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Hannah Neczypor Rises to the Top
In order to appreciate the magnitude of Hannah’s performance during this year of cross-country, one must go back to the end of last year’s track season. Merely a sophomore at the time, Hannah was looking to become a nationally elite runner after an impressive track campaign where she ran a sensational 2:12, 4:53, and 10:39 for the 800, 1600, and 3200, respectively (all of which landed her in the top 25 nationally and top 5 for all sophomores nationally). Hannah undoubtedly had the talent, but she needed some direction. With a specific purpose, Hannah knew that something must be done to enter the highest echelon of national runners. Running limited mileage last year with her North Royalton teammates, Hannah felt as if she was not maximizing her potential and knew that she must look elsewhere for a more intense training program. Enter Orange County based professional running coach Joby Guiterrez, who was contacted by Hannah earlier in the summer of 2009. Guiterrez quickly saw the talented runner that he had in his hand, and compiled a more strenuous training regimen. In regards to his ideology regarding Hannah, Gutierrez had this to say, "Our goal was to have Hannah peak later in the season. This was achieved with higher mileage through the summer and delaying her speed work. She carried many more miles into this season than last year." Guiterrez felt that this was the best way to catapult Hannah to national prominence.
At the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Cross Country Regionals, Hannah tackled the Tiffin Meet in a personal best of 17:33 roughly 16:54 for 3 miles), a minute and a half faster than her Regional race the previous year when she experienced late season fatigue. After this race, Hannah had qualified herself for the OHSAA State Championships the following weekend, where Hannah finished 3rd. Although most would have been elated after taking third in state, Hannah felt unsatisfied with her performance and knew that the Guiterrez’s program allowed her to still have one more gear left in the tank. Feeling "better and stronger" than she had ever felt at the end of a long season that started on July 7th, Hannah entered the Nike Midwest Regional with a chip on her shoulder. Powering through the race with a time of 17:34, Hannah set a 5k course record by an earth-shattering 26 seconds, causing the dyestat.com message boards to erupt with disbelief. Hannah even beat the two girls who beat her at the state meet the preceding weekend, thus, displaying her late season peak and determination. Nevertheless, Hannah’s magical season finally came to an end on Dec. 5 at the NXN Championships in Portland, Oregon with an impressive 11th place finish and a time of 18:04 over the uneasy terrain (an improvement of 12 places and 13 seconds from the previous year in tougher conditions). Finishing as the 3rd fastest runner in the class of 2011, Hannah is surely on the national radar for both this upcoming track season and next year’s cross country campaign.
"I am happy with my season and how it turned out. I was prepared for the end of the season and bettered my time. I improved from last year which was my primary goal. Next year, I hope to improve even more and get my times down to the low 17"s," replied Hannah about her season and the next cross country season.
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To achieve success in the sport of cross country, there are no secrets. You need guidance. You need support. You need dedication. All of these necessities were in Hannah Neczypor’s arsenal during her 2009 Cross-Country Campaign. 
Sacrificing early season races, Hannah was at first uncertain of the longer mileage stating that she thought that the longer mileage would contribute to weariness at the end of the year, but Hannah soon reached a different conclusion. 
Through the months of July until December, Hannah Neczypor did all of the things that a successful cross country runner must do. She listened to her coach who helped her reach a late season peak. She found support from her friends, teammates, and family during the difficult times. She dedicated herself to a sport that makes one sacrifice a lot of Friday nights and early summer mornings. Hannah’s 2009 cross country campaign was not only a story of running; it was a story of inspiration.