The village of Morton, Ill., a town of 16,000 people outside of Peoria, is located 82 miles west of Campustown. In less than an hour and a half car ride, you can be in the “Pumpkin Capital of the World.” But Trent Hoerr does not need a car to go back to his home town. He could simply run there.

Hoerr, a senior on this year’s men’s cross country team, hails from Morton. It was during his high school years in this rural community that Hoerr realized he had a talent for running long distances. And thanks to David Nordhielm, his Morton High School cross country coach, Hoerr is now one of the top and most consistent runners in the Big Ten Conference.

“He was basically my best friend in high school,” said Hoerr, who smiled when he talked about his former coach. “Basically starting sophomore year summer, I ran with this guy every single day. When you’re out in the middle of nowhere … running with one other person, you get to know somebody pretty well. We would talk about everything.”

The friendship did not end after Hoerr made the decision to run for the Fighting Illini. Though Nordhielm left Morton last October and moved to Indiana, the two still talk on a regular basis. The Illinois all-time 8K record holder even credits his “best friend” for his success this season.

“After last cross country season, I basically didn’t run for a month and pretty much was done with the sport and was ready to call it quits,” Hoerr said about his junior season. “And then I don’t know what clicked, when I went home for Christmas break, I talked to my high school coach a lot and then just started running again gradually.”

Since last December, Hoerr has been running nearly 100 to 110 miles every week in preparation for his final season wearing the Orange and Blue. A modest guy and the youngest of seven children in the Hoerr family, Trent readily admits there are better runners in his sport – but none of them have the work ethic he possesses.

“Some runners are so naturally talented, but they don’t have that drive,” Hoerr said. “When it starts hurting, they just basically wuss out and stop where I feel like I can go through a lot more than other people. And not being as talented at running as other people are, I feel like I’ve had to rely a lot on my work ethic to get where I am today.”

Most NCAA runners average 80 to 85 miles each week. Hoerr puts in an additional 30 miles on a weekly basis – roughly an extra 330 miles in the 11-week season.

With the help of his former coach, Hoerr has impressed his current coach, Wendel McRaven. In the three seasons McRaven has been with the Illini, he has seen a change and growth in Hoerr that sets him apart from the rest of the team.

“He’s a good guy, a solid guy, a loyal guy,” McRaven said. “I’ve seen him grow as a leader, a guy the other guys look up to.”

Although McRaven has never personally met Hoerr’s high school coach, he credits Nordhielm for making Hoerr “think on a higher level.”

“There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things,” McRaven said. “And Trent does things the right way.”

The history major and political science minor has had a standout senior season, having been named the Big Ten Runner of the Week in mid-September and claiming several spots on Illinois’ top 8K record board while garnering First Team All-Big Ten Conference honors.

With a great friend and former coach from his past still participating in his life and a current coach by his side, Hoerr is preparing to finish his career at Illinois with his best – or fastest – foot forward. And at the end of the day, with so much on his mind, Hoerr is able to use his sport to get away from everything.

“In our society today, you are always around people,” Hoerr said. “Running is a chance to get away, to collect your thoughts.”

Hoerr hopes he will take this approach during the Regionals meet on Nov. 10, and not only get away from society, but run away from the competition and qualify for Nationals.

The people of Morton will not have to “run” very far to support their hometown hero. The meet will be held at Bradley University in Peoria.

As Hoerr crosses the finish line in Peoria for his final regular season meet as an Illini, he will likely be thinking about all those miles he’s run through the Morton countryside, with his friend and mentor David Nordhielm next to him.