Many an unlikely story has developed in VMI's history, and many unique tales can be shared by anyone who has been associated with the Institute. However, very few such individuals have the background of current Keydet distance running standout, sophomore Hannah Granger. Perhaps the most intriguing part of Hannah's (pronounced HA-nuh) story is her academic background, one which was an unlikely path to VMI. As Granger recalls with a chuckle, “I was homeschooled my entire life, except for two days of preschool, which I didn't like.”

Granger, who opened her collegiate career last season by setting three school records in her first six events, came to Lexington from Wayne, Penn., a town just northwest of Philadelphia. There, she ran track for Radnor High School, where she was under the tutelage of a gentleman named Tom Flanagan.

“Hannah was an extremely focused young lady and a strong competitor,” stated Flanagan, Radnor's girl's track coach, as well as the school's cross country czar. “She always came to practice with a positive attitude, and took the time to encourage the younger runners on the team.”

Before moving to Pennsylvania, Hannah grew up in Northwest Washington, one of seven children born to a U.S. Marine and a homemaker. With her education taking place at home, Hannah was free to engage in other pursuits outside the Granger household.

Her father began to speak to her about running track. While some states are quite stringent on laws regarding homeschooling, the regulations regarding homeschool students participating in high school athletics are somewhat flexible in both Washington and Pennsylvania. Granger's father knew this, and spoke with her regarding taking up the sport he enjoyed.

The standout distance runner was, to put it mildly, not very receptive to the idea.

“I hated running,” stated the former Keystone State native, who had, due to her military upbringing, lived in Japan, Texas, California and Massachusetts before beginning the Washington-Pennsylvania-Virginia migration. “My dad was a runner in both the Marine Corps and in high school, and he told me that if I was talented, and with hard work, I could be a good runner.”

Fortunately for VMI, Granger's father won out. The summer before she started high school, Hannah trained religiously. She ran all summer, working her mileage up higher and higher, and reported to the high school in a local town, Port Townsend. There, she ran for her freshman and sophomore years before having to switch districts, and do so with some controversy.

“The Port Townsend school board was confused by my situation, because I was a homeschooler,” offered Granger. “After those two years, they decided I needed to switch districts.”

And switch Granger did, to Chimacum High in Northwest Washington, where the coaches were quite impressed. So, it turned out, was Granger, influenced in part by a close family friend. “I loved the team. It was a small team, and I loved being able to run with other people like that,” Granger shared. “Despite that, I had some continued troubles with eligibility. What helped get me through was the coaching team of Ian and Alice Fraser, who became personal friends of my family. Ian was a former All-American in the steeplechase, and I owe so much to him and his knowledge of the sport.”

Influenced by the comradery of the team environment, as well as the coaching of the Frasers', Granger grew to enjoy the sport a great deal. She broke six previously standing school records at Chimacum, and was also influenced by another fact. She realized it could help her going forward.

“I wasn't going to run in college, but then I started to look at applications and make plans, and I realized I could really benefit from an extra activity on those forms,” Hannah offered. “Once I realized I could run in college, I started to work at it, train harder, and try to constantly improve.”

Once Hannah realized she could attend college as an athlete, and began to pursue that, her results began to improve. Not only did she break the previously mentioned six records at Chimacum in Washington, but once the Grangers migrated to Pennsylvania, she was part of two record-breaking relay efforts, along with a state championship cross country team.

With that success, the recruiting offers began to come in.

“I was seriously considering entering the military after high school, so I knew I was interested in a service academy. I had offers to go to West Point, among other places, but I chose VMI after careful deliberation. The idea of a smaller school was appealing, both academically and athletically, and the coaching staff made me feel at home when I visited Lexington.”

That feeling, no doubt, helped Granger to one of the best freshman seasons a female athlete has ever enjoyed at VMI. “I had my share of successes and disappointments, and learning how to handle both was definitely part of the fun. It was a fantastic year for me in that way, something I really believe will be an invaluable help to me over the next few years as an athlete, and even later on in life,” stated the distance specialist.

In her inaugural collegiate season, the 2007 cross country campaign, Granger was the Keydets' top finisher at each of the six events. However, before she could get there, she had to go through the often tumultuous process of VMI Matriculation.

“My freshman year was definitely an adjustment, mileage, intensity, and competition wise. I really didn't know how things were going to turn out, to be honest. With the help of my teammates and coach, I believe I came out very well,” the sophomore standout offered. “I also think that my family's moving around, my changing coaches, and everything I dealt with athletically helped me handle the adversity of entering college. All told, I learned more in the one year at VMI than in the previous four years of high school running.”

Thanks in large part to those lessons learned, seven officially recognized school records fell to Granger's first-year efforts. She was also the school's lone indoor ECAC representative, competing in the 5,000-meter run, and posted an All-Big South effort at the 2008 Big South Outdoor Championships, finishing third in that same event.

“Individually, I got such a thrill out of breaking the school records,” Granger said, when asked about her favorite moment of the freshman campaign. “Also, I'm really happy to have an All-Conference finish under my belt. That medal's been growing on me. The team achievements were absolutely amazing as well, and tying the highest conference finish for a women's team at VMI was definitely up there on my list.”

Last year's success appears to have sunk into Granger's system, as her 2008 goals are quite impressive, “I'm optimistic about our chance to finish in the top four at the Big South Cross Country meet in a few weeks. On an individual level, I would like to break all the records I set last year, and finish top three at each Conference meet, including cross country and both track and field meets.”

So after all of this, who is Hannah Granger? Who is the standout distance runner who has accumulated all of this success? In the words of her coach, "Hannah is one of those special types of athletes that don't come along too often for a college coach. She has all the qualities needed, talent, determination, dedication, and desire, to be a very successful distance runner. She has what it takes to reach the NCAA Championships and the Olympic Trials," stated VMI Cross Country coach Paul Spangler.

Already, Granger's success has continued into 2008, finishing in a dead-heat with teammate Kelsey Stafford for the victory at the 2008 VMI Cross Country opener. It is fair to say that the type of success Coach Spangler mentions, with championship appearances on the national level, would be a surprise nationally, thereby making it a fitting portion of Granger's already unlikely story.

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Written by Brad Salois
Asst. Athletic Media Relations Director