Deep in the Clark Center, at a small desk in a small office, a superstar is at work. The man’s name is Daniel Hutcherson, and he is in such good shape that he is often confused with members of the team he coaches. Hutcherson is entering his 2nd season as an assistant coach for UMB’s upstart track and field team. The Albany, Georgia native was a four-year standout for a UConn team that won the Big East Championship in three of his four years.
Hutcherson is currently training with renowned coach Tommie Campbell Jr. five days a week in an attempt to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games. When asked about his coach, Hutcherson said, “He’s in his 40’s. He had some prime days back in the day, including a couple of World Championship meets.” Campbell coaches at Roxbury Community College. Hutcherson said, “He could be elsewhere but he chooses to give back to the kids, his heart is huge, he definitely knows his stuff.”
Although he won the Big East Championship in the high jump as a freshman, his choice event is the triple jump. He holds the record for distance in the New England Championship meet with nearly 52 feet. When asked about why he’s focusing on the triple jump specifically, he said, “I feel like that’s what I have the most success in […] I went over seven feet in the high jump but I feel like at this point in time, triple jump is going to be what it is.”
He last competed for UConn in 2008, and was out of track and field for 18 months while serving a prison sentence on a weapons charge. He came back to UConn to graduate, and when he returned to the triple jump, with no practice or training, he jumped 49 feet. He said, “I really was taking a pounding in track and field at UConn, so I really had time to let my body heal up, which is one of the ways I see it.” He added, “I came out with a huge smile on my face and a lion look in my eye, and I came back at it.”
Hutcherson still has work to do if he wants to head to London. He said, “55 feet will definitely make some noise. Especially in an Olympic year, if anyone jumps 55 plus, that’ll put you there.” He believes that he has improved since he finished competing for UConn. He said, “There are small things that Campbell showed me that will aid me in getting the distances to put me on the world level […] the funny thing is that we haven’t had a full out jump. We keep breaking down all of the phases ever since I met him, right now we feel like we’re on the brink of putting it all together.” He added, “I definitely feel like I’ve improved, beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
Coach Hutcherson’s Olympic dreams are having an effect on UMB student athletes as well. He will be competing alongside his team Dec. 3 at an open meet in West Roxbury. When asked if he thinks the team takes anything away from his training, he said, “I feel like that’s the case. I see it in their everyday work habits […] I get a couple of challenges from my triple jumpers too.” He also said, “We’re just at the brink of building the program […] we have a lot of kids with great potential.”
In the cutthroat world of track and field, it can sometimes be hard to get noticed. Hutcherson said, “At this point of time, it’s pretty important to be in the public’s eye. For so long, people have been hearing me talk about wanting to be in the Olympics and getting close and bumping into some obstacles, so I feel like at this point and time having the energy of the people, and having them understand that I have a goal and I want to accomplish it is huge.”
Hutcherson will attempt to qualify for the games this July at the Olympic trials. He will also attempt to compete at the indoor track national championships and world championships. He concluded by saying, “What I’m trying to accomplish is kind of big to me […] now that I’m more comfortable with what’s going on with practices, it’s cool to let more people know that I’m coming, it’s balls to the wall right now.”
If you want to keep up with Hutcherson, you can go to www.watchdanieldoit.com, and check back in The Mass Media for updates.