Kitching clearing hurdles left and right

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This article was published 30/04/2015 (3992 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Birds Hill’s Melissa Kitching first started running hurdles, she had no idea she’d take to it so naturally — let alone set a new Manitoba record.

“The first couple races were pretty sloppy,” she admitted. “Basically, I’d just run as fast as I could and jump when I hit a hurdle.”

Kitching, now a 22-year-old student at North Dakota State, was a natural runner. A competitive soccer player from the age of six, Kitching’s mother Karen — a former sprinter herself — suggested she give track a shot when she turned 16.

“I was used to team participation,” Kitching recalled. “So it took some getting used to.”
Kitching trained with Winnipeg Optimist Athletics from 2009 through 2011. Rory McIntyre was her sprints and hurdles coach.

“Melissa was always a very hard-working athlete,” McIntyre said in an email. “When I started working with her, she showed promise as an athlete but was still a raw talent.”

By the time she was in her senior year at Springfield Collegiate, Kitching won provincial titles in the 200- and 400-metre races. She still holds the 400- and 300-metre hurdle records as well.

“Her focus and competitiveness are what led her to her success on the track,” McIntyre said. “She responded well to any challenges that were presented to her in training.”

When it came time to pursue her post-secondary education, Kitching was determined to continue her athletic development as well. In April 2011, Kitching committed to North Dakota State, where she has been working with coach Stevie Keller.

“First year was kind of tough,” Kitching said. Keller put her into intensive hurdles training, focusing on technique. “I was honest with him, I had no idea how to hurdle. That was definitely a building year.”

Since then, Kitching has found her stride, despite a few unexpected challenges.

“This past summer I had a minor shin injury,” Kitching said, who was working through the summer with coach Chris Belof. “We worked on my running form. We talked about setting realistic goals, and everything got a lot more serious.”

“Going into this season, I was really confident,” Kitching said. “But at the end of September, my gallbladder just shut down.”

Kitching received emergency surgery after her coach took her to the ER. A week later, she was back training.

“Being an athlete, my recovery was quicker than expected,” Kitching said. “I had a week off and just got back at it.”

At the recent Beach Invitational track and field meet in Long Beach, Calif., Kitching took first place in 400-metre hurdles, finishing with a personal-best time of 58.65 seconds, breaking the previous Manitoba record of 59.48 set by Ruth Hadden in 1986. And while the personal best was a sweet reward, Kitching’s sights are already set on the next race.

“We have our conference championships in two weeks in Illinois,” Kitching said.

Following that Kitching, who is ranked 12th in NCAA West, will be running in Austin, Texas to qualify to run at the NCAA track and field championship in Eugene, Ore.

“Just qualifying to run in Eugene would be great. They call it Track Town, USA.”

She’d also like to set the North Dakota State Bisons record for 400-metre hurdle.

“The school record is 58.12, Kitching said. “That’s definitely within reach.”

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