As a member of the Colgate track team, senior Lisa Germain proved her immense value to the program from the very beginning.

She established herself during her first season by winning the team’s Outstanding Freshman Award after breaking the first-year record in the 55m and setting a new first-year record in the outdoor triple jump. Her sophomore year brought even greater honors, as she broke more records in both the indoor and the outdoor long jump. She was given the ECAC Excellence Award, the Dorothy Fullam Award for significant team contributions, and earned ECAC and Patriot League Women’s Field Athlete of the Week awards in December 2003. During both the Indoor and Outdoor Patriot League Championships, she brought home top-five honors for the Raiders in the long jump. She also had two first-place finishes during that season.

In her last indoor track season, Germain assumed the captain’s role for the third consecutive year and continued her strong performances. She captured the Patriot League title in the long jump, placing second on Colgate’s all-time record list – behind her own record.

For Germain, it was all about the challenge.

“There are times when I think, ‘Man, this is hard,'” she said. “I think that’s what I love about it. The challenge of dealing with injuries, disappointments, staying strong when you don’t want to, setting examples for your teammates, pushing through ‘workouts of death’ and staying focused on your goals. But with the tough times comes the most rewarding experiences and the joys of success, personal records, league championships and the support of a great family.”

Despite the stressful and demanding schedule, she still finds time to relax and spend time with her friends. The friendships that she has made throughout her time at Colgate have been the most important aspect of her college life.

“What I’m going to miss most about Colgate is the nights when my roommates and I just goof off,” Germain said. “That’s one thing I am so thankful for is the relationships I formed over the past four years. If there’s one thing I did right at Colgate, it’s make incredible friends.”

This is not to say that she will not miss her teammates a tremendous amount as well. Germain believes that the team is only going to continue getting stronger due to the very talented first-year class.

“The first-years are so talented and I wish I could be around to watch them grow and break records and share more memories with them,” she said. “The last weeks are coming to an end, and I am trying to enjoy every moment with these girls. Everyone on the team will always have a lasting impression on me. I’ll miss it, I’ll miss it all.”

Germain epitomizes the ideal Colgate athlete who cares about her team just as much as she cares about herself. She has learned and grown from her experiences and will carry them with her for the rest of her life.

“As a captain for the last three years, I’ve faced some challenging situations, I’ve made some mistakes and I’ve watched myself grow,” she said. “Now that I am a senior, I hope that I can be an example for the underclassmen. It’s a rare experience, being a varsity athlete at a school like Colgate, one with rewards you can’t get anywhere else, and I truly believe it is one of the best ways to prepare you for the rest of your life.”