Local runner Hughes makes impact at DePaul

DePaul University women's cross country and track team member Stephanie Hughes, an Edison Park resident who attended Lane Tech, recently concluded a standout season as a college freshman.
(Photo courtesy of Steve Woltmann)

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Stephanie Hughes made quite the impact during her freshman year as a member of the DePaul University women's cross country and track teams.

The Edison Park resident, who won 11 individual city championships while attending Lane Tech, rose to the challenge of running in the Big East.

"I didn't really have any expectations because Division I running is very competitive," Hughes said. "I just wanted to do a (personal record in cross country) and go from there. At the beginning of the season I was the third or fourth runner, and I finished as the third runner."

During the cross country season, most of the early season races were the same length as the high school races she dominated (5K). By the end of the year, the majority of the races were 6K. While adapting to the extra distance was easy for Hughes, there were adjustments that proved a little tough.

"The training programs are pretty similar to what we did in high school, but it's a lot more mileage and you're running a lot faster," Hughes said. "(All the school work) took a bit of adjustment but my roommate is on the track and cross country team so we were able to help each other out."

Highlights for Hughes included placing 25th out of 306 runners in the National Catholic League Championships at Notre Dame (5K, 18 minutes, 58 seconds) and then finishing 72nd among more than 200 at the Big East Championships (6K, 22:39).

After the cross country season wrapped up last November, she only had a couple of weeks off before the indoor track season began. During high school, the only distance races are the 1600-meter run and the 3200. But in college, Hughes was set to run significantly longer races.

"I had never run a 10K on the track and I didn't know what to expect, but I ran pretty good," Hughes said. "I still love cross country more. Running on a track is boring."

Her best 5K outdoor time came in the Ted Haydon Invitational when she finished in 18:37.36. In the 10K, she ran in 38:26:36 at the Chicagoland Championships.

During the summer, Hughes will focus on mileage but she also plans on having a little fun.

"We're going to Germany for a family vacation," Hughes said. "Hopefully, there's some good running in Germany."