Hope College (Mich.) Runner Picked Up A Love For The Sport By Studying Training Manuals Before Deciding To Pursue Exercise Science Degree In College

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Photos courtesy Hope College Athletics

Anastasia Tucker is a student of the sport of running. Literally. As an Exercise Science major, the Hope College (Holland, Mich.) junior has masterfully combined her passions of academics and running in a way that has resulted in her becoming one of the best distance runners at the NCAA Division 3 level.

“Probably one of my favorite subjects in school is Exercise Physiology (the study of the body's responses to physical activity) and so that subject has a lot to do with running,” she said. “A lot of the research in exercise science is (conducted) on runners, and so my school work motivates me to do well in running, and my running motivates me to do well in my school work; it’s a nice relationship.”

At the Live in Louisville Classic, Tucker was the top Division 3 runner in the 5,000-meter Gold Division race Oct. 2 at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park , clocking 17 minutes, 11.4 seconds to place 28th overall in a mainly Division 1 field of 299 runners.

With the championship portion of the season looming, and the Division 3 final Nov. 20 at the same venue, Tucker is set up for a strong finish to the fall and is a contender to win the individual title. 

“She’s a very good student of the game,” long-time head coach Mark Northuis said. “She understands the different components that go into it.” 

Quiet and shy by nature, but fierce in her passions, Tucker didn’t develop a deep relationship with running until she arrived at Herbert Henry Dow High in Midland, Mich. Running since grade school, and part of the “Girls on the Run” program, Tucker said in high school level she was struggling to motivate herself with the sport, so she turned to academics. 

“When I was in high school I read a lot of training manual type books like Jack Daniels' “Running Formula,” she said. “It allowed me to take a step back and reevaluate why I'm interested and reading those types of science of running books really allowed me to find a whole new passion for the sport that I didn't have before.”

Tucker, who finished third (18:28.28) at her regional meet and was 27th (18:42.4) at the Michigan MHSAA state cross country meet her senior season, decided to stay in-state and go the Division 3 route with Hope, a Christian faith-based college. She said it was never on her radar to begin with but the balance of academic and athletic life — one that Tucker thrives off of — was at the core. 

“It became really clear to me that I wanted to go to Hope when I visited,” Tucker said. “The team atmosphere is unlike anything else I've ever seen. It’s just amazing how well the girls get along. When one person succeeds, we all celebrate. Also, the focus on academics in Division 3, if I have a hard test the next day or something and I feel really stressed about it, I can miss practice and study for it, and it’s not as big of a deal as it is in other divisions.” 

Another reason she picked Hope was the environment and team culture established by Northius, who has been with the program since 1988. As well as her coach, Northuis, who works in the Kinesiology Department, serves as a professor and academic advisor for Tucker. During the past two summers, the two have been compiling research looking at the different components of successful distance runners, including the Nike Vapor Flys and other high-performance spikes. 

“He’s a very valuable mentor and he's been able to offer a lot of guidance, on the track and pre-physical therapy track,” Tucker said. “Overall, he’s just being a caring person. He goes above and beyond and I think that really shows on our team because we learn to care about everyone else, just like he cares for us.”

Also an artist, Tucker was responsible for creating the cover illustrations and artwork for one of The Hope College Anatomy Laboratory Workbooks. Northius said Tucker’s unique background and interest in exercise science and deepening her understanding of the sport adds a unique dimension to her. 

“i would say academic background makes me very invested in the sport. The sport isn't just about competition for me,” Tucker said. 

Tucker’s ascent to the top of the ranks on the courses, most noticeable this fall, has been due in part to the opportunity to develop during 2020. With low miles on her legs coming into Hope, she has been able to gradually work to develop her strength and speed.

“During the pandemic I was really able to focus on my training, get my mileage up, sustain high mileage and get in some really good workouts,” she said. “It was a little bit of a gift in a way because it allowed me to build to a new level of training I had never been able to get to before.”

The 2021 indoor season saw her win the 3,000 meters and she was part of the winning Distance Medley Relay at the Elite Indoor Championships, which was a substitute for the NCAA Division 3 Indoor Championship.

During the spring she focused on speed, rather than longer distance. Tucker put together one of her best seasons, winning and setting the MIAA 1,500 meters record (4:32.25) and claiming fourth (16:40.66) in the 5,000 at the NCAA Division 3 Outdoor Championships. She was named United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year.

Northuis and Tucker both believe her best event could be one she hasn't tried yet: the 10,000 meters. 

“I’ve always been motivated to push my limits with the distance I’m running,” she said. “One day I’d love to run marathons, ultramarathons, so continuing to move up is a big goal for me.”

But for now, her field of study and deeper understanding of how her own body works continues to guide her improvement. She’s set to run Saturday at the Augustana College Invitational in Illinois, and then prepare for the MIAA Championships on Oct. 29 at Saint Mary's College, South Bend, Ind.

And of course, taking an academic lens to the question, Tucker values and sees the hard work that will have to go into having an opportunity to become a national champion come November. 

“I want self-improvement, I want to see my times improve and whatever happens, happens, in a race,” Tucker said. “And it’s slowly starting to hit me that I might be one of the contenders for it. But I’m not going to go into the race being like, ‘Yes, I’m going to win.’ I want to tell myself, ‘I have a chance to win, but it’s going to be hard.’ It will be a difficult journey and I acknowledge that. But it’s definitely a good long-term goal to keep in mind.”