CROSS COUNTRY

With the books closed on the 2019 HU cross country season, junior Hannah Stoffel has left an indelible mark on the program in just her first fall of competition.

The culmination of Stoffel’s season was running away from the competition at the NAIA National Championships last month to earn the Foresters’ first individual national title in cross country. Her performance was dominate as she crossed the line in 17:18 which proved 16 seconds faster than the second-place finisher.

“It’s a great honor, and I’m proud and excited to have this platform,” said Stoffel. “This community and this university have been so supportive towards me, so being able to bring that back for them was an incredible feeling.

“It also has taught me how important it is to be in a supportive environment and has inspired me to want to share that support with everyone, to see how far they can go. My hope is that there are many more athletes to follow.”

While Huntington boasts two national champions in Jim Arnett and John Ngure, both in track and field, Stoffel is the first female in HU history to be deemed a national champion.

Huntington Coach Nick Johnson is extremely proud of Stoffel’s accomplishment. “With HU being a small college in a small community, the two have always been intimately connected and I think it is providence that the first Forester to win a national XC title be a Huntington native.

“HU has had some pretty talented runners come through, and while titles have been won on the track, the fact that Hannah is the first to win an XC title speaks to the difficulty of the task.”

After spending her first few years at IU, Stoffel returned to her hometown where she has two years to compete in Forester green and white. The homecoming has been more than she could have hoped for.

“When I was in the transfer process, I had a pretty good idea early on that I’d come back home. I wanted to be a part of something I’m proud of. And it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve loved having the chance to reconnect with people who’ve shaped my life growing up and to be able to represent them at my university.”

Coach Johnson, also a Huntington native, knew he had a blue chipper when Stoffel decided to bring her talent back home.

“Hannah has helped to bring our program and school into the national spotlight. Within the program, her results demonstrate what is possible when an athlete buys in and is dedicated to her craft.

“On a larger scale, Hannah is a perfect example of my favorite quote from longtime HU Professor Papa Fetters ‘You don’t have to go somewhere to be big or to be something, you can do that anywhere.’ I know that Hannah can be an example to other student athletes, present and future, of what is possible when you look outside the NCAA system to find an environment that meets your academic needs but also allows you to reach your full athletic potential.”

While Stoffel’s national title headlines her HU career thus far, she racked up plenty of other accolades along the way. In addition to being tabbed the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Women’s National Athlete of the Year, she was also voted the NAIA Runner of the Week for the week of September 9 and collected five Crossroads League Runner of the Week badges throughout the season.

Stoffel was named the Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year, an honor the USTFCCCA awards to five females across the country based on region.

Stoffel’s resume also includes winning four titles this fall including the Crossroads League Championships, Bethel Invitational, the Rumble in the Fort and the IWU Twilight Invitational. Throughout the season, she set five new course records and improved her 5K best by 54 seconds.

While Stoffel is a talented athlete, it’s her humble and gracious approach to it all that really stands out. “What I like most about the university is the tight-knit, small community feel. The professors are involved in their students’ lives, and the students are involved in each other’s lives, and that’s special.

“I think the biggest reason we’ve been more successful this year as a cross country program is that our coaches care about us for more than a time on a stopwatch. They make an effort to help us become better all-around people. And, they’ve believed in our potential all season and have made it their mission to help us believe in that too. That’s so powerful because it perfectly illustrates what being a Forester is, encouraging each other to believe they have potential, and helping each other achieve it.”

As a team, the Forester women outran their 16th place seeding at Nationals to finish 10th overall. It’s the highest finish in program history of any Forester women’s team. Just as impressive about this year’s squad was going from 10th in the conference last year to 10th in the nation this year.

Johnson is excited to watch Stoffel’s career unfold. “From following Hannah through high school, I always knew she had a lot of talent and potential as a runner. To be part of helping her to develop that talent and to achieve things I always knew she was capable of has been very special. I’ve really enjoyed seeing Hannah start to believe in herself, gain confidence, and then for that to be something her teammates feel and feed off of as well.”

It’s obvious the best is yet to come for Johnson, Stoffel and the rest of the Forester crew.