Alex Sherman, Newton track athlete (NNHS ’21), has wrapped up his college track career at the NCAA championship in Eugene, Ore.

The Newton Beacon first featured Sherman last year when he was headed to the Olympics trials. In his final year as a student-athlete at the University of Virginia, his team won the distance medley relay (DMR) competition at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

In February, at the qualifying event for the championship, they set an NCAA record for speed (9:14.19) that would have been a world record if all members of the team were Americans.

Sherman was also pleased to be able to set a new personal best for the 400-meter hurdle this year at 49.98, which is also a record for UVA track.

“We got a new lift coach, and he was really taking us to a new level. I really did push myself harder than I ever did before on the track, and I reaped the benefits of that. I just really locked in,” he said.

But college is only four years. For many students, transitioning into the next chapter of their life can be difficult, and this is even more true for student athletes, whose lives have revolved around their sport.

But Sherman feels confident that the skills he learned from running will transfer into his post-grad plan, which is working at a friend’s startup. “It’ll be good for me. I think all I can do is shift the effort I put into track into something else. The mindset that I’ve developed that hard work will go a long way–that allowed me to do everything in my power to achieve those goals,” he said.

But he’s also looking forward to slowing down a little, and being able to pursue other hobbies, like boxing. Being an athlete is highly physically stressful. “My body has definitely taken a beating, and it’ll be good to get some rest,” he said.

Advice Sherman has for Newton students headed off to college this fall, particularly with balancing different aspects of college life? Expect long hours in the gym in lieu of partying.

“It comes down to what your goals are. My goal from the beginning was to achieve athletically and get to the highest level possible,” he said. “You have to be honest with what you want. For me, it was easy to live the lifestyle I did because that aligned me with what I personally enjoy.”

But he acknowledged that isn’t what most students want out of college, and that’s okay too. The academic aspects of college were also achievable thanks to strong self-discipline. “It came down to having a good structure. Every night after practice and dinner I’d go to the library, put my phone away, and get the work done,” Sherman said.