Hurt and Neumann Lead Through Experience

Katie Hurt

• Varsity Indoor Track
• Senior

Katie Hurt is no stranger to the track. The senior captain is currently blazing through her fourth indoor season, and uses her experience to assist whenever she can.

“She’s a very good leader,” Head Coach Julie Ullmeyer said. “She brings the team together and organizes them at meets, and she helps me out. It’s good having a senior like that at all the meets. We’ve had a lot of freshmen on the team, and she and [fellow captain Julie Williamson] have been a big help.”

While training hard for her own gain, Hurt has also been tutoring some of the younger runners in hurdling form.

“I try to set a good example,” Hurt said. “I like t0 teach people. I’ve been teaching people how to hurdle, which I really like. Hopefully they’ll like hurdling as much as I do.”

Hurt is a diverse runner, excelling in both the short and middle distances. She claims her best race is the 400 intermediate hurdles, which she’ll be running again in the spring. This season, Hurt has run the 55 hurdles, the 300, and the 400, with primary focus on the hurdles. Hurt, who has set personal records in both the 55 hurdles and the 400, hopes her success this season will translate into stronger showings in the intermediates this spring. Hurt’s achievements this season are due to her hard training, determination, and never losing sight of her spring goal.

“I’ve really been working on my hurdles a lot, especially my form,” she said. “I’ve been hoping that my form will carry over the spring. I’m really working toward the intermediates. I’m just training hard.”

Hurt will bring her speed to Amherst in the fall.

Jake Neumann

• Varsity Indoor Track
• Senior 

Senior Jake Neumann has trained hard in throwing events since the end of his sophomore year, and the accomplishments he has had in that time are impressive. Neumann is the Chatham High School record holder in both the discus outdoors and shot put indoors. Though CHS is not known on the track and field circuit as a throwing school, Neumann has consistently proven otherwise.

“He was fifth in the Meet of Champions in discuss outdoors last year,” Head Coach Pat Barry said. “In early meets this season, he broke the indoor shot record by about 3 feet. He’s really changed things a lot for us and he’s a great motivator for his fellow throwers. We’re going to miss him when he’s not here.”

Neumann’s record for indoor shot is 49 feet nine inches, which he opened the season with. The throw netted him second in the county. Because of some back issues, Neumann hasn’t been able to get beyond that mark, but he is optimistic as he heads into State Sectionals that he’ll finally be able to, “get over that barrier.”

His success isn’t limited to his performances at meets. Neumann has channeled his skill into training younger throwers.

“I’ve taken on the responsibility of mentoring the other throwers,” Neumann said. “I’ve coached my teammates somewhat successfully; Brian D'Onofrio threw 37 and change last meet and this is only his second season. I’m proud of that. The men have been training very hard this season and they’ve had great results. It shows the character they have and the hard work they’ve put in.”

“He’s taught a lot of kids the things they know and they’ve been having success,” Barry said. “He’s the guy they look to.”

Neumann is on track to break both the discus and shot put records this spring, and hopes his training will garner some big numbers at State Sectionals.