Hannah McIntyre may not have been first to cross the line, but her speed still won her GLIAC Freshman of the Year.
With a time of 21.02 minutes in the 6K (3.75 miles) McIntyre placed 7th overall out of 138 racers, and first of all freshman in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship.
“I try not to overthink it. I just try to go out and run and trust myself. When I finish, I kind of try to block it out, because it’s really painful,” McIntyre said. She didn’t realize how well she had run until a coach came over to tell her.
“She’s probably one of the most pure distance runners on the team,” senior captain Amy Kerst said.
McIntyre began running in sixth grade. She had a choice between sprinting and long distance, and the sprinting sign-up list was too long, so she chose cross-country. She excelled in high school, and her experience has helped her in transitioning to a higher level of competition.
“She’s had more experience in a lot of ways with different kinds of races. All of the freshman are surprised by what they are able to do, but Hannah seems like she’s making more jumps, like she’s even more surprised with the progress she’s made,” Kerst said.
Though McIntyre said the transition has been overwhelming, she loved having a team to welcome her right away.
“With all the changes, not just athletically but also academically and socially, all the decisions and other stressors in their life, I want to really simplify the running part, so the whole world isn’t constantly changing,” Hillsdale’s cross-country head coach Joseph Lynn said.
The consistency in training combined with McIntyre’s outstanding work ethic have led her to success.
“Her work ethic, like a lot of the girls, is excellent. I see her in the training room a lot, which is key in staying healthy. If she does have a problem she goes straight to the trainer,” senior captain Chelsea Kilgore said.
In addition to finding success in cross country, McIntyre has also found a group of girls whom she feels at home with. When asked for a favorite memory with the team, McIntyre said “every day.”
“We always call her the sassy one on the team. She has a certain edge to her that’s funny and fun. It kind of goes along with her running. She doesn’t back down from anything, and she speaks her mind,” Lynn said. He, Kilgore, and Kerst all smiled as they described McIntyre.
“Hannah is overwhelmingly positive—an infectious positivity,” Kilgore said. Her positivity stems partially from an active attempt. Especially during races, McIntyre finds it difficult to stay positive sometimes. During GLIACs, she made the extra effort to remain positive and simply run.
Her spirit has captured the team, and they can already tell her future will be successful with them.
“She definitely has a personality that she’s not afraid to speak up or speak her mind and encourage or say positive things to someone when they need it,” Lynn said.
Kerst said she may take time to get to know, but it doesn’t take long to see her goofy side.
“In practice sometimes she’ll do a little dance or sing. She says the funniest thing in some odd moment” Kilgore said.
Her teammates said they are excited for her future as she continues to run for Hillsdale.
McIntyre’s next race will be Saturday at the NCAA Division II Midwest regionals hosted in Evansville, Indiana at the University of Southern Indiana.
The Chargers raced at the University of Southern Indiana earlier in the season and McIntyre put up an impressive time of 21:32.4.
McIntyre said she is excited but nervous as she attempts to beat her previous time at the course and hopefully help her team place well enough to make it to Nationals in Kentucky on Dec. 6.
