Pure Serendipity

Deer Creek was desperately searching for girls cross country runners to fill out a team. So coach David Riden walked around the school hallways asking anyone and everyone he knew if they could come run. Then-freshman Hillarie Kessler was one of those people. What they quickly discovered was a girl who had never run track or cross country before, but had the talent to become one of the best long distance runners in the state. "Once she got in there she could see immediately that it was her thing," said Riden of that meeting two years ago. "She excelled. That was definitely the right place for her to be. Cross country and track are her sports." Kessler joined the team that September midway through the cross country season. She instantly was drawn to the sport - the freedom of running and the mental aspect of the long distance runs. And her abilities quickly showed. "My life would not be the same if I wasn't approached to join the sport," said Kessler, who is heading into her junior year. "The other sports I played I was mediocre at, but I found this is my thing. I never thought it would be cross country. "It's definitely been a great decision. Cross country is fun and I'm good at it." She is more than just good, she's a standout. What is surprising is how quickly she has excelled. In less than two years, she has become possibly the best long distance runner in the Oklahoma City metro area and one of the best in the state this year. "She was better than anyone realized," Riden said. "Her work ethic is beyond approach. She has the innate ability to succeed in whatever she does. That's a special quality to have. She is real focused and driven." In her first full season in cross country a year ago, she finished runner-up in the Class 4A state cross country meet. This past spring, she finished first in the 1,600-meter run and placed second in the 3,200-meter run at the 5A track meet. "It took me by surprise how it went," Kessler said. "I just went out and ran. My parents taught me that when I do something I should try to excel at it. That you don't want to have regrets." Kessler's biggest adjustment when she started cross country and track was trusting her abilities. She was hesitant to show her full talents. She finished 15th in the 4A cross country meet her freshmen season and built off that to finish fifth in the 800-meter and second in the 1,600-meter at the 5A meet. "We had to work on that, that it was OK to run away from people," Riden said. "You are really that good. She did not know what she could accomplish. She didn't know what she was capable of and could leave people behind. With some experience, this past year she took it up a whole new level." Kessler's running skills are not a shock to anyone anymore. She has some lofty expectations, which include gaining another year of experience on the track and on the cross country courses. "It was definitely a different comfort zone at first" Kessler said. "It took me some time to get used to it. Now I'm just being myself."