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The NCAA News -- March 1, 1999

Whitman student-athlete tests her mettle with the Marines Corps

BY KAY HAWES
STAFF WRITER

Some student-athletes spend their summers working on their conditioning, earning money or taking summer classes. For Faye Hutchison, a student-athlete from Whitman College, last summer was as tough as hand-to-hand military combat -- literally.

Hutchison, a 5-foot, 1-inch multisport athlete who's a guard and co-captain on Whitman's basketball team and captain of the cross country team, spent her summer at the grueling 10-week Officer Candidates School at U.S. Marines headquarters in Quantico, Virginia.

Hutchison was one of 64 women who embarked on the rigorous boot-camp regimen. When it was all over and more than half of the women had dropped out, Hutchison was still standing. In fact, she was the only member of her all-female company to score a perfect 300 on the program's three physical fitness tests, which included battle fitness runs, obstacle courses and day-long treks.

Not bad for someone who was pulled aside at times by drill sergeant instructors, questioned about her age because of her small stature and asked, "Does your mother know you are here?"

The training program included marching drills and classes in Marine Corps history, military tactics and leadership. Hutchison, who will accept a second lieutenant's commission after graduating from Whitman this May, said the experience gave her a new perspective on life.

"The daily, simple things seem so much easier now," she said. "I think back to the 13th mile of a 15-mile hump (a trek with a full pack), or practically dying of heat stroke. Then I think of those people who have done those things in combat, and it puts it all into perspective.

"It was so challenging, but it enabled me to realize my full potential. They tested every aspect of your being -- physically, mentally and spiritually. It was not a fun summer by any means, yet I learned a lot and would not trade the experience for anything."

Whitman women's basketball coach Cathy Crosslin was not surprised that Hutchison was so successful in her military training. "Clearly, Faye is physically capable of any challenge placed before her," Crosslin said. "She is a leader in every sense of the word -- mentally tough, tenacious and loyal. She also has a terrific sense of humor, which seems to me to be essential in the world she will be entering after graduation."

Hutchison will not be the first member of her family to serve in the armed forces. One of her grandfathers was at Pearl Harbor during World War II, and one of her three sisters was a 19-year-old Air Force medical assistant stationed in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm.

"I have always been attracted to the life of a soldier," Hutchison said. "And I often think of the people who have given their lives for our country. I like to think I am doing my part and sacrificing a little bit of the same, although on a much smaller scale."

Fitness runs in her family as well. Her father is a Seattle firefighter, medic and member of a hazardous materials squad, and her mother is the fitness director at an athletics club.

Hutchison is majoring in foreign languages and literatures, and she speaks fluent Spanish. She plans to spend at least four years in the Marines, and she hopes to work in the intelligence field.

At some point, she would like to gain admission to the FBI Academy, which also is based at Quantico. Competition is intense for openings there, but Hutchison hopes her experience in the Marines will be a step in the right direction.

"I feel attracted to that type of occupation because I enjoy working with people under pressure," she said. "I enjoy leadership positions and feel that I can make a strong contribution. There are too many talented people who sell themselves short. I am not out to rule the world, I just hope to make an impact."