Posted by Joey Warner on December 10, 2004 at 18:46:30:
Fairhope runner signs with Alabama-Huntsville
By JOEY WARNER
At the young age of five, Reah Lee became a runner. Her mother Susan was a runner, and entered their family in local road races on a regular basis. Reah, her mother and two brothers used the running events as a way to spend quality time together and receive the benefits of health and fitness. Reah grew to enjoy running so much that she began to take it serious. She never imagined the sport that was used as a family outing, would inspire her to progress to a level that would earn her a College Scholarship.
On Tuesday, the Fairhope senior signed a full-tuition scholarship with the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Reah, the daughter of Susan and George Lee of Fairhope, will run cross-country and track for coach David Cain at UAH, who led the Chargers to the 2004 Gulf South Conference cross-country championship.
"I am really excited because Reah is a tremendous talent and will be a great fit into our team," Cain said. "She can come in and become one of our top seven runners during her freshman season."
Lee ran for coach Tim Yahr at Fairhope and was named to the 2004 all-county cross country team. She ran for coach Michael Rauch at Murphy as a freshman and sophomore and coach Brent Ward as a junior before transferring to Fairhope.
Lee was named all-county her freshman and junior year. She was named 6A Optimist Club Runner of the Week as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She was the 6A sectional champion in outdoor track in the one-mile and two-mile during her junior year. Lee won the Charlie Spencer Memorial Award for being named Most Valuable Runner as a junior at Murphy. Lee also was the overall female winner of the 2002 Do it in the Bush 5K road race. Her personal record in the 5K is 20:12, one mile is 5:30 and two-mile is 12:00.
Alabama in Huntsville has one of the best running programs in the state and Lee chose the Chargers over Montevallo and Jacksonville State. "I feel honored that UAH wanted me to join their amzing team of talented ladies for the next four years, " Lee said. "I feel like their program will help me progress in my running abilities and help me see what I can truly do."
Lee has a 3.64 grade point average in the classroom has been a member of the A/B honor roll. Clubs and organizations she has particpated in are SWAT (students working against tobacco),
SGA (Student Government Association, Youth Leadership Mobile, Port City Pacers, USATF, (USA Track & Field), Art Club, NAHS, and the National art honor society.
"I want to major in Biology on the track of Veterinary medicine and minor in art," Lee said. "I have always wanted to be veterinarian and UAH has a pre-Vet program."
Lee knew that if she wants to improve and run on an upper level then UAH is where she needed to go. "Reah has a lot of room for improvement and when she gets into our system of training I think she will really take off," Cain said.
"I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me at UAH because there are no limitations on the possibilities that I can accomplish," Lee concluded.