Hannah Chau: Ticking off Like a Metronome

By: Amelia Scharpf

Hannah Chau is a fifth-year senior who never planned to write her name in the record books. Much like the mantra she uses during races, 'Tick them off like a metronome,' Hannah ticked off record after record at UC Irvine. She holds the school record in the steeplechase and ranks among the top-10 in school history in seven other events. But she didn't stop there, she kept ticking through the classroom and in the community.
 
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Hannah started her historic journey at Justin-Siena High School, even though she never planned on running. She tried out for multiple different sports teams but never found the right fit, which prompted her parents, Shawna and Peter Chau, to suggest she try running. And this is where she fell in love. Her passion for running showed in her results as she set school records in the 1600m and 3200m her senior year. She was a three-time CIF State qualifier, all-league performer, and team MVP. And to finish it all off she was named the 2017-18 Napa Valley Register Female Athlete of the Year.
 
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After her success in high school, she decided to reach out to college coaches to see if there was an opportunity for her to continue running at the next level. UCI was already on her radar so she reached out to Chris Evans, the cross country/distance coach at the time. She narrowed it down to UCI and UC Santa Barbara but in the end, the supportive community in the athletics program at Irvine drew her in, and the rest is history!
 
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The second she became an Anteater she started ticking off records. In her first career 10000m race, Hannah cracked UCI's all-time top-10. She was also the first Anteater to score in both the 5000m and 10000m at the Big West Championships in six years. Sadly the 2020 season was canceled due to Covid, but this did not slow her down. In 2021, Hannah brought home a Big West Championship in the 10000m with the third-fastest winning time in Big West history. It was also the first time an Anteater won the women's 10k title since 2002.
 
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In her first two years, Hannah proved she was among the best distance runners in the Big West, but she wasn't close to being done. Late in her junior year she started running the 3000m steeplechase as a new challenge. She competed in this event in the 2022 Big West meet with a runner-up finish and a school record in her second career steeple race. She went on to return that same evening to notch a third-place finish in the 10000m for a total of 8.078 miles and two podium finishes in a single day. In her senior year, she returned to the Big West Championships to finish third in the steeplechase. Much like the year before, she was in action again that same evening, finishing fifth in the 10000m. And if you can believe it, she came back the next afternoon to finish seventh in the 5000m, completing a total of 11.185 miles in the span of 24 hours.
 
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Now finishing her career as an Anteater, Chau has her name in the top-10 of eight different school events. This is going to get repetitive because, yes, she has set that many records. #1 in the steeplechase. #3 in the outdoor 5000m. #6 in the outdoor 10000m. #2 in the indoor 5000m. #4 in the indoor 3000m. #7 in the indoor mile. For cross country, #2 in the 4k and #3 in the 6k. Although Hannah Chau is graduating, her name will live on at UC Irvine for years to come.
 
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Moving away from the track and into the classroom, Hannah, a multiple Big West and MPSF all-academic selection, got her undergraduate degree in Public Health Science and just finished a master's in Demographics and Social Analysis. She wants to become a doctor, looking to merge the medical field and public health. She also has worked at the UCI Basic Needs Center for her entire college career. The Center offers many different services to UCI students with the goal of helping them meet their basic needs such as food and housing.
 
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Although she has seen so much success in her career, it has not been an easy ride. Hannah reflected on having to learn how to balance her mental health while performing at a very high level, saying, "the biggest thing that helped me come back each time was asking for help." She mentioned how she spoke to a sports psychologist to help reframe her mindset to be less hard on herself. She reaffirms that "my worth isn't in my times."
 
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Hannah Chau has found success in athletics, and in the classroom but what truly sets her apart from the rest is who she is as a person. When asked what her favorite memory of her career was Hannah responded, "It was the UCLA track meet in 2021 during the distance carnival portion. I wasn't racing but I was able to go and observe my teammates which is something you don't get to do a lot. It was such a fun time and I just love spectating and witnessing my teammates do incredible things; it made me excited for what's to come." In a career filled with wins and broken records, her favorite memory was her teammates' success. She was excited for the future of the program and the success of those who will come after her. It is true that Hannah Chau has left her name in the record books, but this is the legacy that she will leave with the UC Irvine cross country/track & field program.
 
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Looking toward the future, Hannah hopes to compete in marathons with the goal of qualifying for the Olympics. She ran a marathon in December, finishing just 18 seconds off an Olympic Trials qualifying time. When most people might give up after being this close, Hannah just kept ticking, keeping her sights set on that goal. With what we have seen from Hannah in these last five years, there is no doubt that we will see her ticking off records and finding success in whatever she chooses to do in the future. And the entire Anteater community will be cheering her on the whole way.