Bullish On 2023: Buffalo’s Hilbert Ready To Run

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first installment of a season-long series through the eyes of Evan Hilbert, who is a senior communications major at the University of Buffalo.

It has been 286 days since the last cross country season ended.

We spent 286 days bettering ourselves, not only as runners but as a people.

Now, in exactly 78 days on Saturday, November 18, the nation’s best will converge on Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia, for the 2023 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships.

In exactly 78 days, everyone’s eyes will look in one direction, hopefully including mine.

There is plenty of work to be done in the interim: I plan on making the most of it.

As I enter my senior year of college, I have had many highs and lows. I’ve seen some of the most incredible peaks but also some of the darkest valleys. Reality is beginning to set in that I have almost reached the finish line of my college experience and I am reflecting on what moments made me who I am today, just a few semesters from graduation. 

My name is Evan Hilbert. I attend the University at Buffalo, where I am a member of the cross country and track & field teams.

Western New York has been home my entire life, and I couldn’t be more proud of where I am from. It is this place that I have called home for my 21 years of existence and where my love for running began. This sport has gotten me to where I am today. I want to give back.

I’ve had a chip on my shoulder this past summer. After qualifying for my first regional track & field meet this past spring, I feel like I have something to prove in cross country. I’ve always wanted to be known as more than just a single-season athlete. Therefore, being successful in each of the three sports is very important to me. 

While I – and the rest of my teammates – have personal goals, cross country is a team sport. An entire team of seven runners is required to compete at the highest level every time we step on the course. For that reason, our team has been on a mission for the past four months.

The Bulls are coming into this season with our horns up and ready to go.

We are ready to make a name for ourselves and outperform preseason expectations. We are ranked 13th in the Northeast Region and will do everything in our power to finish much, much higher than that at the Regional Championships on November 10.

There are still two months until that moment, though.

Our team will race for the first time together at the Harry Lang Invitational hosted by Colgate University on September 2. That’s one day after the NCAA DI season officially begins.

Unfortunately, I won’t be on the starting line – at least for now.

I hurt my foot recently and thoughts of the injury raced through my head. A setback, but to what length? A break? A tear? Will I need surgery?

I spent about a week in a boot until I discovered my diagnosis: a sprain.

I am rehabbing it to the best of my ability and plan to be ready to race at the Yellowjacket Invitational hosted by Rochester University on September 16.

I can’t wait to be back with my teammates and push each other closer to our goals.

Only 31 teams and 255 individuals will make it to Virginia at the end of the season. We want to be one of those teams at the start line. We want to put Buffalo on the map.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Evan Hilbert is a senior communications major at the University at Buffalo. He is a member of the cross country and track & field teams at UB and qualified for the NCAA DI East First Round last year in the 1500 meters when he ran a PR of 3:42.64.

Hilbert co-hosts a podcast called “Take Talks” with a fellow journalism friend.

You can also find Evan on Instagram: evan_hilbert.