Not your average Chippewa
Anderson Leen poses during practice at the IAC on Oct. 7, 2015.
Growing up in Kalamazoo, you are expected to be a Bronco fan, but that was not the case with one Central Michigan cross country runner.
Senior Anderson “CJ” Lee grew up in Bronco territory, but never wanted to be one.
“My family hated Western,” Lee said. “My older brother wasn’t recruited by Western for basketball, so we despised them for it. He ended up going to Eastern (Michigan) and we became fans of them.”
While Lee and his immediate family aren’t Bronco fans, many of his friends and people from his hometown are, and they still mess with him whenever he comes home.
“I always wear my Central stuff home and they give me crap when they see me,” Lee said. “Some of my relatives and church members see me and say ‘Sorry, we’re Broncos’ and it’s funny.”
Kalamazoo is still very important to Lee. He receives the Kalamazoo Promise scholarship, which is given to any student who attends kindergarten through 12th grade in the city and gets accepted to a Michigan state college or university.
Lee was planning on attending Michigan State late into his senior year of high school. It wasn’t until CMU coaches recruited him that his plans changed. Lee said he enjoyed the campus and saw it as a perfect fit for him.
“When I came on my visit, I loved how compact the campus was and the teammates I was talking to,” he said. “I don’t like not knowing where stuff is, and that wasn’t a problem here.”
Lee wasn’t the only one pleased. The cross country coaching staff saw one of his regional meets and liked what they saw.
“There was a break in his race and he had to make the decision if he was going to stay with the group he was with. He went and was smart when he made the move,” said Head Coach Matt Kaczor. “You can tell a lot about a kid if they’re competitive.”
His career best 8K as a Chippewa is 27:35. Since joining the team as a freshman in 2011, Lee has learned a lot along the way, and always tries to help his younger team members out and lead by example.
“He gets in shape very quickly, so he helps push and even pull me along. He’s very dedicated and brings that to the table everyday,” said freshman runner Scott Cousino.
Lee is a biology major and in his final year at CMU. After graduation, he hopes to get accepted into medical school and become a brain, heart or orthopedic surgeon.
Being a student-athlete is very time consuming, but whether he is running on the trails or working in the labs, Lee lives by one motto.
“Do everything everyday.” he said. “I used to slack, but I use this to get my mentality back where it needs to be.”
Lee and the Chippewas’ next meet is Friday at the Oakland invite for an 8K race.
