference in the world.