She considered junior year of high school as a kind of "breakthrough," particularly because that was the first year she won the Virginia State Championships and the league championships. She also won both championships her senior year.
Although she obviously accomplished these feats through hard work, Hamill also credits many people who have motivated and encouraged her. "My team was a big part of making running so satisfying," she said. "My coach, in particular, has been a really big role model and inspiration for me."
Besides running cross country, Hamill participated in various other sports. She was on the swim team until her junior year, when she decided to run indoor track. She also played lacrosse until her senior year, when she switched to spring track and won the 1600 and 3200 in the state and league championship meets. "I'm glad I was able to have at least some track experience in high school," she said. "It's just very different from cross country."
Hamill's strong performances in running have continued since she joined the Amherst cross country team. "She has been a big boost to the team this fall for obvious reasons-Carter has been our number one runner," said Head Coach Erik Nedeau. When the top Amherst runner for the last three years decided not to run this year, it left a void that Carter, along with other members of the team, was luckily able to fill. "I knew that we were going to have great depth this season, but I thought that we may not have a front runner. Carter has stepped in nicely to that role," said Nedeau.
At the season-opening Amherst Invite on Sept. 8, the women's team took first, while Hamill placed ninth with a time of 20:00 exactly for the 3.1 mile race. She went on to lead the women's team in every meet afterwards. The team traveled to Franklin Park in Boston on Oct. 12, this time for the New England Cross Country Championships, where the women's team took seventh, paced by Hamill's time of 18:40 and 23rd place finish. Hamill received All-New England Honors for her outstanding performance. The following weekend, the women's team placed second at the Little III Championships at Wesleyan University. Hamill led the team in third place overall.
The team then traveled the next weekend to Bowdoin College for the NESCAC Championships, where the women placed third, again led by Hamill's 10th place finish. After this meet, Hamill received All-NESCAC Honors, along with teammate Martha Nelson '03. This past Saturday at Westfield State, the women's team qualified for its second straight NCAA championship meet with her third place finish at Regionals. Once again, Hamill led the way for the women, finishing sixth with a 17:45 time. The women will travel to Augustana, Ill. this weekend for the NCAA championships.
Just like during high school, Hamill is inspired by her teammates. "The team here has been incredible, in a number of aspects," she said. "Everyone has worked hard and put in so much effort, which is clearly paying off. It's also neat to see how supportive everyone is of their teammates. I'm so lucky to be able to run with such a great group of people."
Besides leading the team in each meet so far, Hamill has also consistently improved her times. "I've been pleased with how my running has progressed this season," said Hamill. "[Coach] Ned has done such a great job training us. I think things are coming together at just the right time. I've gotten a lot more confident in my running [and] racing. Nationals will be a great experience."
Nedeau praised Hamill. "Carter has a great running intuition," Nedeau said. "She knows when to push hard and when to back off. I think that has been a big reason for her success. While four years is a long time, I certainly can see her being one of the top runners in the country by the time she gets to be a senior."