With an easy-going demeanor that veils his intensely competitive inner fire, redshirt junior Dylan Hatcher has grown into an outspoken leader on the ASU cross country squad.
The State Press caught up with the witty Spokane, Wash., native to talk about his racing roots, free spirit mentality, what it’s like to be in the coach’s doghouse and more.
The State Press: You seem to be the clubhouse prankster of the team. Any comment on that reputation?
Dylan Hatcher: The important thing is to not take it too seriously, because at the end of the day, we’re out here to have fun. Some people call me a hater, but I’m just giving them a hard time. I’ve got the rest of my life to be a family man and do all this serious stuff, and I’m at the time of my life where I’m just trying to have fun.
SP: You’re tatted up a little bit. What does your ink say about you?
DH: I’m a spiritual person. I don’t really like authority; I don’t really like people telling me what to do, and I like to figure things out for myself. I’ve always had a free spirit mentality — that’s what the tattoos and the ideology that I have are all about. Even with running, I just go with the flow.
SP: Tell me a little about your hometown and the impact it has had on you as a runner.
DH: It’s a runner’s town and everyone’s a runner. It’s a tough place to run. It’s hot in the summer, cold in the winter- and that really kind of bred me to be the runner that I am. Coming from Spokane is the big reason why I think I’ve been successful because I’ve been around [success], and I’ve seen what it takes.
SP: You got looks from several Division I schools out of high school, including Pac-10 foes UA and Washington. What was the deciding factor to become a Sun Devil?
DH: The biggest reason why I chose ASU was the coaches and the atmosphere that the coaching staff created. Plus the weather is great, and I’ve always wanted to live somewhere with palm trees.
SP: Didn’t the excess of good-looking girls here play into your decision as well?
DH: (Laughs). Ahh… a little bit. It definitely didn’t hurt.
SP: Your dad wrestled collegiately at the University of Puget Sound. Do you catch any flack from him for not being the brawny, wrestling type?
DH: I tried wrestling in eighth grade. He gives me crap for not working out as a wrestler, but hey, I give him crap for being faster than he is. So it evens itself out.
SP: In sports like basketball and baseball, extra running is often used as punishment. How does that work in a sport like cross country? When you mess up, does coach Louie Quintana punish you guys with even more running?
DH: Nah, we’ve got to shoot hoops and go play catch (laughs)… no, it’s just one of those things where we just get the silent treatment [from Quintana], and we get it real bad.
SP: You’ve said before that this year’s team is a solid, close-knit group. What makes this group unique from men’s squads of years past?
DH: We’re all around the same age, we’ve all been recruited by Louie the same way, and like I’ve said, the thing this year is that we don’t have a defined number one guy. Our spread, and how closely we run as a group is real close when we race; when we’re racing, we can see each other. It’s a support system.
SP: Despite your experience at the D-I level, do you still get pre-race butterflies?
DH: It’s more of an excitement. I’m never really nervous because I know I’ve put the work in and done everything I can leading up to the race. I love it. It’s kind of like a drug. I just thrive off the excitement, and that’s what I love about the sport.
SP: Where do you see competitive running fitting into your future?
DH: I’ve always lived by the quote, “Use running, don’t let running use you.” I use running as catalyst to get me where I want to go in life. The ultimate goal is to break four minutes in the mile (Hatcher is currently at 4:02). I also want to go to the Olympic trials. Then whatever happens happens. It’s important to be realistic but it’s important to have your dreams as well.
Reach the reporter at kyle.j.newman@asu.edu
