As she entered the home stretch of last October’s CAA Cross Country Championships at White Clay Creek State Park (Newark, Del.), Abby Hassman found herself trailing a pair of Elon University runners. The former Foxboro standout knew that for her team to have a chance of taking first, she would need to pass as many Elon runners as possible.

Hassman kicked into another gear, finding that last reserve of energy to cross the line in first. She became the first Northeastern University woman to win the individual title at the conference meet and was named Most Outstanding Performer. She finished in a time of 21:12.7 over the 6K course, winning by more than three seconds.

“I just kind of had that team goal in my mind of finishing in front of as many of those girls as I could and when it came down to it, in those last few moments, that was my motivation to make that final push to pass them,” Hassman explained.

“It was really special. Kind of a surprise outcome because I wasn’t really thinking of that prior but it was also just exciting because we ended up getting second as a team but it was the closest we’ve ever come to first.”

Asked how she can find that extra burst at the end of a long race, Hassman said, “It definitely takes something to motivate you because the races hurt and especially at the end you’re in a lot of pain. For me, on that day, I just went back to our race plan and I was thinking if I can just get more points for our team, I used that as motivation.”

Following her performance at the CAA meet, Hassman went on to finish 13th at the Northeast Regionals, setting the third-best time in program history. Hassman’s efforts were rewarded by being named CAA Runner of the Year, becoming the program’s first winner of that honor.

“I think for me it kind of shows that we’re a team to look out for and the teams in the conference should be looking out for us,” Hassman said about the conference award. “It was special that I was able to represent our group in that way. I always kind of think back to the team part of it and we’re all working towards our goals together and that honor reflects our hard work.”

Even without the recognition from the CAA, Hassman has already established herself as one of the top runners in program history. She has set program records for the 5K at Franklin Park Course (17:28.00) and the 6K (20:31.00), as well as the Indoor 3000m (9:28.12) and the Outdoor 5000m (16:30.41). Hassman is also fifth in the Indoor 5000m, sixth in the Indoor Mile and DMR, and third in the Outdoor 1500m.

While Hassman always talks about the team results and the growth of the program over her four years, she admits that it is a special feeling to cross the line and know that she has set not only a personal best time but also a program best.

“To run a PR or to run a school record is really special and we’re really lucky to go to races with good competition,” she reflected. “It just helps make us better. Some of my best memories are being surrounded by my team after a really fun, fast race and you’re competing against all of these other really competitive runners.”

No one who watched her compete at Foxboro will be surprised to see Hassman having this success in the big meets. She won the Hockomock Cross Country Championships twice (as a sophomore and senior) and never finished lower than third in her four-year career. As a senior, Hassman absolutely dominated, winning the race by nearly 49 seconds. In addition to her success in the fall, Hassman was also part of two state-title winning basketball teams and part of the Foxboro lacrosse team that won the South sectional title for the first time.

Hassman talked about the memories that she cherishes from experiencing multiple sports in high school, but she has committed to running full time at Northeastern. She is competing in outdoor and indoor track in college. For someone accustomed to being on a field with hundreds of runners, the crowded confines of racing on a track required a transition period.

“Obviously the races are a lot different on the track and I think it took me a little bit to figure out the strategic aspects of track and how to make moves, when to make moves during the race,” she said. Hassman’s freshman year was delayed by the pandemic and she didn’t run until spring, giving her time to prepare for the new experience. “Every race that I’ve run, it’s come with different challenges but it’s been really exciting experiencing different types of meets, racing against different people, and handling how all the races play out.”

Last season provided a boost of confidence. Hassman now has the proof that she can compete with the top runners in the conference and the region. After winning the CAA title, the other runners in the league know it too.

“I think last year was a really big growing year for me, just tapping into some potential and it definitely gives me confidence coming into this year,” she said. “I’m definitely going to carry that with me this year.”

Hassman continued, “It’s been really exciting the past few years, growing with the team and improving our progress as a team so much. I think it all ties back to the mental aspect of it – figuring out how to train at your best , push yourself, but also recover really well and be ready for those big, important races when they come.”

Training is maybe the biggest difference between high school and college. Instead of running once and sometimes twice a week, the Northeastern runners spend their time preparing for the big meets. It’s less about race reps than getting stronger and recovering properly.

“More training has helped me improve physically and mentally,” Hassman explained. “I think being able to settle into a good training routine has helped me a lot and I’ve enjoyed that. You don’t feel as burnt out. Racing once or twice a month, rather than twice a week, you can really focus on getting stronger physically and mentally.”

There is no settling on her success as a junior. In the season-opening Nassaney Invitational at Bryant University, Hassman was only a tenth of a second off her career-best 5K time (17:28.1). Her focus immediately turned to the ECAC Championships on Oct. 13 and the CAA Championships on Oct. 27.

“We have a really strong team this year,” Hassman said. “We have all our returners from last year as well as some freshmen who’ve already made a big impact. That’s been super fun and obviously helpful for our team strength and my strength individually.”

This won’t be the final lap for the senior. Because the pandemic wiped out her cross-country and indoor track seasons as a freshman, Hassman will get to compete in those seasons next year while she finishes up her five-year undergraduate program.

Still plenty of time to create more history.

“Improving as a team was one of our big goals when my class at Northeastern came in because our cross-country team hadn’t been as strong in the past,” Hassman concluded. “We really wanted to band together and create a healthy, positive culture and keep improving and I think so far we’ve definitely done that.”