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One for the Road: Hoyt to complete KSC cross country career at NCAAs
KEENE, N.H. 11/17/11- In many ways, the hard work for Keene State College’s Kevin Hoyt is over. When the senior from Newtown, Conn., steps to the startling line at Saturday’s NCAA Division III cross country championships at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, there will be no anxiety or pre-race jitters.
That’s not to say that Hoyt doesn’t dream about finishing among the top 35 runners and earning All-America honors. In fact, he’d love to become the first men’s cross country runner at the College to receive the award since Dave Bridgewater won the second of his two All-America certificates in 2004. “I’d love to be an All-American, that’s my reach goal,” said Hoyt before leaving for Oshkosh. “But regardless of my finish, I’m looking forward to the challenge of going up against the top Division III runners in the country.”
Keene State Coach Peter Thomas is realistic about Hoyt’s chances to achieve All-America honors on Saturday. “We didn’t have an All-American come out of the New England region last year, so the odds are against him,” he said. “But Kevin hasn’t had a bad race all season and he’s running really strong. If he runs with the same aggression at the nationals – and there’s no reason to think he won’t – maybe he has a shot at All-America.”
For Hoyt, the starting line for this year’s NCAA championships began at the finish line at last year’s New England regional championships. Needing to finish among the seven runners not affiliated with teams earning NCAA berths, Hoyt placed two spots back in ninth place. “That was very tough to get over,” Hoyt said. “Once I realized I wasn’t going, I dedicated myself to train and qualify for nationals this year.”
Hoyt took his first running steps growing up in Newtown, a small scenic town located in southwestern Connecticut with an iconic 110-foot flagpole in the middle of Main Street. His mom, Tina Welsh, said she knew Kevin was fast – “I was always the mom running the fastest on the beach to catch up with him.”
Later, as a Cub Scout, Hoyt displayed his speed once again. Racing around the high school track to earn a merit badge in physical fitness, Hoyt, running in work boots, beat the rest of the troop by almost a lap. “We were sitting up in the stands and our jaws just dropped,” said Welsh.
Encouraged to go out for cross country in high school by his dad, Ray, Hoyt became a passionate and dedicated runner who steadily made his way up Newtown High’s running ladder. The 25th runner on a team of 30 as a freshman, Hoyt was among the Nighthawks’ top five runners as a junior and was the leader of the pack by his senior season, earning All-State honors and a berth to the New England championship.
Following in the footstep of former Newtown High runners Eric MacKnight, Charlie Baldour, and Greg Hill, Hoyt decided to continue his running career at Keene State. Easily adapting to running at the college level and enjoying the opportunity to run alongside other committed runners, Hoyt has flourished at Keene State.
Ironically, Hoyt’s first college race was at Trinity College in Hartford, the same course used for the state high school meet. “All the guys on the team were asking me about the course,” recalls Hoyt. “It really helped me connect with everyone on the team.”
Although he missed the New England regional championship race with a sinus infection, Hoyt and the Owls earned a berth to the NCAA championship his sophomore season.
According to Thomas, Hoyt’s breakout race came early in his junior season at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational “Kevin really surprised me that day,” Thomas said. “I looked at his time and said, where did that come from?"
There would be no surprises this season. Motivated by the desire to have a strong senior season and return to the NCAA championships, Hoyt has been on a mission this fall.
Quiet by nature and running in obscurity around the trails of Keene during the week, Hoyt becomes prominent when it counts the most on race day. Setting the pace for Keene State’s small, but cohesive team, Hoyt has been the first Owl runner to the finish line all-season. Selected four times as the Little East Conference runner of the week, Hoyt pulled away in the final mile to capture the LEC championship and last week fulfilled his dream to return to the NCAAs with a strong ninth-place finish at the New England regional race last Saturday at Bowdoin College. “I got out exactly where I needed to be and felt very comfortable,” said Hoyt, recalling his race strategy. “I knew I could run with the top runners.”
Although he developed a cramp late in the race that cost him a few seconds, he wouldn’t be denied a trip to UW-Oshkosh for the NCAA championships.
Keeping tabs on Hoyt’s senior season back in Newtown, MacKnight isn’t surprised that his former teammate is heading to nationals. “I’ve been waiting for him to come into his own the last few years,” MacKnight said. “He really wanted to prove to himself and Coach Thomas that he could run at a high level and go to the NCAA championships. “
The only runner representing Keene State in the men’s NCAA field, Hoyt will be one of 280 athletes racing for All-America honors on Saturday. “I understand it’s been a few years since the Keene State men’s team has had an All-American, and I’d like to break that streak,” he said.
