Runner fights her way back

Many might say being a biology major is tough work. Put that on top of being a member of the women's cross country team, the indoor/outdoor track team and battling an injury from last season, and more pressure arises. But junior Allyson Hammond seems to pull it all off.\nHammond attended Bellmont High School in Decatur, Ind., where she placed ninth in the state cross country meet her sophomore and senior years.\nAs a junior in high school, she earned first team All-State honors.\nLast season at the Big Ten Championship, Hammond finished in the top five. She placed 48th at the 2000 NCAA Cross Country Championships. \n"Last year, she really wanted to go to Nationals and with her talent, she made it," coach Judy Bogenschutz said. "She's really focused on running and she wants to be good. Six of seven days she thinks, good today, better tomorrow."\nTeammate and junior Jessica Comfort said Hammond is always bettering herself for running.\n"Living with Allyson, I can see that she is a very determined and motivated runner. She takes her training through everything," Comfort said. "She eats well, gets enough rest and everything about running she takes with her on and off the course.\n"You can tell she's a serious athlete by the way she lives."\nDespite her determination, Hammond's hopes and dreams came to a halt with a foot injury last year. \n"I had the best season of my life and then I got injured. It happened right at the end of cross country last year, and I knew it was coming. As soon as Nationals were over with I knew I needed a break," Hammond said. "Last year all I did was cross train, pool workouts and elliptical workouts."\n"It has effected her a lot," Comfort said, "I know it has effected her mentally but she is trying really hard to not let it get to her too much, that it will effect her performance once she can run again."\nHammond's coach said she has faith in her as well.\n"If all goes well and she stays injury free this season, there's no reason she can't go back to Nationals," Bogenschutz said.\nIt has been discouraging to Hammond to see her teammates run and compete while she has to sit out, Hammond said.\n"It's been hard being injured, you really feel out of the loop when you don't even get to go to practice," Hammond said. "I went from being at a really high spot on the team to a really low spot. It's been difficult to sit out and watch everyone else, but my family, teammates and coach have been really supportive. \n"Right now, I just want to be able to stay positive and take one day at a time."\nHammond said she has confidence in her teammates for this season. \n"Our team should be really good this year," Hammond said, "We have a lot of really great freshman that are coming in that make our team really solid. Everyone has improved from last year and it's really got me excited. We came back from summer and everyone really stepped it up."\nSome of Hammond's teammates went to watch her run at Nationals last year, which proves the team's support for her, and each other, she said.\n"Everybody on the team gets along really well. We have a lot of people that push each other; it's not just one person out there running by themselves," Hammond said. "We're close. We're teammates, but we're not only teammates, we're also friends."\nNot only is Hammond busy with her running career, but also with academics. She is studying biology with hopes to someday follow in her father's footsteps and become a dentist. \nHammond earned Academic All-Big Ten status her sophomore year, and of the women who ran with her, the grade point average was 3.54 between the seven.\n"Allyson is a wonderful student," Bogenschutz said. "She is academically strong, and very conscientious of running and academics."\n"I study more when I am in season," Hammond said. "You have to learn to use your time wisely and you're forced to manage all your time well when you're so busy with activities."\nHammond attributes her success to her family and coaches, but most of the credit Hammond gives to God.\n"I know that without God, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish the things that I have," Hammond said. "God has blessed me with a talent."\nAs for the future, Hammond has high hopes of running at Nationals again.\n"I would definitely love to be an All-American in Cross Country, and in Indoor and Outdoor Track. \nThat's always been a goal of mine," Hammond said.\n"Any time you mix talent, a good attitude and desire together, that's a total package," Bogenschutz said. "Allyson's an example of a total package"