Old Rochester's Hanna Whalley is the 2022 Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year
More confidence meant even more success for Hanna Whalley.
The Old Rochester junior was once again the fastest female runner on the SouthCoast in the fall, earning her second straight Standard-Times Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award.
“I was more confident,” said the 17-year-old Whalley. “I grew a lot in confidence this year.
“With the home meets over time, I was able to build my confidence. I began to realize I was having really good times.”
Whalley’s goal was to run under 20 minutes in a 5K. She achieved that feat at the South Coast Conference championship, where she ran a 19:47.
“At SCCs, I got sub-20,” she said. “That was really unexpected. It was exciting.”
Whalley helped the undefeated Bulldogs capture another team championship as she was named league MVP.
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“This year I led all the way and I was more open to accepting I need to put everything I’ve got in this race,” she said. “I could have a chance of having a really good time if I pushed myself.”
Whalley saved her best time for the Div. 2B championship, where she ran a personal-best 19:27.30 to come in ninth.
“I was really happy,” Whalley said. “I felt like the team overall did well and I feel individually we all improved our times from last year.
“The course itself was challenging. You would go downhill first and a big loop and go uphill. I found myself pushing to stay with the top 15. I knew this race would matter. This is the one that’s going to qualify for you. We put everything into it. It was at the end of the season so we said, 'We’ll give it our all.'”
It was worth it as the Bulldogs placed fourth as a team and punched their ticket to Div. 2 All-States.
“That was a really cool moment for the team,” she said. “I didn’t expect it all.”
Whalley said she worked hard in the offseason to prepare for the fall and she also learned how to pace herself throughout races.
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“I tried to incorporate a lot more hills into my workouts,” she said. “I wanted to do better than I did sophomore year. My goal was to work as hard as I can now that I feel more familiar with my teammates and training schedules.”
Old Rochester head coach Cindy Tilden added, “Hannah is a very strong and determined runner. She works hard in and out of season to be able to perform at her best during the season.”
There are many reasons why Whalley has grown to love cross country, but the biggest is the camaraderie between athletes.
“There's a community there,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive of each other. People you don't know will be cheering you on. They cheer each other on. I don’t know many other sports like that.
“Over the course of the season, I found myself more and more excited for the races.”
Whalley said she can’t wait for her senior year.
“For cross country I'd like to beat my previous record,” she said. “People say you get slower by senior year and you don’t run as fast, but I think it’s all in the mindset.
“My mindset really keeps me going. I always want to do my best and always try my hardest no matter what.”
ALL ABOUT HANNA WHALLEY
WHY SHE WAS SELECTED: For the second straight year, Whalley was the fastest female runner on the SouthCoast and the only one to run a sub-20 minute 5K. After going undefeated in the dual meets, she won the South Coast Conference championship and was named conference MVP.
KEY STATS: Whalley’s season-best time of 19:27.30 came at the Div. 2B meet, where she placed ninth out of 141 runners. She also came in 31st at the Div. 2 All-State meet with a time of 20:24.13.
MVP MOMENT: While her best time of her career came at the Div. 2B meet, she ran a sub-20 time for the first time at the South Coast Conference meet despite being all alone in the lead.
OLD ROCHESTER COACH CINDY TILDEN: "She's grown a lot in her running in strength and mental toughness. She's eager to be the best she can be in her running."
NOTES: Whalley lives in Mattapoisett. … She also runs spring track at Old Rochester. … Whalley said she would like to run in college and beyond. “I always see elderly people in this amazing shape,” she said. “I want to be like that in the future.”
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Whalley is 2022 Standard-Times Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year
