Brooke Hutton has had to respond to the increased difficulty of her competition this season, and has done so with great results. She has four top five finishes and one victory so far this season. With the postseason about to begin for the Coatesville sophomore, Hutton looks back at a season of grueling races and looks ahead to a difficult championship run.
My season so far has pretty much been as I expected. Other than getting sick prior to two meets I feel I am as strong as ever, and looking forward to Ches-Monts and Districts.
Starting the season off with a win at Big Valley was a boost to my confidence. I really wanted a win here this season as I finished second last year, and feel I could have run that race better. Big Valley is by no means fast and flat, so it was a great Invitational to kick off the season.
My training has been going really well. This year Coach Andrew and Coach Smith are getting us in the pool and weight room a lot more. I really enjoy the pool training, especially with the number of miles I am putting in this season. We have a pretty full schedule between invitationals, and dual meets.
My next big race was PTXC7 in Kutztown. I love this course, and race, as it was my first major win last season. This year we ran in the Gold Race, so I knew a repeat was going to be tough. Then I found out that Mady was running, and I knew it was going to be a hard race. I took 2nd behind Mady. She got me in the last 200 meters, and I didn't even know she was there. She is a great competitor, and one of the best runners in the State, so I was pretty happy with my finish.
Carlisle was not my best race. I was coming off a cold, and I did not drink enough that day. The temperature shot up shortly before the race started, and it was hot on the course. I was in the top pack for part of the race, and then the tempo changed. By that point I was exhausted, my legs were tired, and it took everything I had to fight it out. About half a mile out I was sitting in 3rd place, and was passed by two runners. I set my mind to not being passed again. I pushed as hard as I could, and ended up with a 5th place finish. Not my best race, but it was a learning experience. Still being new to running at this level, there are going to be races like this one.
Last week we ran at the Westtown School XC Invitational. It was a wet and windy afternoon, and the ground was saturated. I felt good for most of this race, and was running a comfortable pace, getting a nice push from Jerrica Bauer from George School. This was my first time running against her, and I knew going in she was going to be a challenge. I was really having a lot of fun trading 1st place with her, then coming around the second lap behind the fields, I rolled my ankle on a transition from grass to gravel. The pain was sharp, and it took me a little while to get the confidence to get back to my pace. By then Jerrica was gone. Even though my race didn't go the way I would have liked it to the Coatesville girls' team won the meet. This gave us a big boost as our girls' team was hit hard with injuries this season. This team win came at the perfect time right before Ches-Monts.
Ches-Monts are next, and then Districts. The competition is getting tougher each week, and I can't wait to get to the starting line. My goal for this season is to stay healthy, and make it to States. Once there, I would like to have another top 10 finish.
