Around 6 years ago, Parker Huhn did not think of running as anything more than an extracurricular activity. He put forth his best effort in the sport, but didn’t pursue it much beyond school. Fast forward to today, he is now a varsity athlete for both the cross country and track team.
Huhn, a senior, has accomplished much in his running career. He ran at the state cross country meet for 3 years, for which he was part of the championship team in 2017. He has also run at both the Drake Relays and state meet during track for 2 years, and is hoping to have a strong performance in 2019 as well.
His passion for the sport has been fueled by two things: ambition and a strong team. “You can have your personal goals, because it’s a self-driven sport, but you can also have a team, so even if you don’t do as well, you can still do well as a team and be happy for what they achieve,” says Huhn.
Success does not come without struggle, and Huhn has certainly had his fair share of hardships. He has endured tendonitis in his knee and foot for four years, as well as numerous strained muscles. Beyond that, Huhn dealt with plenty of anxiety in the days prior to racing, so much that it would have an impact on his performance when it came time to run.
From his growth in training, Huhn no longer has those worries. He feels confident going into races, knowing that he has put in the proper work during practice. “A lot of the time we get caught up in thoughts like, ‘I want to run this lap time, and I want to run this mile time,’ but so much of it is just ‘race’,” Huhn stated.
As important as the training is, eating healthy plays a bigger role when it comes to running than most people realize. Some of his personal food choices include bananas, peanut buttered bagels along with a variety of fruit. Huhn values keeping a healthy lifestyle, because he cannot run when eating unhealthy.
Through Huhn’s running career, head coach of the cross country team, Erik Belby, has been pushing him to his full potential. “[Huhn] surprised me by being even more talented than I expected him to be,” Belby said, “[Huhn] made an immediate impact on the team, even as a freshman.” Belby respected Huhn for his motivation, and how in-tune he was with himself.
Not only has Huhn lead by example for his teammates, but he has proven how competitive he can be, through getting quicker every race. Belby noted, “I think [Huhn] has really developed into the total package, he’s able to bring a great attitude, he’s skilled and he’s brought experience after being part of a state championship team.”
Huhn intends to continue his running career into college, and although he is undecided on a school, he has been in communication with coaches from University of Northern Iowa, Minnesota State and Marquette University. Closing out his senior year, Huhn really strives for him and his teammates to show what they are capable of. “If we get beat, we get beat. If we compete at our highest level, that’s really what matters.”
