Hutchinson: Motivated runners take it to next level

It's no secret that the fall sports season has been good to the Hutchinson athletics department.

During the last three seasons, the Tigers have won three conference championships - all three (boys' cross country in 2006, football in 2007 and girls' swimming and diving in 2008) have come in the fall.

And while the volleyball program can sport having six alumni currently playing collegiately, the cross country team also has six former runners in college now.

A seventh, who ran distance in track but swam in the fall, is also running in college.

"(Coach Jeff) Schmidt and the Hutch cross country program helped plant the running bug in me and many others," Tigers alumni Matt McKeever ('07) said. "Once you start running there is always something about it that pulls you back. Getting out and seeing the world on your own feet, spending some quiet time in your own thoughts and the indescribable feeling after you run."

Returning to the course
The Tigers boys' cross country team won the Missota Conference in 2006 and was runner-up by a single point in 2007. They also were third in Section 2AA back-to-back years.

Two of the top runners from those teams, McKeever and Kyle Schmidt, have continued their running careers at college programs.

Schmidt, who ran in three state tournaments - the only male runner to do so in school history - is in his second season at South Dakota State University.

After a red-shirt year, Schmidt is competing for the Jackrabbits this fall.

"I have competed twice this season, at the University of North Dakota and at the Oz Memorial Meet at the University of Minnesota. I set personal-bests in both races and finished eighth and seventh on the team," he said.

McKeever, who transferred from North Dakota State University to Bethel University this fall, has returned to the sport after a one-year absence.

"Getting back into competing has been great. Even though I did not compete last year I still ran and swam to stay in shape. Even if I am never the fastest, cross country is a great sport to stay healthy physically and mentally," he said.

McKeever said his father, Dennes, who passed away in February, was a big inspiration in his return to competition.

"In the spring (of 2008) I was coaxed into running the Fargo half-marathon by my dad and that's when I realized that I really missed competing," he said. "I was inspired by my dad to get back into running competitively and the belief that if you have a God-given ability you need to use it."

Schmidt and McKeever worked together this past summer, pushing each other as the miles mounted up.

"I put in the most summer miles I have done and that helped ease me into the higher mileage at college," McKeever said. "The transition has been mostly smooth. The hardest part for me was the jump from the high school 5K to the college 8K."

"Everything in college cross country is done at a higher level - more miles per week, faster interval training, more cross training and longer races. The hardest thing to get used to is longer races. I feel that I am just figuring out the 8K still. That extra 1.9 miles is intense," Schmidt said.

While McKeever hasn't reached the top-seven yet for the Royals, he is pushing himself to be in that position by regionals.

A third runner from the 2007 team, Lukus Klawitter, who graduated last spring, is running at Minnesota State University-Moorhead.

New running styles
McKeever and Schmidt aren't the only Tigers finding success running in college.

2008 graduate Tamar Billiet is one of the top runners for the St. Catherine's University team. Katie Hjerpe, who was a captain last fall, is also running at Augustana.

"Running competitively at St. Kate's has been great. I love the feeling that I moved onto competing at the collegiate level - it is a completely different experience from high school running," Billiet said. "Mike, our head coach, and Melanie, our assistant coach, along with my teammates, makes running competitively here a wonderful experience."

"Running for Augustana has been a really good experience for me so far. We have a really big squad (23 girls) with a lot of depth, so the competition at practice is excellent," Hjerpe said. "We've only raced twice so far - The Don Baker Invite at the University of South Dakota and the Roy Griak Invitational. I felt really good about both races so far, and my personal goal for the season is to make the conference team."

Overall, the Augustana women started the season ranked fifth in the nation in Division II.

Billiet said in her second season on the Wildcats cross country team, she feels added comfort in her running.

"Last season I did not know what to expect. The 6K was a shock to the system from the high school 4K I was used to running. Knowing how to race and what to expect in the almost four-mile race is probably one of the best advantages of being a returning runner," she said. "(Coach) Mike is a really good coach also and helps each of us individually with training so that we improve each season and continue moving forward."

Hjerpe said the training philosophy is different, so adjusting to new teachings was a change.

