The 5-foot-5 freshman won the Non-Public, Group A state meet this past season with a time of 18:09.0, leading the Vikings to the team title. Three weeks later, Sheppard won the Nike Cross Northeast Regional individual championship, breaking the tape in 18:12,29 to help Union Catholic qualify for the Nike Cross Nationals Final, where the Vikings took 10th as a team. The state’s top runner at the Ocean State XC Invitational, she finished second in a personal-best 17:35.30.
Sheppard has maintained a 4.16 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her sophomore year of high school this fall.
An accomplished artist whose work has been selected for display at various art shows, Sheppard has volunteered locally with the Student Movement Against Cancer at UC, which prepares holiday cards for cancer patients. She was also a recent recipient of the Paul Robeson Youth Achievement Award, which honors high-achieving African American students in a variety of disciplines.
