Senior Sendoff: New Albany's Dorian Hurd

We asked Hurd some questions and insight in regards to his high school career, what he loves about running, and some advice that he would leave behind to all of the track and field athletes that are still on their journey. 

Check them out below!

Q: Explain your 'running journey'... (How did you get into running, how did your senior season go, and how did you get connected with the college that you are going to?)

A: I started track and field in my ninth-grade year. I've always been into sports but I didn't do track until high school. My head coach, Austin Epting, was just getting into coaching at New Albany since my freshman year was his first year. I'd say we left a good impression because he decided to stay. After finding out I was good at hurdles I deemed track my favorite sport. During my sophomore year, Coach Epting asked if I wanted to run in college I told him yes. It was then that he helped me determine that I could make college sports a reality through track and field. At the end of my junior year, I started making my steps toward the college I wanted to go to. I went through tons and tons of emails and talks with my counselor, Kalee Stanton, about new colleges I was thinking about running at. Of course, I bounced around and came in her office all the time with my ideas.

Eventually, I came across Mississippi College around November right after Cross Country season ended. I contacted Coach Reneker and he told me he would follow up with me after he got back into town. I ended up never getting contacted by him. However, this was fine. because around March, I contacted him again and finally got to talk to him over the phone where I started the recruitment process. Leading up to March I went through a bunch of colleges but none of the conversations made me feel the right way as my conversation with Coach Reneker did. He is a very likable coach even if you aren't training under him. Talking to him felt like talking to an old friend.

After doing all the things he told me to do and getting my times down on track, he told me how he was very proud and impressed by my determination. Right in the middle of Mrs. Stanton's office, Coach Reneker offered me to be on the track team which I took him up on almost immediately.

Since signing, I have been enjoying my title of collegiate athlete and working toward having a great freshman year both on and off the track!

Q: What is your most memorable meet/race and why?

A: My North Half race where I ran my best time in 300-meter hurdles and had my team rooting for me. I really think all the support from my teammates got me my best time and pushed me to the State Championships

Q: Out of all your high school achievements, which one means the most to you and why?

A: I loved qualifying for the 4x4 state championship Lineup my junior year. The previous team from New Albany who went to state in the 4x4 traveled in 2016 so it had been a while. My team had been training so hard and we clutched a 3rd place spot at North Half! The team also consisted of me and another junior as well as 2 eighth graders. The fact that I got to help 2 kids start off their journey in track and field by going to state meant the world to me. That is something they can always look back and remember moving forward. We, unfortunately, did not make the championship lineup my senior year which made the moment during my junior year so much more memorable. I know the younger guys traveling did not like the fact that we couldn't travel again and that only fueled their ambition.

Q: If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you change, if anything?

A: I would go back and get into the track a lot earlier in school.

It is very intimidating seeing all the professionals in track and field talking about how they started track when they were in 4th and 5th grade. Knowing I had a late start made me work harder but also made me wish I could of went back and started my journey in track earlier to be on the level of the pros in terms of experience. I feel like I would be a lot better and faster if I started sometime in around 5th grade like a lot of others.

Q: Who is somebody that you look up to/someone that helped you along your journey to get you where you are today?

A: Someone I looked up to was my hurdle coach Chelsea Hamilton.

Coach Hamilton was the person who got me into hurdles. It was very odd how she selected me to be a part of the group trying them out but regardless, I'm glad she did because I wouldn't be where I am today without her. She coached me and my freshmen year and watched me win my first ever 300-meter hurdle race. She coached me up until Covid-19 during the middle of my sophomore season. During my junior and senior years, she was off doing other things so I wasn't able to be coached by her then, but I still thank her every chance I get. Her not coaching put me into a spot where I had to teach people hurdles during some training seasons. This lead me to salvage all the training she showed me and love hurdles even more.

One thing I will always remember is her telling me to always remember to keep my lead foot "dorsiflex." If she ever sees this, I want her to know I love her and thank her for setting up my journey of becoming Dorian Hurdle.

Q: What will you miss the most?

A: Likely being such a big part of the team. I was kind of known as the "track guy" in high school. A lot of people thought of me when they thought of Track. I used this to my advantage and did as much as I could to recruit, promote the team, etc... It was fun being the track guy but I know I'll have to humble myself once I get to college because I know the competition is a lot harder.

Q: What piece of advice would you give to the younger athletes that are just getting started on their journey?

A: Just make the right moves towards competing in college. Unless you are just a star athlete and hitting crazy times, most schools you want to go to won't be contacting you.

For me, I was kind of in the middle. I wasn't a star but I wasn't bad or slow by any means. I just had to make the right steps toward what I wanted. During the fall of my senior year, I probably sent out over 100 emails to coaches and I only heard back from a select few but the fact that I did that extra step made a big impact. I wish I would have sent emails, made phone calls, or started researching all the places I could go to earlier in high school.

I would not be as happy with the college I eventually decided to run at if it wasn't for my work towards finding the right place, making the right emails and phone calls, and doing my part off the track. I still could have done a lot better but I got to pick a great college so it paid off. Do not listen to the people who tell you to be patient. If you're good, the coaches aren't gonna care if you bugged them leading up to your recruitment. Go get after it and use the internet to your advantage!