Alumni Interviews
Adam Van Nortwick (Class of 2007)
Since graduation, where are you living and what keeps you busy these days?
I live in Harrisonburg, Virginia and am working as a physical therapist. I work with a variety of patients but enjoy working to prevent and rehabilitate running injuries.
During your time on the team, what moment(s) or memory sticks out the most?
It's a lot of pressure to pick just one memory. I would have to say our Southern Conference Cross Country Championship in 2005. The team had been running pretty well all year and we really managed to all put together a great race that day to win back the championship. Of course the hours we put in on the firetower runs to get us ready for that victory were also memorable, especially that time we spooked a horse and the rider got bucked off.
What is it that makes training in the Boone area so unique?
Boone is everything a runner could ask for. It's at moderate altitude which makes it ideal for aerobic training (runners get the effects of altitude training while still being able to run fast). There is a lot of change in terrain that helps runners be able to run well on any course. Finally, the good footing and soft trails of Moses Cone park allows runners to run many miles with less impact.
What was your favorite run or workout?
Trout Lake with Firetower being a close second.
What impact has ASU cross country had on your life?
It helped reinforce the importance of this community of friends that I made throughout my years at ASU. It has also helped me recognize that wherever I go and whatever I do, I want running to be part of my life in some way, shape, or form.
What impact do you see the Firetower Project having for Appalachian State cross country?
My hope is that the Firetower Project allows our team to keep recruiting talented athletes in order to maintain the success of our program.
When you heard of the Firetower Project, what made you get involved?
I talked with Mike Mitchell and realized not only the importance of the project, but that we had the ability to positively impact and give back to the team that gave us so much.
What is one piece of running advice you would give an incoming Freshman or Transfer student on the XC team?
Be proactive in preventing injuries so you can have a successful college career. Four years will be gone before you know it and you want to be healthy the whole time.
Brandon Hudgins (Class of 2011)
Since graduation, where are you living and what keeps you busy these days?
I'm currently living in High Point, NC. I've got quite a few things keeping me busy these days. Currently I'm training to make my 2nd Olympic Trials at 1500m. Training is the first box that I check off each day. Then I spend the rest of the day working at a specialty run store here in High Point as well as coach athletes from ages 12-60+ either online or in person. If that wasn't enough, I find time each day to talk to Vasculitis Patients around the world about living with a rare disease and encouraging them to keep chasing their dreams after diagnosis. I was diagnosed with a Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis while a junior in college. While it has nearly cost me several organs and been touch and go, if I hadn't been diagnosed I would have most likely never gotten the opportunity to finish my last two years of college eligibility at Appalachian State!
During your time on the team, what moment(s) or memory sticks out the most?
The one that sticks out the most, probably because it was the most painful, was winning the SoCon XC team title on our home course at State Farm in 2010. Having 3 of us cross the finish line together within 1 second of each other is one of my proudest moments as a mountaineer. I remember winding through the fields about the 4 mile mark and being in so much pain. Having my 3 brothers around me and a bunch of wild alumni screaming their lungs out somehow got me to the finish and helped us capture our 6th straight SoCon XC title and help us kick start our 2nd Triple Crown.
While SoCon XC is my favorite race memory, the thing I miss the most are all the trips with the team. I can't believe I'd say I miss 8 hour van and bus rides, but at time when cellphones hadn't captured all of our attentions, those 2 and 3 day trips with my best friends were always filled with laughs.
What is it that makes training in the Boone area so unique?
I've had the privilege of running in so many places across the USA. None have matched the feeling I get training in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is something so comforting about training amongst those old mountains and trails. Boone has it all. Flat gravel roads. Single track trails. Long Climbs. And big grass fields. What more do you need?
What was your favorite run or workout?
I hate tempo runs, but I miss tempos and runs out at Watauga River Rd. I think it's one of the most beautiful places to run on the East Coast.
What impact do you see the Firetower Project having for Appalachian State cross country?
I hope the Firetower Project can help raise App State Cross Country to a National Level Program.
When you heard of the Firetower Project, what made you get involved?
I want to give back to the program that gave so much to me.
What is one piece of running advice you would give an incoming Freshman or Transfer student on the XC team?
Enjoy it. There will be nothing like the team experience that you get at App anywhere else in your life.