For most athletes, the biggest challenge of jumping from high school to collegiate sports is the competition. For UNO track and field sophomores Kathie-Lee Laidley and Denneil Shaw, there was a much more drastic challenge.

Laidley and Shaw, both from Portmore, Jamaica, had to get used to living in a new country.

“It was a very rough transition at first,” Shaw said. “We didn’t know what to expect. We were thinking that college in America was going to be like it is in all the movies.”

They did not necessarily plan on going to the same college together, it just kind of happened. But the friends of nine years ended up together and had each other throughout the transition, which was very helpful, Shaw said.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha came into the picture when the track and field coach at St. Andrew High School for Girls, where Shaw and Laidley attended, recommended the college. After they were offered a full track and field scholarship, it sounded even better.

What sealed the deal was when UNO coach Steve Smith visited Shaw and Laidley in Portmore. He talked about the track team and informed the girls about UNO’s academics. They were hooked, Shaw said.

Even without a visit to campus, Laidley and Shaw enrolled.

Laidley competes in the high jump — she holds the UNO record at 5-feet-10 — long jump and hurdle events. She finished second in the long jump at Northern Iowa’s Jack Jennett Invitational earlier this season.

Shaw competes in the long jump and triple jump. She came in third in the long jump at Northern Iowa, and finished fifth in the triple jump while setting a personal best.
One challenge they faced in the transition was the radical climate change. At first they were excited for snow, something neither had experienced.

“We thought there would be snow and still close to the same weather as Jamaica,” Shaw said. “We had no idea it would be that cold.”

Communication was also difficult for Shaw and Laidley. Their language is Creole, a type of broken English as Shaw described it. They had to learn to use American English more and be patient with others who had a hard time understanding their accents.

The competition was not too big of a jump for Laidley and Shaw. In Jamaica, track and field is the most popular sport. The best teams in the country gather for a competition called the Boys and Girls Champs — a four-day event held in Kingston.

“By the last two days of competition, there are about 4,000 people in the stands all to watch the events,” Laidley said.

To help avoid becoming homesick, the two said they are able to talk to their families everyday, by either phone calls, text messages or Skype. They will go home for summer break this year, as well.

Laidley and Shaw’s next meet will be the Concordia Indoor Invitational on Feb. 11.