HUDGINS PERSEVERES THROUGH ILLNESS TO MAKE MARK AT ASU

Graduate student Brandon Hudgins has accomplished many feats as a collegiate student-athlete, but perhaps one of his greatest was surviving and overcoming a deadly disease.

An accomplished runner at Winthrop University, Hudgins was a two-time all-Big South performer in both the mile and the 800m run. While competing for the Eagles, the Rock Hill, S.C. native set the school record in the mile and 800m run.

However, while at Winthrop, problems began to arise, and in the Fall of 2007, Hudgins was stricken with Wegener's Granulomatosis. This autoimmune disease affected his upper respiratory tract, his sinuses, ears and his kidneys. Wegener's is a disease where the blood vessels are inflamed and early diagnosis is critical in survival.

The disease left him with having to have sinus surgery, almost 90 percent hearing loss, and he was on the verge of kidney failure. He also had to undergo extensive chemotherapy treatment and take high doses of steroids. The avid runner's prognosis was bleak if the treatment did not put him into remission.

The diagnosis, which eventually led to treatment, took Hudgins away from his passion of running for over two years. He could not even exercise while suffering from Wegener's as he experienced severe pain because the small blood vessels in his body were swollen so much, that no blood was reaching any muscles. The longest he could run during this low point was two to three minutes before he had to stop.

Hudgins went from running 70 miles a week while training and competing, to unable to run for merely minutes.

Still wanting to be involved in the sport, Hudgins' tried to remain active during his time off from competition, as he volunteered helping the Northwestern High School track team by coaching and assisting with meet set-up for the team and also assisting with meet set-up for Winthrop home meets.  He also volunteered to assist with set up and timing for the Mud Challenge in his hometown of Rock Hill, SC.

After Hudgins' diagnosis and treatment, he continued to further pursue his passion for running and he did not let his disease or condition damper his spirit or will to run again. Despite missing two track seasons, Hudgins went on to complete his undergraduate degree at Winthrop while he was sick.

Having been told by medical professionals that he wouldn't ever run competitively again, Hudgins was determined to prove his doctors wrong and use his remaining two years of eligibility. It was then that he decided to pursue his graduate degree at Appalachian State.

Starting to run again, he began to slowly train, allowing his body to recover, but training in way that was manageable for his health condition.

Once arriving at ASU, he became a valuable member of the cross country and track and field teams, after being granted an extension of his eligibility by the NCAA because of the severity of the illness.

In his first track and field season with the Mountaineers he won the 2010 Southern Conference title in the 800m run indoors, while finishing fourth in the mile. Continuing to impress, Hudgins raced to the outdoor conference title in the 1500m run, while placing fourth in the 800m run.

Running in his lone cross country season with the Apps, he took home a ninth place finish at the 2010 SoCon Cross Country championships, earning all-SoCon honors and recording a personal best time in the race. His performance helped the Black and Gold capture their sixth straight conference crown.

Hudgins' capped off his remarkable career at ASU by placing sixth in the mile at the 2011 SoCon Indoor Championships and earning all-SoCon honors in the 800m run at the SoCon Outdoor Championships, with a runner-up finish. He also came in sixth in the 1500m run and was member of the 4x400m relay team.  He closed out his final season by qualifying for the NCAA East Regional Meet and competing at the East Regionals in the 1500m run.

Making his mark on Appalachian's record books, Hudgins is second on ASU's indoor all-time list in the 800m run with a time of 1:50.37, fourth on Appalachian's indoor all-time list in the 1000m run with a mark of 2:29.44 and fifth in the mile run with a mark of 4:06.65. He currently sits at fourth on the Apps' outdoor all-time list in the 1500m run with a time of 3:46.83 and is a member of the school record holding 4x1500m relay team.

Head Cross Country Coach Mike Curcio is grateful for getting to coach a remarkable athlete and great person like Hudgins.

“Brandon has been a valuable member of the team,” Curcio said. “He shows the younger guys the ropes and keeps them motivated. He has really helped the team to get more focused on improving their training habits and getting the most out of the student-athlete experience. Hudgins knows not to take anything for granted and that has been evident during his time at ASU.  He plans on pursuing his passion in running and is working towards running a sub four minute mile now that he has finished school.”

At Appalachian he was apart of six conference titles in both cross country and track and field, including two straight Triple Crowns.

While his athletic successes are notable, it's Hudgins' will, spirit and determination that speaks measures. Hudgins has helped to show his teammates and coaches what a resilient, determined and hard-working young man he is. He has shown Appalachian State that one can overcome anything and live with a serious illness in order to pursue their goals and dreams and passions in life. He has helped inspire his teammates and push them to succeed as well. He exemplifies what it means to be a Mountaineer and what it means to dedicate oneself 100 percent. He has fought an uphill battle to now stand at the top of the Mountain both athletically and academically with what he has achieved and how far he has come.

“One of the good guys ,” Curcio added. “ Hudgins even has a Yosef tattoo, much to the amusement of his teammates. This is a guy that really deserves to be talked about.”

A true embodiment of a student-athlete Hudgins graduated in two years with his master's degree from ASU posting a 3.25 cumulative GPA.

Refusing to give up and back down to the disease that 25 years ago had an 85 percent mortality rate, Hudgins epitomizes what it means to be a survivor.

He currently lives and competes with the possibility of the disease re-occurring.

For his battle and his journey, he was nominated for the 2012 NCAA Inspiration Award.