Lower Moreland High School graduate Shane Cohen went from believing that his track days were over to becoming an NCAA champion and heading for Olympic trials, writes Ben Istvan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Cohen was dead last in the men’s 800-meter final at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships last week when he switched gears. With 100 meters to go, he stormed past his eight competitors and crossed the finish line as a national champion.

“As far as the athletic ability, he has this knack to just be able to go,” said Greg Green, coach of the track program at Lower Moreland. “That’s a special athlete.”

What makes his success even more remarkable is that Cohen did not want to run in college. Despite interest from several schools, for both track and basketball, he gave up college athletics and joined University of Tampa and eventually transferred to University of Virginia.

However, he soon realized he missed the daily dose of team sports and decided to give track one more go. Now, he is hoping to make it all the way to the Olympics when the track and field trials start on June 27.

Read more about Shane Cohen in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Virginia’s Shane Cohen Came From Absolutely NOWHERE To Win The 800m NCAA Final