TWO OF OHIO'S BEST!

 

 

 

 

 

OHRunners:  Girls HS cross country started in Ohio in 1978. 50 years after the boys. If you were in HS prior to that, what do you think you would have been doing? 

 

Hanna:  If I was around before 1978 I would probably be playing soccer. As a young kid, I loved soccer and I played it all the way up until I was entering high school. Once I went to high school I had to make the choice between running and soccer. It was a little bit tough for me to give up soccer, but I could never give up running. If soccer wasn’t around either, I would probably still be doing some kind of physical activity. I always love to be active and be outside.

 

OHRunners:  As a freshman, you placed 15th in the State. As a Sophmore, you placed 3rd. As a Junior, you placed 3rd. What are your expectations for your Senior year?

 

Hanna:  My goal for each season is to improve on the prior season. It is hard for me to set goals based on place because every year there is new competition and the field can be tougher or weaker than the year before. A good indicator of my improvement is by comparing my times on a course from one year to the next. At the state meet my senior year, I am hoping to improve my time from last year and hopefully this will lead me to a win.

 

OHRunners:  In looking back at the State championships, I couldn't help but notice another individual, Michelle Thomas of Cin. Glen Este. It appears that you girls have been competing closely since your Freshman year. In 2007, Michelle was 14th in the State, just ahead of you by less than a second. In 2008, she finished in second, less than a second in front of you again. In 2009, she was 4th. 4 seconds back of you. This year, as Seniors, you are two of the premier runners in Ohio and will be favorites to contend for the individual title. 

 

In races where you both are competing, do you visualize running with and against her? You obviously know each other. Do you prepare differently for a race, knowing that she will be running?  Do you race against her during the regular season?

 

Hanna:  Michelle Thomas has always been a great competitor of mine. Through our high school experience we have probably been seen as great rivals, but we have also formed a friendship through our experiences. We both traveled together and represented the Midwest at Nike Nationals and had a great time. I’m sure Michelle would agree with me when I say that we share similar goals with each other. These goals are our main focus while we are on the course so it shows our competitive side, but off the course we are good friends. I will see her once before the state meet at the Tiffin Carnival.

 

OHRunners:  When did you start running? What were your first experiences?

Did you participate in any other sports other than soccer when you were younger? 

 

Hanna:  I started running when I was in the 5th grade. My soccer coach noticed my speed and suggested to my parents that I should go out for cross country at my church. My mother ran cross country in high school so she knew the sport and thought it would be a good idea. At my first race I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t been training much but I had been playing a lot of soccer. When we got there we noticed that there were runners everywhere. I had about 100 in my race and it was a bit overwhelming. My mom and my coach, Nils Antonio, told me to just do my best and see what kind of shape I was in. I ended up winning my first race and began to love the sport of cross country. As I mentioned before, I played soccer since I was 5 years old, but I gave it up when I entered high school. I also played basketball all through middle school and played on the varsity high school team my freshman year. I got interested in national races and indoor track my sophomore year, so I gave up basketball. Also, as a kid my parents got me exposed to as many sports as I wanted so I could find the right fit for me. I played some softball, did some swimming, and even did a little gymnastics. 

 

OHRunners:  Tell me about your summer training? After track season, did you take time off? What type of training have you done over the summer? Do you run any 5 or 10K's.

 

Hanna:  After track season I usually take about 2 weeks off to recover and get ready for the cross country season. I make sure to build a good base during the summer so I feel strong for the season. I also do core and strengthening exercises during the off season to help for the cross country season. My coach, Dave Marhefka, has our team do a community race, the Classic at Mastick, every year to start off the season. It is more of a fun run for us because we have a big cookout after and it is a good team-bonding event before the season starts.

 

OHRunners:  Do you prefer XC or track? What do you like-dislike about each?

 

Hanna:  It is hard for me to choose between cross country and track because I love them both for different reasons. I love cross country because the courses can vary in terrain and difficulty and it’s a new experience every time you step onto a new course. I also love the team aspect about cross country. It is really enjoyable to have a small team of friends that all work together to achieve goals. As much as I love all of this about cross country, I also love track. Track gives you the opportunity to try different events and distances, so I can go shorter and faster as well. It is also easier to compare times and recognize improvements in track. Both sports compliment each other well and I love being able to compete in both.

 

OHRunners:  Each XC course and race is different. The courses are different and weather conditions can influence times as well. As you mentioned, under similar conditions a good barometer is comparing yearly times. Knowing this, do you visualize your races. i.e how fast you will start, each mile split, who your competition may be and how you will run the race? 

 

Hanna:  Many factors can affect race strategy, but I try to run my own race as much as possible. I know that if I run the way I am most comfortable, then I will have the best outcome.

 

OHRunners:  I would expect that in most races, with the exception of larger invitationals or national races, that you run out front and control the pace. Do you like to run out front? Are you comfortable running out front and alone? As a Senior, are you confident in knowing pace? What do you think about during a race?

 

Hanna:  As a senior, I’ve become very comfortable with running out in front. Running out in front may not be as easy as some people believe. It can really play a mental game on a runner when they can’t see what is going on in the race behind them. Over the years I have been running, I’ve learned to overcome the challenges that come with running out in front and now I enjoy getting out in front and pushing myself to do the best I can do. Pace is also something that can take a while to learn, but that also comes with time, practice and experience. Its something I’ve always worked on and will continue to work on, but as a senior, I have a lot of experience with pace and I know how hard to go out during a race. When running a race I concentrate on what I want to accomplish and what my goals are during the race. When I’m out on the course, I am focused on one thing: the finish line and getting there as fast as I can.

 

OHRunners:  In a race where you know that you will have competition how do you mentally prepare for the race? Do you have a specific race plan? XC running and distance running does take some experience. Are you confident now that you can make adjustments during a competitive race, and know how to react to other runner’s strengths and weaknesses to win.

 

Hanna:  Competition is one factor that can change race strategy. I try to stick as close as I can to my race strategy, but I will change it slightly to help in my advantage and hopefully lead me to the victory. Having a race strategy for a competitive race can be very helpful, but not every race goes according to the plan. This is where I’ve learned to become comfortable making decisions quickly during a race that hasn’t gone how I expected.

 

OHRunners:  What makes Hanna tick? Do you love to compete? Do you hate to loose? 

 

Hanna:  I love to compete. Racing is what I work for and train for all season and off- season and it’s where I can show all the hard work that I’ve put in. I am a very competitive person, so I hate to lose, especially against close competition. As much as I don’t like to lose, I’ve learned over the years that losing is a part of the sport and my attitude towards these losses is what is important. I’ve learned not to dwell on the losses, but instead to use them as motivation. After a race that I lose it may seem like I’m unaffected, but instead I’ve put it behind me and I’m already mentally preparing for the next race where I will be hungry for the win.

 

OHRunners:  What is a typical week of training for you now that the season has started? Knowing your competition in most cases, will you "run" through some meets as hard training runs in preparation to peaking at the right times and being fresh for larger competitions?

 

Hanna:  A week of training for me consists of usually 2 workout days, a long run, and normal runs on the other days. Then I will usually compete on a Saturday. The end of the season is what I am training for so my coach and I are focused on these races. I will not be racing every week the first month. This will give me an opportunity to run hard on the weeks I am racing, and be prepared for the end of the season meets.

 

OHRunners: Thank you Hanna. Congratulations on a great schoolgirls career thus far.   I am confident that your hard work, as well as your teams’, will make this a successful season.