Jillian Paolucci is a senior at Hudson High School. Paolucci has been involved in cross country (XC) for two years now and went to the states last year. She sets a great example for younger athletes and demonstrates leadership for, not only the other runners on both girls and boys cross country, but also as a student athlete at Hudson High School.
OHSAA States took place on November 1st at Fortress Obetz. Here, Paolucci placed 14th with a personal record of 18:32. Placing 14th in the state guaranteed her an All-Ohio Award, a recognition from the Ohio Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches (OATCCC), given to top finishers at the meet. She was the only runner from all of Hudson XC to receive that award.
In XC, the races are a 5k, which is approximately 3.1 miles. During the first mile, Paolucci mentioned that she kept repeating in her head to stay calm. She emphasized how crucial this method was to her outcome. Her thought process behind this was to keep her heart rate from spiking too early, which made it possible to run fast in the third mile. The constant pressure of everything being on the line at this race is what truly pushed her.
After finishing, she received the All-Ohio Award. Paolucci described this moment as shocking, recalling how she entered the race with a new strategy than what she was using and had no way of knowing if it was going to be effective. When she crossed the line she was hit with an overwhelming wave of happiness. Paolucci recalled the honor of the reward, saying the hard work and dedicated months she invested made it all worth it.
The hardest part in training and preparing herself was balancing everything. Paolucci highlighted the fact that it can be difficult to prepare effectively because sliding into overtraining can severely damage your body, while undertraining is even worse. The most difficult aspect was essentially finding the perfect in between.
Paolucci mentioned that during challenging training sessions and throughout her cross country journey, the reward system became crucial. She highlighted that she believes running is completely based on discipline rather than motivation. There will be numerous times when she has zero motivation to go for a run, but skipping is not an option. She has run tired, even when busy, in the cold, early in the morning and late at night. She set the tone that running does not come easy and that she needs to earn it. This mindset in itself made receiving All-Ohio feel even more deserving.
According to Paolucci, the best part about being a XC runner is winning. Running is so competitive in the way that it’s all on one person, which makes winning one of the most rewarding aspects. Along with winning, the dedication and hard work required to achieve it make cross country truly special. Every second counts during a race, and the physical and mental toughness it demands make it a truly transformative experience. For Paolucci, being a XC runner has taught her many valuable lessons that will serve her for the rest of her life.
As a senior this was her last Hudson XC season and though she has only been involved in XC since her junior year, she believes it was one of the best seasons ever. She emphasized the teams’ goal in May: to secure top five as a team at the state meet, which they achieved. All the girls have grown so close and really pushed each other. She explains that being part of something where everyone encourages you to push yourself and improve yourself simultaneously is truly inspiring. It makes being a part of the program really special.
Hudson Girls Cross Country has had another amazing season formed by dedication, commitment and determination, Jillian Paolucci being a shining example. Explorer nation is so grateful and proud to have student athletes like Paolucci that demonstrate the hard work and discipline that it takes to be a part of the cross country program.
