Walking a mile in their shoes is the timeless adage that resonates with McMurry University rising junior Jacee Dinkins.
 
The Azle, Texas, native has taken a family tradition for competitive athletics to a new level – examining it, as it were, for her post-graduate career goals.
 
"Two sports in one season takes a lot of time out of the day, much less three during a year," the cross country, track and field, and volleyball scholar-athlete said. "It takes waking up earlier and potentially getting workouts between classes, too. I also try to take a lighter class load of 13-14 hours in the fall and then increase it to 15-16 in the spring.
 
Organization is the bottom line," she added. "You need to have time management and constant communication with coaches."
 
According to head women's cross country Rexi Parcells and head volleyball coach Cammie Petree, Dinkins has done that and more.
 
"We've been really flexible with her," Parcells said. "She is great at communication and time management. That's what makes it possible, and I have so much respect for what she is doing."
 
"Jacee is an incredible athlete," Petree added. "As an example, volleyball and track and field work well together. There is an explosive component for each. You add in how smart and dependable she is, and we are totally behind what she is doing. She is a wonderful young lady."
 
Her physical attributes on the court, course, and track are part of the story. Dinkins biggest reason for a three-sport athlete path at McMurry University goes towards a want to be an athletic administration in the future.
 
"I'm an all-level physical education major," she noted. "I really would like to be an athletic director and volleyball coach someday. My mom's best friend is a Texas high school Class 6A athletic director and volleyball coach. I saw that and knew it was what I wanted to do."
 
"What Jacee is doing is great and very doable," Petree pointed out. "Otherwise, she wouldn't be trying it."
 
"We trust her with this," Parcells added. "For example, she did great at the conference meet last year. She might have made the regional team if she had been in one more meet. To do that by having a significant improvement for a personal record at conference despite the schedule she carries is awesome."
 
Dinkins' role model in what she is accomplishing at McMurry is her mom, LouAnn.
 
"She played volleyball, track, and basketball in high school," she said. "From there, she played volleyball in college and Henderson State. She always tells me I can do anything as long as I want to. It's great advice from an Azle High School Hall of Famer, and I have always looked up to her.
 
I honestly love all three sports," she added. "It's been a plus this summer preparation-wise, too, as I'm assisting with strength and conditioning at Azle while also being able to get running and some pole vault work in as well. I'm also fortunate to get into the gym and get some volleyball touches by helping my former high school with camps while also being able to play sand volleyball at my uncle's home along with some of my McMurry friends who come down to play from time to time."
 
Beyond the American Southwest Conference meet, where she raced to a personal record of 26 minutes and 37 seconds across the University of Ozarks course, Dinkins also won the ASC pole vault title, going 11 feet, two and quarter inches and being one of five Maroon and White volleyballers to produce 100-or-more kills.
 
Proving she is willing to take a walk in their shoes to understand and be successful in her post-graduate career and beyond.