Shae Harbaugh: From Walk-On to Big Ten Champion

Michigan State senior track and field student athlete Shae Harbaugh has climbed her way to victory after starting as a walk-on her freshman year.
 
Harbaugh did gymnastics for most of her life before starting track. Her mom jokes that she was upside down walking on her hands for most of her teen years, but her teachers always mentioned how she was faster than all the boys when she would play tag on the playground.
 
“I started running my freshman year of high school,” Harbaugh said. “Track was the sport where there were no cuts and you could just join if you didn’t have any experience, so I tried it out with my best friend and we both loved it and kept each other in it.”
 
Harbaugh is from Clarkston, Mich., and had always had her eye on MSU.
 
“My dad played baseball here and he loved his experience, and I also knew the all the athletic programs were great.”
 
Athletics has spilled over into her studies, majoring in kinesiology.
 
“I’m really interested in learning about the body and how it moves, with athletes preferably so I might do some athletic training. I want to help other people with their injuries because that’s been a big challenge with my running career and it’ll allow me to be there for people during those moments.”
 
Harbaugh started as a sprinter but transitioned to hurdling. Her main event was the 400-meter hurdles, although once she came to MSU that changed.
 
“I originally was going to be a sprinter but then Coach [Lisa] Breznau called and said I should do some distance training since I was new to track. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into because distance training is no joke, but I stuck with it and since then she’s helped me transition into specializing in the 800-meter and I love it.”
 
The 800-meter is now Harbaugh’s favorite race, but it took her a while to get used to the distance. Just over two minutes on the track was an adjustment but she likes finishing her first lap and being able to mentally make the decision to push harder and stay in it.
 
“She went from never running an 800-meter before, which is arguably one of the hardest events, to running under 2:10 which puts her near the top for time performances in the Big Ten,” MSU Assistant Coach Max Benoit said. “Now she’s doing things that if you would have asked her four years ago if she could have done, she would have looked…