Before graduating from Salisbury High School in June of 2020, Shane Artis committed to run and compete as a student-athlete at The Citadel. But when the pandemic began in March of that year, Artis began to look at life differently when it came to family and being closer to them. He decided not to head south, but to spend his college days in Center Valley as a member of the DeSales University track and cross country teams.

“When I committed to The Citadel in the early spring of my senior year, I was really intrigued by the team culture, and the academics that they had to offer,” said Artis. “I was set on that choice until the pandemic hit, which made me realize that I wanted to stay closer to home during the crazy times it brought. When I looked into DeSales, the community I had been familiar with growing up, I was introduced to a campus that was quite similar to what I saw at The Citadel. Everyone here is so friendly and their business department is very promising for my academic career.”

There were many similarities between the two schools that made the transition smooth for Artis, even with classes still not 100 percent back to normal.

“DeSales made the process an easy decision in the end, providing me with everything I was looking for, close to home,” Artis said. “I have only heard good things in relation to the cross country and track and field programs, and I was looking forward to having that experience myself.

“Last year most classes were online. We were on campus the whole year through asynchronous learning. The school did a great job of accommodating our needs given the conditions.”

Despite the 2020 fall season being canceled, Artis picked up this fall where he left off in his last season of cross country as a Salisbury Falcon. He led the Bulldogs’ lineup, and along the way earned All-MAC First-Team honors and MAC Rookie of the Year last month. DeSales finished second at the MAC Championships.

“This year has sort of been a breakthrough year for me in cross country,” said Artis. “I have had a lot of success for which I am very grateful for. However, it would not be possible without all of the teammates and amazing coaches I have had.

“Last year, since we didn’t have a cross country season, (only a track season) both [head] coach Weiner and [assistant coach] Mahalsky really pushed us hard during workouts and in practices.

“They have continued that same theme this year, which has finally started to be seen in progress by the whole team. This year I earned Rookie of the Year and First Team All-MAC. Both of these were a surprise to me, none of which I was expecting. It’s amazing to finally see the hard work pay off.”

Following the cross country season, Artis will run a couple of indoor track and field meets to get ready for the outdoor spring season. He plans on running the 1500- and 5000-meter races, along with the 4x800 relay.

Artis is majoring in accounting and plans to take his CPA exam following graduation. He looked back on how Salisbury helped shape him into who he is today.

“Salisbury did a great job preparing me to transition into college to be a successful student-athlete,” said Artis. “With the amazing coaches they have, along with the teachers and staff at Salisbury, I know they really helped to make sure that I was on the right track to be successful.”