MOBILE, Ala. – For twin brothers Alex and Drew Shields, there is no need to sugarcoat it: bragging rights are a precious commodity.

Growing up playing the same sports on the same teams, year in and year out, yielded a fair share of head-butting encounters, yet, as the siblings have grown, matured and found success apart from mutual company, what began as a previously vicious rivalry has been cultivated into a resilient brotherhood.

Drew, the “shorter one,” says Alex, is currently competing as the number-six cross country runner for second-ranked Wisconsin and is finding success as a team player for the Badgers, recording two top-five finishes thus far this season.

Alex, the “better-looking one,” in his own words, is one of only two upperclassmen on the University of South Alabama men’s cross country roster and, as the only retuning Jaguar, has found himself in unfamiliar territory.

“I could always run right on Drew,” Alex said. “But, he usually had me by a few seconds. Now, I’m in a position to lead — and I’ll do whatever it takes for this team to win.”

The Shields brothers grew up competing as a dynamic tandem in the traditional big three sports of football, baseball and basketball. It was not until their sophomore year at Fishers (Ind.) High School, the first year of the school’s existence in 2006-07, that the pair mutually took to the course and track.

While Drew was already competing as a runner the previous two years, Alex suffered an injury in his first year at Hamilton Southeastern High School, which slowly led him down a path in which he would change sports.  “Drew is really the one who got us into track and field and cross country,” Alex stated. “I saw the success he was having on the track during our freshman year, and when I broke my arm early in the football season I started running with Drew to stay in shape.

“Drew seemed to be picking it up pretty easily, and our sophomore year I thought I’d give it a shot.”

Literally hitting the ground running, the pair, by their graduation in 2009, became the most decorated track and field and cross country student-athletes in the school’s short history. The duo cited Fishers head coach Nathan Warnecke as pivotal to their development and eventual opportunity to compete at the next level in the two sports.

“Coach Warnecke was one of the most meticulous coaches I’ve ever had, including my coaches at Wisconsin,” said Drew. “He always had a plan for success; he was crucial in our development. He kept it fun, and Alex and I thought that was very important for such demanding sports.”

Warnecke’s plan subsequently resulted in a Fishers cross country state championship in the fall of 2007, as well as numerous individual honors for the twins.

Drew amassed a high school résumé which included in 2008 — the twins’ senior season — the state cross country individual championship, All-American honors and Gatorade Indiana Boys Cross Country Runner-of-the-Year status, as well as Indiana Coaches Association Co-Runner of the Year. In track and field, Drew ran the anchor leg of the 2008 Nike Outdoor Track and Field Championships 4x1-mile team, which finished runner-up in the event, but recorded a time that converted to 17:31.67, the fastest in Indiana high school history. He also was the runner-up in the high school mile championship at the 2009 Penn Relays.

Alex ran the lead-leg of each formerly mentioned relay team for Fishers and, according to Warnecke, showed steady progress throughout his high school career, running as fifth runner in 2006, fourth in 2007 and second (behind Drew) in 2008.

“Looking at their list of achievements, I think it is easy to think Alex was always following Drew,” said Warnecke. “But Alex really started coming into his own during his junior track season and in the following postseason. He was just as vital to the success of this program as Drew.”

Warnecke attributed Alex’s quick progression to the level of his brother and to the sense of commitment shared by the two fierce competitors.  “In my coaching career, spanning nine years, I have never coached two runners who were more competitive, more tenacious on the cross country course or track than Alex and Drew,” Warnecke said. “In their time here at Fishers, I never once had to worry whether or not they were going to put forth their best effort, either in a race or in training.

“Alex and Drew always gave 110 percent and never made excuses for a performance that was not up to par.”

Late in the brothers’ senior cross country season, the possibility of Alex physically matching his brother on the course was halted, however, as a nagging heel injury would translate into a disappointing finish at the following state championship meet.

“In the semi-state cross country meet his senior season, Alex finished 1.2 seconds behind Drew,” Warnecke explained. “Heading into the state meet one week later, it seemed like there was a chance that Drew and Alex could finish first and second or at least both of them could finish in the top three. Unfortunately, Alex was already dealing with significant heel pain, which caused him to run sub-par at state. The injury cost Alex his senior track season and has plagued him at USA.

“Alex was really starting to come out of Drew's shadow in his final year-and-a-half at Fishers.”

After being sidelined for the past two seasons, save a 2009-10 track and field season in which his most notable finish was a third-place Battle of I-10 3,200-meter (8:50.33) performance, Alex is now in a state of full recovery and has transformed into the leader he was always capable of being.

“When I came here, I was still trying to recover from the heel injury and get accustomed to college life far away from home,” Alex said. “Luckily, we’ve got coach (Mike) Barbee now and our training program is solid — this is a tight-knit team.”

Barbee, who is currently in his first year at the helm of the Jaguar cross country program, said that Alex’s role as a leader for this season’s inexperienced roster has not just been limited to finishing well in meets.

“Alex began stepping up in his leadership role essentially before the season began,” Barbee said. “He helped us with recruiting, and he has been invaluable in helping the new guys acclimate to the transition to where we are. He’s also healthy again, which will be of great benefit to us in the track season.”

Currently building on a return to full strength, Alex has recorded three top-15 collegiate finishes this season, including a top-five performance at the Azalea City Classic, a race in which the men’s team scored a perfect 15 points to win. Most recently, he came in 12th place at the 8-kilometer Choctaw Open, a meet in which the South Alabama men finished second.

Mary, mother of the twins, said that she has been extremely impressed with Alex’s attitude in returning to top-level fitness. She also mentioned that seeing her son donning a South Alabama singlet again has given more meaning to the opportunities she gets to see him compete – which come with difficulty, as Wisconsin’s campus is located 1,037 miles north of Mobile.

“It is a challenge to be at their meets since they are basically on opposite ends of the country – I put a lot of miles on my car,” she said. “But it’s great to see him running again. I think he (Alex) is honored to help out with the development of the program. He has really grown into the leadership role.– it’s exciting for him and, from a parent’s perspective, it’s even better for my husband and I.”

Throughout Alex’s rollercoaster of a college career, the one person, perhaps, least expected to be a source of encouragement and positivity has been the person closest to him all along, but, often times, the one who has gone completely unnoticed.

“I’m Alex’s biggest fan,” Drew stated. “I want to see him do well, and he is the same way with me. He’s been having a really rough go with the injury, which he’s been dealing with it for a while now, but he’s been back out and competing. It’s encouraging to see him doing well and doing what it takes to lead.”

Perhaps some of the fiercest competitions actually result in ties.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).