This is Sideline Stories. A platform where NE10 student-athletes can share their collegiate experiences in an unfiltered environment - using their voices to promote growth and positive change in our league and in all of NCAA Division II athletics.

Shawn Odei-Ntiri, a junior on the Southern Connecticut track and cross country teams, is extremely grateful for having the chance to compete with the Owls in his hometown of New Haven, Conn. Not every bit of it has been easy, though, especially with a medical setback. Here is his Sideline Story:

When I was young I found out that I was abnormally spontaneous. It was hard for me to stay away from outdoor activities and I involved myself in any sport that I could get my little hands on.

My mother was a huge influence on my early choices for sports. She always empowered me to do what I wanted, as long as it meant I wasn’t doing anything dangerous, which sometimes was the case, but I learned from those trials to say the least.

After traversing through many sports, I decided on running. This came after my break-up with lacrosse, which by far was my hardest break-up to date. However, my coach, who I consider to be my father, and my family convinced me that I could have success in the sports of track and cross country.

Picking a university/college to run for was a more difficult endeavor. Trying to find exactly what I was looking for in an institution that could also offer me a scholarship while boasting a credible team, facilities, academics, and my intended field of study was troublesome.

It came down to a few schools, but ultimately Southern Connecticut State University gave me everything I was looking for and more. It gave me the opportunity to join a team with tremendous success and depth, a diverse community, and great academics.

As an Environmental Science major with a concentration in Policy Management and a minor in Political Science, Southern made me feel welcomed. The staff and faculty here gave me the opportunities to develop myself through a variety of leadership roles such as an orientation ambassador and resident advisor, two roles I am very grateful for because they allowed me to use my talents to help other students achieve success.

Time and time again, I think back to our cross country season last year where we won our first NE10 cross country title. Accomplishing this task and doing it with a group of guys that all come from around the New Haven area was special. We worked hard day in and day out, constantly reminded each other of our goals that season, which were to win a conference title, win a New England title, and punch our ticket to a national meet.

We raced hard every step of the way, especially at conference. Our distance coach Brian Nill set us up perfectly to win that conference title, and just about every guy on the team (10 out of 11) came away with a personal best that day to help us secure the championship. It brought us a whirlwind of emotions to have won and to have done it as a cohesive unit, and it’s a memory we all will cherish forever I’m certain.

Despite all the success we were having as a team and the steady progress I was making as an athlete, an obstacle still found its way in. I was diagnosed with a benign tumor in my knee joint when I was 13. I never got surgery because I was too young to do it and the doctor at the time believed if I went with surgery I could risk a floating kneecap. Therefore, I held off on letting them cut my knee open.

Midway into my sophomore year, the tumor had begun to grow a bit and this started to irritate my knee. I knew I had to get surgery if I wanted to continue running. May 16th was the most opportune time to do so.

The road back to performance-ready was a long one; I spent the first three months unable to sustain pressure on my knee for long periods of time. Finally by the end of the cross country season this year, I found myself ready to compete and return to the sport.

The team as a whole is a giant family and I have learned and grown so much from the interactions with everyone. During practices, the jumpers, sprinters, and multis are cheering us distance guys on during workouts and it’s just a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere to be a part of.

I myself hangout with the distance guys a lot and my friend Connor is a great role model for me because as a teammate he is always there for me whenever I need him. All of us try to get together and study together or go out and enjoy each other's company whenever we have time.

The whole athletics community at Southern is a family. My friends Tyler, Connor, Dan, and I spent a day in New York City with our close friends Allie, Melaine, and Jenna and it was relaxing to get away from practice and unwind.

During meets, our team is a force to be reckoned with, we are known for making the venue vibrate with noise. That atmosphere we create inspires each person on the team to go out and compete with the intent to win their event or their heat every time.

I personally couldn’t see myself anywhere else, because this team, this school, and this environment has made me who I am today and I wouldn’t change that for anything.

- Shawn Odei-Ntiri