By: Craig Morgan
TEMPE – Cecile Lejeune took part in her first collegiate cross country meet on Sept. 15 at the Dave Murray Invitational in Tucson. It was everything she dreamed it would be, and more.
"The whole atmosphere and the support we get from teammates and coaches and trainers and people who come to see us race, it's amazing," Lejeune said. "I didn't get that experience back home. We'd run with clubs but there is no university sport. We couldn't get that atmosphere where you feel a part of a team. Being on a team is brilliant."
Lejeune was born in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France, a small town along the Seine about 23 kilometers south of Paris. Her mother, Josie, who is British, is also a triathlete. Josie sparked Cecile's love for sports. When Cecile was 13, she began running triathlons, and when she was 14, she started running cross country races and track and field events.
She qualified for European and World championships and she was the U20 French national champion.
"When you go to the European championships, you meet coaches from American schools there and they contact you to ask if you want to run for their schools," Lejeune said. "I've always wanted to study abroad so I could discover something -- a new way of living, a new way of thinking and discovering new people."
Lejeune originally pursued a triathlon scholarship but discovered that too few schools were offering a sport that was just beginning to take hold at American universities, thanks in large part to the efforts of ASU's national championship team, its coach, Cliff English, and former Sun Devils administrator Rocky Harris, who is now the CEO of USA Triathlon.
"A lot of programs started last year or this year but they don't have funding yet so I wasn't able to gain a full scholarship and there was no way I could put in $15,000 for my education so I looked up cross country and track and field scholarships at schools where there was also a triathlon team and Arizona State was one of them," Lejeune said.
"Obviously, the weather here helped with my decision, but it was something I really wanted to do, to discover a new way of training. The standards are much higher here. It takes more time but that's because things are done with more precision here, and better."
New Sun Devil cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen and former coach Louie Quintana brought Lejeune in for an official visit last year without having seen her race live.
"For track and field, there are a lot of opportunities to watch things on video and times don't lie," Rasmussen said. "Our sport is pretty black and white. We knew the times she had put up so we knew the potential she had if she could adjust to a new culture and a new way of doing things."
By the time Lejeune had filled out all the requisite paperwork and secured her visa, the team was already preparing to head to training camp at Camp Tontozona. Lejeune arrived on the evening the team left for camp, but an assistant coach remained behind to drive her up to the White Mountains.
"Her ability to jump in right away and be a part of the team has been really tremendous," Rasmussen said. "In my eyes, it's been an easy transition for her. She's probably running more than she has in the past, but she has done a good job of managing it and figuring out what she's doing."
To maintain her involvement in triathlon, Lejeune is swimming with the triathlon team on the side, and also cycling. She also lives with triathletes Charlotte Ahrens, Katie Gorczyca and Kendal Williams.
Lejeune, a sophomore, isn't sure whether she will pursue that sport in her ASU career. For the time being, she is enjoying cross country, especially the camaraderie of her teammates and the stiffer competition.
"I am really lucky to be able to run on the NCAA circuit where the level is just amazing and I get to compete against really talented athletes," she said. "It was quite easy to qualify for French Championships. It seems hard to go to NCAA Championships. I was French champion last year and there is no way I could even imagine being national champion over here. It's a completely different level."
Lejeune took fifth place in her Sun Devil debut with a time of 14:33.3. She is with the team in Minneapolis this weekend for the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday, hosted by the University of Minnesota at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
"I really don't know what's ahead for me. I guess I'll just see how I'm doing with running and then swimming and biking and just see what happens after that," Lejeune said. "I often say I'm not a runner or a triathlete. I'm just someone who does sport. I love doing other sports, whether it's climbing, mountain biking or hiking.
"I'll just do whatever comes up and whatever opportunities arise but I am really enjoying running; I'm really enjoying this experience."
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TEMPE – Cecile Lejeune took part in her first collegiate cross country meet on Sept. 15 at the Dave Murray Invitational in Tucson. It was everything she dreamed it would be, and more.
"The whole atmosphere and the support we get from teammates and coaches and trainers and people who come to see us race, it's amazing," Lejeune said. "I didn't get that experience back home. We'd run with clubs but there is no university sport. We couldn't get that atmosphere where you feel a part of a team. Being on a team is brilliant."
Lejeune was born in Juvisy-sur-Orge, France, a small town along the Seine about 23 kilometers south of Paris. Her mother, Josie, who is British, is also a triathlete. Josie sparked Cecile's love for sports. When Cecile was 13, she began running triathlons, and when she was 14, she started running cross country races and track and field events.
She qualified for European and World championships and she was the U20 French national champion.
"When you go to the European championships, you meet coaches from American schools there and they contact you to ask if you want to run for their schools," Lejeune said. "I've always wanted to study abroad so I could discover something -- a new way of living, a new way of thinking and discovering new people."
Lejeune originally pursued a triathlon scholarship but discovered that too few schools were offering a sport that was just beginning to take hold at American universities, thanks in large part to the efforts of ASU's national championship team, its coach, Cliff English, and former Sun Devils administrator Rocky Harris, who is now the CEO of USA Triathlon.
"A lot of programs started last year or this year but they don't have funding yet so I wasn't able to gain a full scholarship and there was no way I could put in $15,000 for my education so I looked up cross country and track and field scholarships at schools where there was also a triathlon team and Arizona State was one of them," Lejeune said.
"Obviously, the weather here helped with my decision, but it was something I really wanted to do, to discover a new way of training. The standards are much higher here. It takes more time but that's because things are done with more precision here, and better."
New Sun Devil cross country coach Jeremy Rasmussen and former coach Louie Quintana brought Lejeune in for an official visit last year without having seen her race live.
"For track and field, there are a lot of opportunities to watch things on video and times don't lie," Rasmussen said. "Our sport is pretty black and white. We knew the times she had put up so we knew the potential she had if she could adjust to a new culture and a new way of doing things."
By the time Lejeune had filled out all the requisite paperwork and secured her visa, the team was already preparing to head to training camp at Camp Tontozona. Lejeune arrived on the evening the team left for camp, but an assistant coach remained behind to drive her up to the White Mountains.
"Her ability to jump in right away and be a part of the team has been really tremendous," Rasmussen said. "In my eyes, it's been an easy transition for her. She's probably running more than she has in the past, but she has done a good job of managing it and figuring out what she's doing."
To maintain her involvement in triathlon, Lejeune is swimming with the triathlon team on the side, and also cycling. She also lives with triathletes Charlotte Ahrens, Katie Gorczyca and Kendal Williams.
Lejeune, a sophomore, isn't sure whether she will pursue that sport in her ASU career. For the time being, she is enjoying cross country, especially the camaraderie of her teammates and the stiffer competition.
"I am really lucky to be able to run on the NCAA circuit where the level is just amazing and I get to compete against really talented athletes," she said. "It was quite easy to qualify for French Championships. It seems hard to go to NCAA Championships. I was French champion last year and there is no way I could even imagine being national champion over here. It's a completely different level."
Lejeune took fifth place in her Sun Devil debut with a time of 14:33.3. She is with the team in Minneapolis this weekend for the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday, hosted by the University of Minnesota at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
"I really don't know what's ahead for me. I guess I'll just see how I'm doing with running and then swimming and biking and just see what happens after that," Lejeune said. "I often say I'm not a runner or a triathlete. I'm just someone who does sport. I love doing other sports, whether it's climbing, mountain biking or hiking.
"I'll just do whatever comes up and whatever opportunities arise but I am really enjoying running; I'm really enjoying this experience."
Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter