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Andrew Hunter Feature 2014 - DyeStat

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DyeStat.com   Oct 21st 2014, 2:27am
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Hunter building on Penn Relays breakthrough

 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor


Andrew Hunter's rise to prominence as a distance runner in Northern Virginia seems almost pre-destined, with origins dating back more than 30 years.


In Loudoun Valley, Hunter is becoming the athlete he is meant to be. Week by week, with deliberate planning and preparation, he is becoming a national-championship caliber runner.


Over the weekend, Hunter won the Third Battle Invitational at Winchester, Va. by 36 seconds in 14:54.4. A few weeks earlier, he won the Great American Cross Country Festival in North Carolina with 14:46.10, the third-fastest time in meet history.


"A lot of kids in high school think short-term," Hunter said. "They want to do as much as they can right now and see how far that gets them. And that's great. But for me, in the long term, I want to be able to tell (a) college coach: 'I have a ton to improve upon.'


"No one wants to run one good race. The fun is improving."


Perhaps no coaches in the U.S. are more careful than Hunter's father, Marc, and his mother, Joan. Together, they coach the Loudoun Valley team and manage the development of their son.


Marc Hunter was once a college distance running star at Cleveland State in the late 1970s. He was the top American finisher in the 1977 NCAA Cross Country Championships (fourth) and a year later he was the second-best American in the meet (sixth) behind Alberto Salazar.


But numerous injuries prevented Hunter from realizing his potential and robbed him of a career in marathons.


Joan (Humphries) Hunter won back-to-back Virginia state titles in the 800 meters in 1980 and 1981. And she went on to be an All-American, running at the University of Virginia and West Virginia. As a master's runner, was a part of a world-record 4x400 relay team (W50) at The Armory in New York last February (among other achievements).


As for Andrew, let's begin with this snapshot: It's 1998 and he's one year old, just learning to walk, playing in the long jump pit at South Lakes High School. His parents are the coaches there and there is a talented freshman in their midst named Alan Webb.


That's right. His parents were Webb's first high school coaches.


"I would go to practices where Alan Webb was running," Andrew said. "To think about that now it's kind of surreal."


With a growing family of four young children, the Hunters were stretched too thin and stopped coaching at South Lakes (and Scott Raczko stepped in).


As young Andrew grew up, Alan Webb was the first name he identified with in running.


"There's no doubt, beside my parents, Alan is the person I've looked up to the most in running," Hunter said.


It's the influences at home, though, that have the most to do with Hunter's development. The approach has been slow and steady and designed to avoid the over-use injuries that shortened Marc's running career.


"Honestly, every single year it's a little bit extra," Hunter said. "Starting last summer and getting to 50 miles (per week) and getting extra sleep, and then just a little bit more, more mileage, better workouts. Training smart is the most important thing."


One of the biggest days in the growth process came last April at the Penn Relays. Hunter ran a stunning time of 8:16.31 in the 3,000 meters to beat an impressive field and also break the sophomore class national record.


It was the race that elevated Hunter's name to national prominence.


"In my opinion, that (race) was the start of Drew Hunter, the runner," he said. "Unless I do something completely amazing, that will race will always be up there (as my best achievement). Penn Relays will always be special to me now. The watch that I won is the coolest thing ever."


Hunter had run 4:14 for the mile and 9:11 for 3,200 indoors, but that 3,000 at Franklin Field changed things.


This fall, that progression has continued as Hunter has stormed through cross country courses throughout Virginia (and North Carolina). No one has been within 30 seconds of him so far this season.


He'd like to find out what happens when he gets into a race against some of the top guys from the West, or Grant Fisher.


A year after placing 16th at Foot Locker South, Hunter is now contemplating his chances in the national championship races.


"Looking at all of the guys (across the country) I think Foot Locker could be a crazy race," he said.



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