What was supposed to be the biggest race of Hannah Cunliffe’s life ended in tears.
During the prelims for the 100-meter dash at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Cunliffe, a favorite to win the title, began to cry, her face in a pained grimace, before pulling out of the race midway through.
She exited the track and later took to Twitter to explain that she had sustained a hamstring injury to her right leg.
What started as an uncomfortable spasm during practice may have cost the Ducks the repeat of the national title since the points that Cunliffe was expected to score were necessary to close the 10-point gap between Oregon and the eventual winner, Arkansas.
The ill-timed injury also cost Cunliffe a potential chance at a lifetime dream, competing at the Olympics.
After a summer of frustration and missed opportunities, Cunliffe has returned to the track and could be the most important piece of Oregon’s loaded sprint core that has its eyes set on an NCAA title.
“She’s done a fantastic job in [the tests],” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said. “She’s someone that came to us last year and showed early promise, and then did well throughout the year.”
Oregon teammates Ariana Washington and Deajah Stevens, who did their best to make up for Cunliffe’s absence at NCAA’s, represented the United States at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last summer, while Cunliffe stayed home, impatiently recovering.
“When Hannah got hurt, it was heartbreaking,” Stevens said. “Being around someone and knowing how hard they work for something and then seeing it get taken away from them, it’s frustrating.”
It wasn’t until the beginning of the 2017 season that Cunliffe was able to run again. When she came back, she was better than before. Her results on yearly tests to check athlete progress were very encouraging.
Oregon sprinter Hannah Cunliffe pulls up on the track during the 100 meters. The NCAA Track & Field National Championship is held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 9, 2016. (Kaylee Domzalski/Emerald)
After the season Cunliffe had last year, in which she was honored with the Pac-12 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year title, she had a chance to make the Olympic team in either the 100, 200 or, like Washington, the 4×100 relay.
“I was really excited for my teammates, but it was also kind of frustrating at the same time because I wish I was there with them,” Cunliffe said. “But I think it definitely made me a lot stronger and more motivated for the season.”
Before Oregon, Cunliffe ran at University of Oklahoma during her freshman year. She was the runner-up in the 60-meter at the 2015 Big 12 Indoor Championships, clocking a time of 7.28, a personal best at the time. After competing at only one meet during the outdoor season, Cunliffe transferred with four years of eligibility remaining for the outdoor season and three for indoor.
Since her arrival, Cunliffe’s personal goal to “outwork everyone” has pushed her teammates to improve, especially Washington.
“I think Hannah coming in really kind of pushed me because once Jenna [Prandini] left I kind of felt like I was going to be by myself,” Washington said. “She’s a really really hard worker, and sometimes I’m not.”
Last Saturday, Cunliffe ran her first race since the injury — the 60-meter dash at the UW Indoor Preview. She faced a deep field of athletes, including Washington and Stevens, whom Cunliffe cited as her top competition.
With an NCAA-leading time of 7.19, the fifth-fastest in school history, Cunliffe took the win. She beat out Washington sophomore Kennadi Bouyer and Oregon freshman Makenzie Dunmore by .1 second — both clocked times of 7.29.
“I just go into a meet, and I just want to execute what I’m doing in practice,” Cunliffe said after the race. “My goal is to win the race.”
With a heartbreaking end to her sophomore season behind her, Cunliffe could qualify for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London and compete in her first international competition since the 2013 World Junior Championships.
“You just gotta come in every day with a positive attitude and a motivational tool to just push yourself,” Cunliffe said. “Doesn’t matter how hard the workout is.”
Follow Hannah Bonnie on Twitter @hbonnie03.
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