"Coach Schmidt helped me train with long distance runs to build more long-term endurance, while my coach at Augie, Tracy Hellman, focuses more on intense speed workouts that work to break anaerobic threshold, and then shorter recovery runs spread throughout the week," she said. "Tracy believes that if we race only when necessary, but train with race-pace intensity, we'll be fully prepared for the actual race day - no surprises or uncertainty."

Other runners competing from Hutchinson are Angela Kumm, a sophomore at the University of North Dakota, and Amanda Dettman at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Kumm ran distance track while in high school. But after falling in love with triathlons decided maybe cross country might be her thing.

"I guess what got me started was that I missed the spirit of competition. After my freshman year I began competing in triathlons and I absolutely love them," she said. "And while I was training for them I realized my passion for running, however I didn't know too many of my friends that wanted to run 7-8 miles with me. So, I e-mailed the coach asking if I could just practice with the team and sent him my times from the running portion of my triathlons. He agreed that I could practice with the team. I never expected to be competing though."

Kumm, who admitted she was nervous before her first race being that she had never even watched one, competed in all but the conference meet last year.

After missing the outdoor portion of the track season with two stress fractures, she is back again with the Sioux. She has competed in all of the meets thus far.

"The quote I always tell myself and my younger sisters is 'pain is only temporary, pride is forever.' It has been an amazing experience being able to compete at the college Division I level here at UND. It is something I would have never dreamed of possible, especially since I didn't like track in high school nor was I amazing in high school."

And while Kumm enjoys the running aspect of the sport, she also enjoys the friendships she has made through team training.

"I have met so many amazing people on the team - both on cross country and track. I actually live with three other girls that are on the team with me so that's been nice, especially when we have 6 a.m. practice. We are all banging on each others doors to get up. The memories from this team will stay with me forever and have made my college experience that much more rewarding," Kumm said.

Dettman, who ran in the Tigers middle school program, attended high school at Minnesota Valley Lutheran in New Ulm.

She is one of the top runners for the Mavericks this fall.

Inspiring program
All four runners - Schmidt, McKeever, Hjerpe and Billiet - credit the Hutchinson cross country program for inspiring them to compete.

Cross country is a sport where motivation and fortitude can go a long ways.

"The Hutch cross country program prepared me in a few ways. We often ran fast in our workouts and did high mileage. Other high schools have less intensity so when their athletes go to college it is harder to adjust," Kyle Schmidt said. "Also, every meet in college seems to carry more importance, so getting to run at the state meet prepared me to run best when it matters most."

"Schmidt and the Hutch running program helped tremendously," Billiet said. "My senior season with Schmidt was my fastest high school season and that is probably what sold me on running in college. Schmidt and (assistant coach Taylor) Mackenthun were also very positive and kept us going in practice when all we wanted to do was stop and go home, just be done running workouts."

"Mr. Schmidt was always able to make cross country fun and he was always willing to let us have fun as well," McKeever said.

"Coach Schmidt is a wonderful coach and I think it's a testament to his character and his coaching style that so many kids out of Hutch are pursuing college running," Hjerpe said. "He instills passion and purpose into what could simply be passed off as a 'sport - because running is so much more than a sport. I miss his handshake before race time, and his motivational talks. I've moved on to Augie Cross Country with confidence, knowing that I'll always have a home with my running family in Hutch."

A reunion of sorts
Ten days ago, Schmidt, McKeever, Billiet and Hjerpe all reunited at the Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota.

And while Schmidt didn't compete due to an injury and because of divisions not one competed against each other, all agreed it was nice to see some familiar faces.

"The Griak is always an awesome meet. It has high school and all three divisions of colleges and always great competition," Kyle Schmidt said. "It is fun to see runners like Hassan Mead and multiple teams ranked in the top 25. It gives us guys at smaller schools motivation to get better. It was also fun to see old teammates. Katie and Matt had good races."

"I hope that Hutch will keep sending kids off to collegiate running careers because seeing former teammates during a race or at a meet is a reminder of why I am there, running in college," Billiet said. "It also looks cool when you have the 'Hutch group' all wearing different school's colors getting together for a picture afterward."

With a number of talented runners on the current rosters this season, one wonders whether the group of former Tigers will only be larger next season?