“ Between my junior and senior year, I grew to 5-feet-11 and physically I was not a cross-country runner anymore. I was a wild card,” she said.“ It was up to me whether I was going to pull through. I had to focus on the team and not myself. I stumbled at the start( state meet) and tried to pass as many runners as I could. At that point I was a basketball player.”
Hinton said one big key to Floyd Central’ s success was that the teams stayed healthy. He also said he found coaching cross country“ relaxing” before the stress-filled basketball season. Hinton is a member of both the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
“ Joe did not put a lot of pressure on us. I think he had a soft space in his heart for us,” Schuler said.“ He always had well thought out practices. We knew what we were going to do. He made it easy to succeed and be supportive.”
Bryant-Salazar said Hinton was the most adaptable and motivating coach she has ever known.
“ While basketball may have been his primary claim to fame, he brought that same intensity, discipline, and strategic mind to cross country— just in a different way,” she said.“ He built confidence, believed in his athletes, and created a culture where we wanted to run through walls for him— not because we had to, but because we wanted to. He was part coach, part grandpa. He bought us shoes and gear out of his own pocket yet was tough enough to lace up and run with us even after getting a pacemaker. His mantra was,‘ When you all start running faster than my times, you’ ll win state.’ And we did.”
Schuler received a full cross-country scholarship to the University of Mississippi following graduation. She said, looking back, that she is proud of her career and being part of four championship teams.
“ You get close when you spend that much time with people and you are all doing the same thing to achieve the same goal,” she said.“ Working hard, setting goals and accomplishing those goals served me well in my life. If anybody puts in time and effort into something they can be successful. Having a great group of teammates made it special.”
Bryant-Salazar, who ran collegiately at Indiana State, said the Highlanders were like a family that extended to their own families.
“ Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends were part of our success, showing up at meets and cheering until their voices gave out. My dad was just as committed— constantly researching training methods and anything else that might give us an edge. That home support was every bit as important as our workouts.”
Looking back, Bryant-Salazar said she thinks about the accomplishments of her teams for those four years all the time. She said winning four-straight championships“ feels surreal.”
“ Back then, we were so focused on the next meet, the next hill, the next race, that we did not stop to appreciate it,” Bryant-Salazar added.“ Winning four straight state championships is a testament to our culture— hard work, accountability and unwavering belief in one another. Southern Indiana has always been known for its running tradition, and we were proud to add to that legacy.”
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PAGE NO. 22 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE SEPT / OCT 2025