Adjusting to change

After a stellar high school career at Navajo Pine, Chantel Hunt's first year in college at the University of Utah was a struggle.

After outstanding cross country and track careers, Hunt found that making adjustments with academics and sports at the college level was difficult.

"There are a lot of changes," Hunt said at the recent Wings of America Running and Fitness Camp in Gallup, where she was head facilitator. "It was hard for me. I struggled with it in the first semester."

Hunt made sure she was prepared for her second year.

"Then the second semester I got it together during my Christmas break," Hunt said. "I was thinking, 'Oh, I can do this' and I got through my first semester.

"I set a goal for myself for better grades, better routine and just everything and it's worked out pretty good," she said. "So the rest of my school year, it should be improving as it goes on."

Hunt is preparing for the upcoming season in cross country. Her practice schedule is not too different from high school only that Utah coach Kyle Kepler's program is more demanding.

"In high school I was running six days a week," she said, "but I know our coach, coach Kepler, wanted us to run everyday. I didn't know the intensity is much more harder.

While her training has increased the university offers much more for athletes.

"We had all the equipment," she said. "The trainers would help us in case we got injured. They would have ice bags all the time."

Hunt hopes to earn a college degree in accounting, but for now she is taking the prerequisite courses. When she decides her major an academic advisor will be assigned to her.

"In high school, after practice I usually just relaxed but at Utah I actually had to put in some study time for tests, quizzes, go to class sessions," she said. "That was the only thing that I had to work on. It was just learning how to maintain the balance between time management and sports."

She also had difficulty adjusting to her new surroundings since she moved from the small reservation town of Navajo, N.M., to the large city of Salt Lake City.

"There were hardly any Navajos out there and that was a real big change for me," she said. "It was a real downer, but it's been a good experience.

"When I get home I usually get a grease job," she said. "I hit the food stands, the mutton stands, get some burritos. I loved coming back. It was such a relief whenever I came back. It's because if I got home, nothing has really changed and that's what I really liked about coming home. It was like no worries.

"The running trails? We have so many out here on the reservation," she said. "When I run out in Salt Lake, it's like pavement. I miss the side roads and miss Sawmill roads and all that stuff.

"All I can say is that you should take a piece of home with you when you go to college, like photos, blankets, jewelry, clothing and so on so you could adjust easily," she said.

She also has advice for young students.

"Apply for as many scholarships as you can," she said. "Make sure you get your NCAA clearance done if you're going to compete at division one or two and make sure you attend student orientations, get set up for admissions.

"Ask as many questions as you can. If you know anybody that has already been to college ask them a lot of questions. Learn everything you can about college. Ask them how they balance between time management and sports."

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