Hannah Thuss Commits To Auburn; Bob Jones Cross Country Athlete Looks To Join Tigers’ Program
MADISON- Hannah Thuss recently spent hours packing for her trip to Auburn where she entered her freshman year of college and is looking forward to possibly earning an athletic scholarship as she is a preferred walk-on for the Tigers’ cross country program. The 18-year old graduated from Bob Jones this year and spent many days trying to secure her position within Auburn’s athletics and finally committed to the “Loveliest Village on The Plains.”
“I always told myself I wanted to attend college at either Auburn or Alabama and when the coaching change occurred I immediately committed to the school,” said Thuss while traveling to Auburn.
Aaron Kindt was recently named the head cross country coach at Auburn, which caused Thuss to sift through the recruiting process twice before she made her decision to attend the school.
Thuss left Bob Jones owning the school record in the indoor mile with a personal best time of 5-minutes, 13-seconds, which was the fastest posted time in 20 years at Bob Jones. She also posted a personal best time of 19:14 in the cross country season in the fall portion of the just completed school year where she also competed in the AHSAA State Cross Country Meet. Upon arriving onsite for the State Meet, Thuss was hit with an illness that caused her to finish with a much slower time than she looked for.
“I thought I was nervous and I was having a possible panic attack as I had a difficult time breathing,” said Thuss. “If I matched my personal best in the race I would have finished among the top 10 in the state.”
Born in Huntsville, and raised in nearby Lincoln County, Tenn., Thuss and her parents, Todd and Susan Thuss, moved to Madison while she was finishing the sixth grade. She did not participate in any type of organized sports, but soon joined the Bob Jones cross country/track program in the seventh grade. She quickly took to the sport and worked hard to become effective at her craft. It wasn’t until her junior season did she finally realize her legs were taking her to heights she never dreamed of.
“I began training at RunningLane and once I did I saw the advances I made and the results of my training,” said Thuss, who credited RunningLane coach Will Rogers, Bob Jones head coach Bill McIlwain and former Bob Jones coach Robin Gaines for her quick advancement in running.
“Hannah is an exceptional athlete who persevered through a lot,” said McIlwain. “Her talent was only part of her success. Her determination is what put her on top. I wish I had her one more year, but she’s going to do great things at Auburn.”
The 5-foot-3 student-athlete carried a 3.7 grade point average out of Bob Jones and looks to study nutrition at Auburn with the hope of becoming a physician assistant. “Yes, nutrition was an interest to me as I always try and eat healthy,” added Thuss.
Playing the piano and being a vocalist were two areas she always excelled in prior to concentrating on running. She was a member of children’s choirs and became a member of the Worship Team at Valley Presbyterian Church in Madison. She took piano lessons from her mother and the family has two pianos within their home.
When the start gun is fired to start a race, Thuss starts quickly. She added, “I start fast and get out front as I hate being stuck in the middle of the pack.” For good luck on her running endeavors she wears a bracelet she made on her left wrist. She also wears ribbons in her flowing hair.
The drive to finish fast is in her eyes that are pierced straight ahead. Her dedication to excel and find her passion on which school to attend for an education and the chance to continue running is one major factor of her success at this juncture in her life with a fantastic future still ahead.
