HOWELL — The track and field team at Howell became a refuge for Norah Hull following a heartbreaking loss to Belleville in a regional semifinal basketball game last month.
That highly anticipated game between the top two teams in Division 1 took place on the first day of track and field practice. Hull showed up for the second day, less than 24 hours after the second-ranked Highlanders’ season ended with only their second loss.
Hull, a junior, did nothing that day and wouldn’t begin training for two weeks as she recovered physically and mentally from a long basketball season.
But she needed to be there to begin feeling good again. Going home from school and moping wasn’t an option.
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“After that game, I was really upset,” Hull said. “I knew because of the community track has that if I went there it would make me feel better. I didn’t do anything, but having that community there for me when I was missing basketball and missing my teammates was amazing. I also had Emma Kanka and Lilly (Williams) back me up at track. It was great to spend time with them and other athletes I’ve made connections with.”
It’s the social aspect of track and field that appeals to Hull and, in many ways, sets it apart from basketball.
Would two basketball players from Howell and Brighton root for one another during a game? Of course not. But in her first meet on April 9 at Brighton, Hull was supporting Brighton all-stater Kaydence Hoolsema as they battled for first place in high jump. Both jumpers cleared five feet, with Hoolsema winning on misses.
Hull had a big smile and she congratulated Hoolsema afterward.
“I always like track, because it brings out the social butterfly in me,” said Hull, the Livingston Daily Athlete of the Week. “I love competing against other teams who are competing for the exact same thing as me. We’re all in there to win. At the end of the day, we’re there to have fun and get along with each other. It’s not like we’re much different from each other.”
Hull and Hoolsema formed a bond last year when they both qualified for the state meet for the first time. Both cleared 5 feet, 2 inches at regionals and Hoolsema went on to make all-state by placing fifth at the Division 1 finals.
“We actually got really close last year going into states,” Hull said. “At one of the invitationals we met and just became really good friends. It’s nice having that friendly competition, knowing if you lose or win we’re there to support each other. We’re already talking about our hopes of making it to state together this year.”
Even with her success in high jump last season, Hull didn’t begin training for the event until a couple weeks after basketball ended. She was 100% focused on trying to get Howell to the Breslin Center, which was a realistic goal for a team that beat Belleville in the teams’ first meeting at the KLAA championship game.
She shook off the rust quickly, clearing five feet in each of her first two meets to place second at Brighton and first in the Hartland Invitational on April 11. She went 4-11 to win a dual against Novi on April 14.
“I was nervous I wasn’t going to do as good as I did last year,” Hull said.
Hull high jumped only once in middle school, clearing 3-6, before focusing on shot put and sprints her freshman year at Howell. She gave up shot put and planned to do sprints and long jump as a sophomore when she volunteered to try high jump to fill an opening.
“One day coach (Kyle) Docken said they needed one more girl,” Hull said. “I got 4-6 and did pretty good. At the conference meet last year, I had that five-inch (personal best) and it’s only gotten better from there.”
Like Sophie Daugard before her at Howell, Hull is a basketball player who is also talented in multiple events in track and field. Hull plans to follow in Daugard’s footsteps and compete in the seven-event heptathlon in college.
“It was basketball for a long time,” Hull said of her college plans. “Then I started doing really well in track and high jump. I’ve talked to a lot of track coaches. I went to be a heptathlete. I was a thrower, did some long jump and now I do high jump. I’ve kind of been all over the place, but it’s been great.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Track was refuge for Howell’s Norah Hull after tough basketball loss
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
