Matt Hughes: The Story Behind the Champion
April 23, 2011 | Men's Track and Field
April 23, 2011
By Cole McKeel for UofLsports.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In Canada, younger kids often grow up dreaming of playing for the Montreal Canadiens or the Toronto Maple Leafs. Louisville senior, Matt Hughes, a member of the track and field and cross country teams, was no different.
"Hockey is my favorite sport," began Hughes. "Even in high school, I didn't really take running seriously. It was kind of something I did to stay in shape while I was playing hockey and soccer."
In his junior year of high school, Hughes was urged by his coach to put his efforts into running and attempt to make the Junior Pan American Games, as he felt Hughes could potentially become something special. Furthermore, Hughes received one more bit of advice from his coach.
"My coach sat me down and told me he didn't think I was going to make it in my current events, the 5K and 15K," Hughes recalled. "Instead, he advised me to switch to the steeplechase, an event I had never run before."
Neither party could have known how pivotal the switch would be to Hughes' career, but just like that, a star was quickly born. In just his second time running the steeplechase, Hughes broke his high school record and fell just five seconds short of the Canadian National record.
"I made the Junior Pan American Games in Brazil and I figured, hey, this might just be the event for me," stated Hughes, as a grin formed on his face.
The quote, 'Better late than never' seems applicable to Hughes, who became Louisville's first NCAA outdoor track and field national champion in 2010. Despite his accolades, Hughes' journey hasn't necessarily been the smoothest. As senior in high school, the Canadian chose to spend an extra semester in high school, before eventually landing at Clemson in South Carolina for the start of the spring semester. At the end of the track and field season, Hughes began to weigh his options.
"I went to Clemson and I was only down there for one semester, when the coach ended up retiring. I went home for the summer and really wasn't sure what I wanted to do."
Enter Cardinal cross country head coach and assistant track and field coach Brice Allen, who contacted Hughes and expressed his interest in getting him to Louisville. After visiting the campus, Hughes enrolled at U of L for the fall semester of 2008.
"I really liked Louisville and the direction the track and field program was headed," Hughes explained.
In his first year at Louisville, Hughes placed 18th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, but was encouraged with the progress that had been made over the course of the year. Hughes is quick to attribute the majority of his success to Allen, who has transformed his training regimens and turned him into the caliber of runner he is today.
"I really felt like I gained a lot my first year here. My times improved tremendously, and I became more confident with my running," stated Hughes.
 | "I really liked Louisville and the direction the track and field program was headed." Matt Hughes, prior to joining the Cardinals |
One year later in the 2010 outdoor season, the entire nation began to notice the improvements made by the Louisville junior from north of the border. Hughes dominated the entire country in the 3,000m steeplechase. After placing first at two outdoor meets, he placed first at the BIG EAST Championships in the 3,000m steeplechase, as well as the 5,000m race. The feat provided him enough merit to be named the BIG EAST Men's Outstanding Track Performer of the Meet. For most people, that would be enough success to provide contentment, but not for Hughes.
"There are definitely times when training is catching up to you. You're tired and you just wish you could take the next couple of weeks off, but you can't do it. I wouldn't be running if I didn't love it."
Hughes went on to capture the NCAA Southeast Regional title in the 3,000m steeplechase, where he was bestowed with all-region honors. Then, he claimed the ultimate aspiration and highest honor any NCAA student-athlete could hope for, a national championship, in convincing fashion. His winning time of 8:34.18, which was more than four seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, set the school record for the fastest 3,000m steeplechase race. As the first outdoor national champion in school history, Hughes claimed All-America honors to solidify his place among the best track and field athletes in the country.
"Winning a big race lets me know all of my hard work has paid off. It keeps me motivated and moving forward," he continued.
Had Hughes completed his collegiate career after winning the national championship last year, his story would have already provided enough success to be storybook material. So how does an athlete manage to avoid the chill waters of complacency after achieving the highest honors imaginable?
"I definitely try not to put pressure on myself, but I know I'm going to have a huge target on my back," Hughes confidently answered. "The guys I beat last year aren't going to lie down and let me win. I know I have to train harder and step my game up. Coach Allen and I are trying to focus on running the times I want to run, rather than just trying to repeat."
Moving forward to his senior year, there are bigger shoes to fill for the defending national champion. With this summer's World Championships lurking around the corner, Hughes hopes to cut his time down below 8:30, four seconds faster than his school-record time. The `A' Standard in the world for the 3,000m steeplechase is currently at 8:24, while the `B' Standard is slightly slower at 8:32.
"I feel that a time between the two standards will give me a great opportunity to make the Canadian National Team and be competitive with other steeplechase runners in the world," he declared.
Even though his hockey career didn't pan out, Hughes has managed to find a comfortable niche with running. Though only time will tell how his future will pan out, the senior will forever be remembered in Cardinal history for his accomplishments thus far. Hopefully, he has a few more championships left in his arsenal, possibly even for Team Canada at the World Championships. Either way, Hughes has shown it's not always a bad thing to venture away from childhood dreams.
Players Mentioned
