Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
KINNIKINNICK — Just a brief look around Zane Trace High School will tell you that the Pioneers own a long line of running greats.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
There have been multiple Division I runners come out of Kinnikinnick, including Taylor Hatfield, Kimmy Wolfe, Alison Chinn and Abbey Mohan — and that’s just naming a few.
The latest to join that group is senior Hannah Kerr, who announced her commitment to the University of Akron on Tuesday.
“I chose Akron because whenever I visited campus, it felt like home,” Kerr said. “The campus is beautiful and the girls on the team are so nice. [Akron] Coach [Trey] Brokaw is a great coach and I can’t wait to train with him.”
Brokaw joined the Zips in 2018 and since his arrival, Akron’s middle distance and distance group has produced a pair of NCAA national qualifiers, five individual or relay MAC titles and four MAC team titles.
Needless to say, Kerr is in good hands.
“My mom, dad and aunts have all been so supportive and loving through this whole process. They have come to every visit and made sure that Akron was right for me,” Kerr said. “My cross country coach Corcoran helped so much with the recruiting process and all of my teammates also supported me.”
During her time at Zane Trace, Kerr has been a leader on the trails and on the track for quite some time.
She’s a four-time regional cross country qualifier and has finished first (2019), second twice (2020 and 2018), and fifth (2017) in the Scioto Valley Conference meet.
As a sophomore, Kerr qualified for the Division III State Cross Country Championships, where she finished 68th out of 179 runners with a finish time of 21:05. That’s after running a 20:25.8 to advance to the state meet individually.
On the track, she helped the Pioneers win the SVC title in 2018 and won the 800-meter run in 2019, and 3200-meter run in both 2018 and 2019. Those accolades would certainly have grown if she was given the chance to run during her junior season.
“I hope I am remembered for being a leader and inspiring younger girls to run and reach their goals and potential,” Kerr said.
Kerr says she plans on participating for Akron’s cross country and track programs, as well as the indoor track team. While she’s a Zip, she’ll be majoring in Exercise Science.
But, of course, she still has one track season left at Zane Trace. She’ll be looking to add to her already-storied legacy before heading up north.
“When at the collegiate level, I am most looking forward to the team bond and running super fast,” Kerr said. “I can’t wait for early morning and late night practices. I am so excited to compete at the Division I level.”