Hutchins Finishes as Nation's Second-Fastest Freshman

It's been a magical season for Science Hill freshman Jenna Hutchins.

It all started with her incredible run at the Western NC Cross Country festival. She ran 18:09 to win her first ever high school race. 

That raised some eyebrows.

Little did we know, this season was going to be an incredible one for the Northeast Tennessee native. She was just getting started.

Fast forward to last weekend's Foot Locker National Championship, and Hutchins is racing like a veteran. A couple weeks after setting a new personal best (17:25) at Foot Locker South, Hutchins handled the big stage like a pro.

She raced intelligently, and her remarkable debut season finished with All-American honors.


Hutchins was the second freshman to cross the finish line on Saturday in San Diego. Only Michigan's Abby Vanderkoi finished ahead of her. 

The Science Hill freshman navigated through a tight pack of runners to finish ninth. Her finishing time was 17:43. 

That time ranks Hutchins as the fourth-fastest Tennessean ever at Foot Locker. She only trails Kathy Kroeger (1st -- 2006), Megan Ferowich (5th -- 2009) and Rebecca Story (3rd -- 2016). 

That's pretty impressive for a freshman. 

After only one year in the high school ranks, Hutchins already ranks as one of the fastest runners in Tennessee history. 

And there's a lot more racing left for her.

We can't wait to see what she does next.