Autumn Eastman making big gains in Vermont

 
By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom 
DyeStat.com

VERMONT STATE MEET

(21-Oct) -- Vermont's Autumn Eastman has accepted being the underdog. A senior at Champlain Valley Union High School, Eastman has slipped under the national radar for most of her prep career. Despite being named Gatorade's Vermont Track & Field Athlete of the Year and earning a pair of state titles on the track in 2013 -- including a 2:13.06 state record in the 800 meters -- Eastman entered the fall cross country season somewhat unheralded.

"Vermont is very under-looked," Eastman said with a chuckle. "I guess I like being the underdog. Sometimes it's frustrating to be overlooked because you're from a small state, but I think being patient will pay off."

It did pay off on October 12, when Eastman (photo at left by John Nepolitan) surprised many with her second place finish at the Manhattan Invitational Eastern States Championship. Though she finished runner-up to Pennsylvania's Kennedy Weisner, Eastman sent a message to the rest of the Northeast: Don't forget about me.

"It was definitely my first big race of the season. I haven't had much competition in Vermont so coming to that race was a pretty big part of (my) season, having to face some of the top girls in the U.S. for the first time this year," Eastman said.

So far this fall, Eastman has been one of the most consistent athletes in the region. At the Ed Springstead Invite, hosted by New York's Shaker High, she won the 4,000-meter contest by a whopping 48 seconds, timing 14:59.29. On Oct. 5 at the Thetford Invitational in Vermont, she set a course record of 18:31.06. Her winning margin more than a minute on the challenging course.

In the Green Mountain State, Eastman is head and shoulders above the competition. As Champlain Valley Union coach Scott Bliss told DyeStat.com, within the first quarter mile of races Eastman is usually 10-15 seconds ahead of the competition.

"For her to run fast in all these other races, she has to do [all the work] herself," he said.

At Manhattan, Eastman got a chance to test her fitness among some of the region's best, practicing her group racing tactics -- something that will surely come in handy at the New England Championships and Nike Cross Regionals. Though she runs out front most of the time in Vermont, her preferred tactic is to be the hunter, not hunted.

"I love chasing I guess you could say. I don't necessarily love leading as much as I do being the chaser in a race," she admitted. In the final 600 meters at Van Cortlandt Park, Eastman moved into second, using her closing speed to outlast Courtney Smith and Eliza Rego.

To fully understand Eastman's athletic ability and progress over the last three years, just look back to 2011. As a sophomore, Eastman timed 16:21.7 on the 2.5-mile Manhattan Invite course. This year, her time was 14:23.1.

So what's the key to her roughly two-minute improvement?

"I don't have any secret, it's just been the determination, focus, and unwillingness to stop trying," she said.

At a closer glance, Eastman's steady rise could be the result of several things. Coach Bliss says she is as dedicated, disciplined, and powerful as any athlete you'll meet. Part of that comes from her experience as a Nordic skier.

While many are racing indoor track during the winter, Eastman spends her time Nordic skiing. This, she says, is a key part to her development as an overall athlete.

"I think Nordic skiing is very important just to have the whole cross training aspect of it. I think it's important to have a different sport other than running to work the muscles you wouldn't normally get with running," she explains. In addition to the added physiological benefits, Eastman strongly believes it has helped her mental fortitude entering races.

"I think it's taught me a lot mentally to be able to hang on and push myself," she said.

This year, Eastman is pushing herself to be a nationals contender with the help of a surrounding cast that includes both the girls and boys teams at Champlain Valley Union (Eastman runs most of her workouts with the boys).

The girls of Champlain Valley Union have won four Vermont state titles in a row and nine of the last 10, creating a team atmosphere that is second to none.

"We are a unified group of people. All of us get along really well together and are super good friends, and I think that unification has only (made) us stronger every single year," she said. "I believe that without a team that is very close and can work together, there is no winning or winning states."

Coach Bliss agrees, crediting the upperclassmen for passing on the winning tradition and showing underclassmen the expectations of the team.

"It's a team culture of winning," he said. "It just kind of snowballs."

This Saturday, Champlain Valley will seek yet another team title, while Eastman will go for the individual crown. Last year she finished second to teammate Taylor Spillane, who now runs for Cornell University. The state meet will be held on the same Thetford course which Eastman has the course record.

If she wins, the underdog label may be gone for good.

"I'll be out there now," she said with a laugh.