Hart announces college choice: It’s the University of Michigan

By Michael Newman

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Glen Ellyn -- Glenbard West IL senior Katelynne Hart announced Wednesday that she will be attending the University of Michigan starting in the fall of 2020. Hart made the announcement in the school’s library on the Glenbard West campus.

Hart said before revealing her school of choice that she had also made official visits to Indiana University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison as well as Michigan.

“I was so impressed with every school that I visited. The schools were amazing. The coaches were amazing,” Hart said before her announcement. “For those reasons, it was a very tough choice.”

WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT HERE

Katelynne also said during this 12-minute announcement that she is interested in studying Food Science and Nutrition as well as Psychology.

“Once I made my visit there (University of Michigan), I knew I wanted to stay in the Midwest,” Hart added. “I took my Colorado and North Carolina visits first. There was just something about staying in the Midwest when I took my visit to Michigan. At that point, staying closer to home would be a priority of mine. 

"I then visited Indiana and Wisconsin. I think the rich history that the University of Michigan has along with the people and the pride that they had about going to the  University of Michigan was attractive to me. After visiting the five schools, Michigan was the place for me.”

Hart is a 10-time Illinois State Champion in Track and Cross Country, including three state championships in the IHSA 3A State Cross Country Meet. She will be going for her fourth straight 3A state title at Detweiller Park in Peoria, Illinois on Nov. 9. She holds two of the three fastest times ever run at Detweiller Park for a Girls High School runner including running 15:59.9 to win last year’s 3A State title (#2 All-Time).

Katelynne is currently ranked #3 individually in the latest DyeStat.com National Individual Rankings (October 17).

Hart is also a five time All-American in Cross Country including a second-place finish at the Foot Locker Nationals last December.

On the track, Hart has won three IHSA Class 3A State Championships in the 3,200 meters and 1,600 meters, as well as one state title in the 800 meters. Hart won state titles in all three of those events in last year’s IHSA State Track and Field Championships. The Glenbard West senior has achieved all-time bests by an Illinois Girls High School runner in the 3,200 (9:52.02 in 2018), the 2-Mile (9:56.40 in 2018), the 1,600 (4:38.00 in 2019), and the Mile (4:39.57).

“One way that Katelynne has made me a better coach is with the trust I place in athletes to develop their own race plan,” Glenbard West Girls Cross Country Coach Paul Hass said before the start of this season.

“For instance, with Katelynne I rarely tell her what her strategy should be; rather I ask her what she is thinking regarding her race plan and only then do I provide input either with questions or my own recommendations; this allows Katelynne to have ownership over her strategy because it is truly developed by her and only honed by me, her coach.”

Katelynne Hart Athletic.Net XC / T&F Profile