From a state record holder to a national record holder, it's been an incredible year for Jenna Hutchins.
"It feels amazing," Hutchins told Milesplit.com's Cory Mull after the race. "I knew if I was on the right course, at the right time with the right conditions, I was in condition to run something really fast."
Hutchins won the RunningLane National Championship with a new all-time US high school best of 15:58.42 on the Huntsville course.
She broke the Tennessee state record earlier this year with a 16:25.08, which was her previous personal best.
Against elite competition from around the country, Hutchins went for the win.
And she came away with a massive personal best and a national title.
"I knew there was going to be runners from across the country, but I wanted to take it from the gun...take it out at a solid pace and see where I could adjust," she said. "I could've pushed it a little harder but I knew there were some hills on the backstretch."
As a whole, Hutchins says she's thankful to get to race at all this year.
"I feel grateful for the experience to get to run at all this year...I've been really proud to see how I've been able to improve throughout the season and become a better athlete in general."
Hutchins also said that she won't be travelling to any more national level meets this cross country season.
She added that there's a chance she'll race near her hometown in Northeast Tennessee on the track in a week or two.
Whatever her next step is, we're excited to see how fast she goes.
