Micah Weathers, ContributorThe runner who took on the 2019 track season with full throttle recently discussed his accomplishments and how he swept his competition while breaking records.Hunter Kimball, 20, sophomore student-athlete at Augusta University, is the 2019 Peach Belt Conference 5,000-meter champion. Kimball is a distance runner on the AU cross country and track and field teams.Kimball, who finished second behind teammate Jacob Poston in the 5,000 at Mount Olive on May 12,is an integrated studies major with a focus in management and criminal justice and a minor in military studies. For his future, he hopes to become an Army officer. He believes this degree will challenge him and help him become a better leader.Kimball is the first in his family to join the Army, and when asked why he decided on the Army, he spoke passionately about his decision making.“Because it’s the best,” Kimball said with laughter. “I am very patriotic and I believe everyone should serve in some capacity. I really want to serve and I think that is the most patriotic thing to do, so it really makes me feel good doing it.”The U.S. Army has the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), and Kimball is thinking about furthering his running career through this program after college.As for now, Kimball is focused on just that: the present moment. He has goals for the time being and is putting his energy into obtaining them. Kimball did not have a plan going into the 5,000 race at conference. He had a goal, but no plan of how he would achieve it. Kimball beat 21 runners to the finish line in14:59.49.Kimball went into the 5,000 race with the mindset of running hard and running the best he felt he could. No plan for Kimball, to say the least, turned out with him grabbing the title of a conference champion.“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face,” Kimball said, quoting former professional boxer Mike Tyson.Having a plan going into a race for Kimball is over-analyzing the very thing he is naturally good at: running fast. For any race, to just have the mentality of running the best that you possibly can is what Kimball believes produces a champion and fast times.“I think not having a plan for the 5-K really helped,” Kimball said about the 5,000 race at Conference. “I just went out there and took it out a little slow and ended up coming back in the end, taking the lead and holding onto it.”Champions don’t focus their minds on the plan, but on the goal itself with full confidence that they will achieve that goal someway or another.Kimball, the PBC 5,000 ad 10,000 champion, is onto achieving his next goal. In the fall, he will be back for his third season on the AU cross country.Contact Micah Weathers at miweathers@augusta.edu.
May 15, 2019