Strong Body, Strong Mind, Hutchinson commits to success on SHS cross country
By Megan Hutcherson
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, goldfish, and grapes: the meal of a champion. Or at least, the pre-race meal for three-year state qualifier Chloe Hutchison. Hutchison’s mental toughness and commitment to bettering herself definitely makes her a champion to Sandy High School’s cross country team.
Hutchison has run on varsity cross country since her freshman year and has consistently qualified for state. The majority of her family are runners, and her sister ran cross country at Sandy High School. This inspired Hutchison to join in. She runs the 3k and 5k races, and she has already improved in the 5k by nearly three minutes and 15 seconds since her freshman season. Hutchison now begins her senior year hopeful for the season.
“I am hoping to break 20 minutes in the 5k and have our entire girls varsity team go to state!” Hutchison said. Over the summer, Hutchison hit her goal of running 180 miles to prepare for the season. “I’ve learned that doing summer miles makes a big difference in my performance during the fall,” Hutchison said. She wishes she trained harder in previous summers, but it is apparent that, despite not pushing herself to the limit previously, she was still extremely accomplished as Hutchison placed 12th in districts last year.
“I really enjoyed state, and I had a PR for the state course which was exciting!” Hutchison exclaimed. She always looks forward to state, as “it's cool to run with girls who are much faster than me, and I am able to push myself a lot more.” She also enjoys the large crowd state draws and she can hear them cheer during a race.
Hutchison always works hard to improve her abilities. She has an innate drive to improve and the determination to make it happen.
“I feel like I hold myself to a high standard, and I want to reach my goals. This helps me push myself and challenge myself in workouts or races,” Hutchison said. Hutchison believes that having mental toughness is extremely important to succeed in cross country.
“Cross country is not just about being physically fast but pushing your body harder when you're tired. It's important that you're able to stay focused during a race even when your body’s telling you to slow down,” Hutchison said. Though this is hard for Hutchison at times, she enjoys seeing her progress and having a sense of accomplishment after doing difficult things.
Hutchison’s coach, Dalen Kansala, often says “Strong body, strong mind.” This aligns with Hutchison’s positive attitude. Despite being highly motivated, Hutchison still faces anxiety and stress before a race.
“Instead of feeling anxious about a race, I try to tell myself that I'm capable and I’ve done it before,” Hutchison said. In addition to thinking positively, she prays before every race.
Entering her final season as a runner, Hutchison is excited to bond with her team. “The team is like a second family! I’m really looking forward to spending time with my teammates, having team dinners, and hopefully going to state at the end of the season.” Hutchison enjoys the positive and welcoming atmosphere cross country has given her, allowing her to thrive. Though she doesn’t plan on competing in cross country after graduating, she will undoubtedly continue to run. As for her signature meal, it may not stick around after high school, but Hutchison still has cross country and track seasons to enjoy it.