Central Michigan University Athletics
Lebron Grows Into Student-Athlete Role
4/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | MTF
April 3, 2001
For Central Michigan University track athlete Gene Lebron, the transition from high school to college wasn't as easy as he would have planned.
Lebron, a senior from Albion, was deemed academically ineligible by the NCAA his freshman year because he was missing one core credit in English. Due to his "non-qualifier" status, Lebron was not even able to attend practice with the Chippewa track team. Coming off a stellar senior season which saw him win the 1996 indoor state championship in the mile and claim Class B runner-up honors on the cross country course the previous fall, this layoff from competing was hard to take.
"It was really hard seeing my freshman teammates, many of whom I had raced against, gain experience while I had to sit out," said Lebron. "It had a serious psychological effect on me, not necessarily good or bad, it was more an awakening. It made me realize there is more to life besides running and that academics would make the difference."
Since then Lebron has certainly applied this new philosophy to his life. He currently maintains a 3.05 grade point average in the classroom and has been named to the dean's list three times. A Spanish major with a physical education minor, he also teaches two Spanish labs at CMU.
Lebron also showcases his leadership in the athletic arena. In additition to being a co-captain on the men's track team, he has also served for three years on CMU's Student Athlete Advisory Board. "It is exciting because we get to meet not only with other CMU team representatives and discuss things of importance at Central, we also meet with representatives from other MAC schools," explained Lebron.
Heading into his last outdoor season, Lebron has been able to look back at what he has learned from his five years as a CMU student athlete: "It has been a very maturing experience especially academically. I came in somewhat sub-par, and thru athletics and maturity I have become more focused on what is important in life."
by: Jeff DeLong, Sports Information Assistant
