Hall of Fame Induction: An Interview with Shea'na Grigsby '02

When Shea’na Grigsby ’02 stepped onto the track as a seventh grader, she was just a fast kid looking for a social outlet. By the time she graduated from Breck School, she was a state champion. Today, she is a collegiate National Champion and All-American several times over, a three-time Hall of Fame inductee, and an executive helping the next generation of high school athletes find their paths.

We sat down with Shea’na to talk about her recent induction into the USTFCCCA Division III Hall of Fame, the coaches who shaped her grit, and why her greatest calling today is setting an example for her two young children.

Alumni Office (AO): Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get involved in track and field, and what specifically drew you to the hurdles?

Shea’na Grigsby (SG): It was honestly happenstance! I started running track in seventh grade when my sister and I were attending Minnehaha Academy. One of our PE teachers noticed how fast we were and suggested we join the track team. I remember thinking, What am I getting myself into?

Sports had always come naturally to Kristal and me, so giving track a try felt like the right thing to do. As it turned out, running came naturally too—so naturally that we were quickly asked to compete at the junior varsity level.

Not long after, my coach asked me to try hurdles. As you can imagine, hurdling is such a unique event. Everyone can run, but not everyone can hurdle. At first, I was terrified. I remember approaching each hurdle cautiously—running up to it, hopping over, running to the next one, and doing it all over again. Somehow, I was still winning!

What started as something that intimidated me quickly became a challenge I wanted to master. Rather than letting the hurdles conquer me, I decided I was going to conquer them. From that point on, I focused on perfecting the event, and it ultimately became one of the defining parts of my track career.

AO: You eventually transferred to Breck. What was that transition like as an athlete?

SG: It was funny because we had actually competed against Breck before transferring there. When we arrived, the reaction from the team was basically, “Finally, the people who were beating us are on our side now!”

Continuing with sports was a no-brainer. Track wasn’t our only sport either—we also played volleyball and basketball. For us, it was about being athletes, building friendships, and finding a sense of belonging, especially since we weren’t “lifers” in the community. Sports gave us a way to connect and feel like part of the team right away.

AO: Looking back at your time wearing the Mustang uniform, are there any core memories or people that still stick with you?

SG: As you get older, you gain a much greater sense of perspective. When you're young and living in the moment, nobody can tell you anything! But looking back now, Ms. [Carrie] Lennox was incredible.

She pushed us hard and held us to a high standard. It didn't matter that we were "just" a high school team, and she never let complaints influence her expectations. Her goal was to help us become the best athletes we could possibly be.

I can still picture her showing up to practice during those freezing Minnesota spring days, completely bundled up in her wind suit, while we looked at her thinking, What are you doing? But she was always prepared. No matter the conditions, she was ready.

That mindset stayed with me long after high school. I carried it into college, where I made it a point to always be prepared, staying warm, staying ready, and being equipped for whatever challenges came my way.

AO: Anyone else on campus who left a lasting impression?

SG: Coach B. stands out immediately. I loved that I could sit in his office and have completely open, honest conversations. He wasn't afraid to give a genuine perspective, and if I was complaining or making excuses, he would call me out on it. He cared enough to be honest, and I always respected that about him.

I was also fortunate to have incredible English teachers, including Mr. Crowe and Mr. Moose, whose passion for literature, writing, and poetry inspired me in a lasting way. Their influence was so significant that I ultimately majored in English in college, turning a classroom interest into a lifelong passion.

AO: You had an incredibly decorated career at Carthage College, rewriting record books and winning national titles. What made you choose Carthage, and what drove that massive success?

SG:I was only considering two schools: Carthage in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter. Gustavus was beautiful, and I remember loving the campus and the food, but my mom gave me some very candid advice. She told me, "You need to go to a small school because you're needy." I was completely offended at the time! (Laughs) Looking back, though, she knew exactly what I needed, even if I didn't fully understand it then.

She also pointed out that Gustavus was only about an hour and a half from home, making it easy to come back whenever I wanted. In the end, I chose Carthage because it was six hours away, far enough that I had to learn to be independent and figure things out on my own. It also gave me the opportunity to compete as a dual-sport athlete in both volleyball and track.

AO: You went from winning a state title at Breck to competing on the national stage. How did you handle that jump?

SG: I distinctly remember one of my first indoor meets as a freshman. I had trained hard and felt ready, but I ended up losing. After the race, I sat down and cried. One of my teammates came over and asked why I was so upset, and I probably replied a little dramatically, “Because I just got beat!” She looked at me with absolutely no sympathy and said, “Okay, but you're going to get beat time and time again. How are you going to handle that?” It was a defining lesson in character and resilience.

That loss didn't diminish my drive, it fueled it. I qualified for both Indoor and Outdoor Nationals as a freshman, and while I didn't win an individual title that year, I was part of a National Championship-winning 4x100 relay team. More importantly, I got a glimpse of what excellence looked like. From that moment on, it wasn't about beating other people; it was about becoming the best version of myself. I constantly asked, What did I learn? What do I need to do to come back stronger? That mindset carried me forward, and over the next few years I returned to the national stage and captured three individual national titles in the 55-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles, and, finally, the 400-meter hurdles during my senior year.

AO: After college, you pivoted away from your plan of becoming a literature professor. Where did your career take you?

SG: I attended an NCAA leadership conference and realized I wanted to work directly with student-athletes. I got my Master’s in Sport Management and worked as an academic advisor for athletic programs at Northwestern, the University of Minnesota, Temple University, and Carthage.

Today, I’m the Senior Director of Partnerships at NCSA (Next College Student Athlete), which is the recruiting arm of IMG Academy. We help high school athletes get recruited to play college sports. I partner with national governing bodies like USA Wrestling, USA Hockey, US Rowing, and USA Diving. It keeps sports in my veins and allows me to stay closely connected to youth athletics and the broader sports community. 

AO: On top of pursuing your passion for working with athletes, you’re also back in graduate school. What keeps you pushing?

SG: I’m actually working on my MBA right now through Minnesota State Mankato—my second master's! I started it right after my daughter was born, which sounds crazy. But when you become a parent, you don’t just stop growing. You want to continue to pour into yourself so you can show these little people what is possible.

AO: Shea’na, this past April, you were inducted into the USTFCCCA Division III Hall of Fame. That marks your third separate Hall of Fame induction. How does it feel to look back at that legacy?

SG: I was inducted individually at Carthage in 2011, then again with my 4x100 relay team in 2021, and now this national induction. When you get older, you tend to compound your athletic achievements with all the other regular decisions of life, so you almost forget the scale of what you did.

But what’s beautiful about it now is that I’m building a legacy for my kids. I want my daughter, Rainha, and my son, Tre, to look back and be proud of what their mom accomplished. Ultimately, the legacy isn’t just about the accolades or being featured in Sports Illustrated. It’s about being the best mom I can be, continuing to educate myself, and showing them that whatever you put your mind to, you can attain, no matter what adversity comes your way.

Based in North Mankato, Shea’na balances her travel schedule with NCSA with family life. When she's not on the road, you can find her around Mankato with her husband, Todd (MSU's Football Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach), and their two kids, Rainha and Todd Taylor III (Tre).