Weeks before Chasen Hunt and the University of Lynchburg men’s distance medley relay team took the track for the NCAA 2024 Division III indoor track & field championships, Hunt’s teammates begged the question: Do you want to lead or chase on the final leg?
Look no further than the first five letters of the name the nation has come to respect to find the answer.
“If [Sam Llaneza] gives it to me in second or third, we are winning,” Hunt said.
Not all Hollywood movies match the original script. But Friday, March 8 created the magical moment Lynchburg and head cross-country and assistant track and field coach Jake Reed waited years to enjoy.
In the DMR, the distance pinnacle of the national championships, Lynchburg stands alone with the fastest time in meet history.
While 9:47.17 earns a spot in the history books, Lynchburg already stamped a spot in the record books earlier in the season. The Hornets sizzled to a 9:44.44 finish in February: the fifth-best in DIII history.
Lynchburg’s quartet could taste the fairytale energy heading to Virginia Beach. Four hometown kids, a national championship on home soil, a sea of red-shirted fans exploding along the railings. The mission? Have fun.
“I talked to them before, and I was like, ‘I really don’t care how fast we run, I just want to have fun out there,’” Llaneza said after the race.
Frank Csorba battled tactically in the opening 1,200-meter leg, posting a 2:59 split. Sticking in the middle of the field, Csorba opened a gap from the chase pack to hand the baton off to Jacob Hodnett in second place with MIT not much farther ahead.
Hodnett knew the importance of receiving a spot on the DMR squad. The 400-meter specialist entered Friday fresh off a 49-second split in the 4x400m relay at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championships. Hodnett, who spends his winter months in the pool with the Lynchburg swimming team, manifested the result of his life on the track: 48.35 seconds.
It was his personal best by over .7 — a home run for someone hoping to set the table for the final two legs.
Hodnett’s two quick trips around the oval put Llaneza in a favorable spot for the 800-meter leg with the baton now in his hand.
Hours before the DMR, Llaneza competed in the individual 800-meter prelims. The graduate student (but junior eligibility-wise) picked up a few bumps and bruises on his way to qualifying for the 800-meter final. In the final seconds of that race, Llaneza dove across the line to avoid being overtaken on the inside.
Bloody or not, Llaneza’s 800 has become impressively consistent.
His 1:52 allowed Lynchburg to maintain its position with its sights set on the trophy. Sticking to the script, the Hornets were in third heading into the final handoff.
Hunt, the Forest, Virginia, native, took the stick with “8” showing on the lap counter.
Hunt’s sophomore indoor campaign garnered great respect among DIII analysts, highlighted by a 4:05 mile split in the DMR and an 8:06.64 3,000-meter at the Valentine Invitational in February.
With suspense building in Lynchburg’s cheering section, each lap further confirmed Coach Reed’s trust in his anchor leg. Hunt stayed patient during the opening laps before receiving the green light to go.
He moved into second trailing only MIT with three laps to go. Approaching the 400-meter mark, Hunt fought toe-to-toe with his opponent, leaving the remaining field behind.
Hunt exploded into the curve, moving into first place while “FOR-EST PROD-UCT” chants rang out from the Hornet cheering section. With every stride, Hunt fended off the field and ignited the crowd, not only chasing a trophy, but history.
The bell lap sparked a storm of cheers as Hunt soared around the oval one final time.
Approaching the finish line, Chasen looked in either direction before lifting his arms to the sky. Lynchburg stood alone.
Few eyes were dry after the squad spilled off the track to celebrate with fans. For the first time, Lynchburg’s All-Americans had obtained the coveted national prize.
After elevating the program to the national level, Reed had finally collected a national championship for his storied collection.
Lynchburg’s step-by-step progression makes one thing certain: more championships are emerging on the horizon.
But for the first championship in the Jake Reed era, it’s only fitting that the hometown kid Hunt carried it home — for family and friends and the swarm of Hornet student-athletes in attendance … for Coach Reed … for Lynchburg.
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