NCPrepTrack.com
Pollard wanted to give Hutchins advice heading into Saturday's Foot Locker South Regional race, which featured the top high school runners from 14 states and several U.S. territories. The top eight finishers would qualify for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals on Dec.13 in San Diego.
"A lot of people are going to let up right before the finish line," Pollard said he told Hutchins, imploring his pupil to stay focused.
Hutchins, 18, remembered the advice as he entered the final 400 meters of Saturday's race in 10th place. Aware that he was two spots out of the top eight, Hutchins began accelerating in an attempt to catch the runners immediately ahead of him.
"I worked too hard to come in ninth place," Hutchins said. "So I put my head down and ran as fast as I could."
With 50 meters to go, he caught the seventh- and eighth- place runners. He passed both in the final steps to secure seventh place in a personal -best time of 15:02. Kyle Miller of Katy, Texas, was eighth in the same time. Hari Mix of Charlottesville, Va., was ninth in 15:03.
"It was unbelieveable," Hutchins said of the photo finish. "I had a half a step on them, and barely held them off."
With his parents, Robin and Richard Hutchins, and Pollard around the course, Hutchins said he always was aware of what place he was in.
Unlike in smaller races, most of which Hutchins won in runaways this fall, on Saturday Hutchins found himself bunched in the lead pack of about 15 runners who jostled through the first mile in a sub-4:40 pace. Hutchins, who did a lot of speedwork in training, stayed with the leaders throught the 2-mile mark, which he passed in a quick 9:35.
Seconds after the finish, Pollard in his second season as Millbrook's coach, found Hutchins and gave him a bear hug.
"I told you not to let up," Pollard screamed. "I told you."
Pollard, who plans to make the trip to San Diego, said he knew the race for a top-eight finish was going to be tight, "but, as a coach I can never give up on him. He inched up . He fought through it. His training really paid off."
In all, six N.C. runners finished among the top 26 places in Saturday's seeded race, which was won by Brian Sullivan of The Woodlands, Texas, in 14:46. Also earning a berth to San Diego was North Forsyth senior Eric Mack, who finished sixth in 14:49. Hope Mills South View senior Robert Longoria was 11th (15:16). Chapel Hill's Jack Bolas was 20th (15:25), tops among sophomores. Cardinal Gibbons senior Fredy Torres was 24th (15:28), and Harnett Central senior Jesus Rojas was 26th (15:30).
Jennifer Barringer of Oviedo, Fla., won the girls' race in 17:27. The top area finisher was Jordan senior and two-time state 4-A champion Kate Merrill, who was 19th in 18:15. Merrill finished seventh as a junior.