Paxon's Ryan Saint Germain Talks UNC Tarheel Commitment


(Photo by Cedric Gillette)

Add another Florida sprinter to the list of those heading to major division 1 colleges. Paxon senior Ryan Saint-Germain who boasts personal bests of 21.21 in the 200 and 47.18 in the 400 will make the trip to the Tarheel State and run for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Saint-Germain, who admits the 200 meter dash is his favorite event, says he was recruited by many schools such as USF, NC A&T, Colorado State, and Ohio State, but in the end it felt right in the baby blue and white.

"I am thankful for all the offers and considerations, now I am proud to announce that I have chosen to commit to one of my dream schools, the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. I plan on majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Business."

Heading to college on a scholarship is something Saint Germain had hoped for but knew it would take a lot of work coming into the 2017 track season. He didn't set any specific goals because he didn't want to put limits on his performance.

"The previous season my lowest marks were 49.26 and 22.09. I knew that I wanted to go sub 49 and sub 22 but I did not want to set any boundaries for myself. Running 47 in the 400m was definitely on my mind. l would say that I came from a family of athletes because my father used to run, now my sisters and I love to run."

The sprinter isn't done with his high school season just yet. He has big goals for the future and plans on running times that will qualify him for junior nationals. 

"The next stop is Flo Golden South at the end of the month and then New Balance Nationals in June. Let's not forget about the 2020 Olympics! My mom always says that: "People don't pay for average". When you think about it, Nike and Adidas don't sponsor average athletes. They want the best, so I strive to be the best and that's what motivates me. I always want to be #1."

Get To Know Ryan: 


When did you start running track?

I decided to run track in 7th grade. I did not know why, but something about the sport was very fascinating. I always wanted to get better at it. This year, during my senior year of high school I actually fell in love with the sport of track & field.

Who do you look up to in the sport?

My favorite track athlete is Usain Bolt, he's just such a showstopper and the definition of a superstar. I also look up to former University of Florida 400m runner, Tony McQuay. They both motivate me to stay focused and thrive to be the best. 

More Coverage