Viewmont High senior Gabe Hooper was raised with running in his blood as his parents were both collegiate runners at Weber State. But, he has been carving his own name in the Vikings’ record books and this summer he ran a 4:13 mile at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon June 20 to set a new Viewmont mark in the event.

“I knew what the school record was and then when I saw the results on the big screen, it was a feeling like none other,” Hooper said. “It made me really happy.”

“Gabe has worked really hard and is one of the fastest in the state,” said his dad – and VHS cross country coach – Trent Hooper, who also noted that he was the sixth-fastest junior in the nationals final.

Gabe’s previous personal best in the mile – a 4:19 – was recorded at March’s Nike Indoor Nationals in New York City. He also ran in the prestigious Nike Cross-Regional Southwest Meet last winter where he placed 41st out of 160 and felt he could have done better but he woke up sick on the day of the race.
The son of Trent and Chelsy Hooper of Centerville also has the third-best time in the 800 meters at the school, nearly two seconds back of his dad’s time – who is a 1997 Viewmont alum – that was set 26 years apart and stands second in the VHS record books. Gabe also has the third-fastest VHS time in the 3200 meters.

Gabe has been running since he was 8 years old and participated in a Fun Run 5K in Montana where “my dad ran with me the whole way. I’m sure he was going a lot slower than he could have but I was glad he stayed at my pace,” Gabe said.

A year later, and with a move to California, Gabe and his dad were running at a local high school track where they would time themselves and watch their progress. He continued to enjoy running over the years and began his own journey at Viewmont High as a freshman on the cross country team and his dad became involved with the program by running “Motivational Mondays.” By the next fall, Trent Hooper was an assistant coach on the staff. “My dad always wanted to come back here and he jumped on the chance to help coach and then take over when Kacie [Moore] stepped down to be a full-time mom,” Gabe said. “I really enjoy my dad being the coach. Running is kind of all he talks about anyway and it really helps my development.”

Gabe, who also plays the clarinet for the school’s wind ensemble, returns for his final cross country season after an All-State showing of seventh place at last year’s 5A state championships and will lead the VHS program that is among the favorites to take the team title. Younger brother Sam is also a sophomore for the Vikings.

Gabe thrives on setting and achieving goals and steadily works toward them. “When I was a freshman I sat down with my dad and told him that I wanted to be the best runner in the nation. I asked him what it would take to get me there and I have set out to do that,” Gabe said, noting that other focuses are a goal of running a 4:10 mile, qualifying again for the Nike Cross-Regionals meet and running a sub-4 in the mile during track season.

Combined with his work ethic, Gabe credits his faith as a prominent role in his running and development. “My belief in God is such a big part of this for me,” he said. “I know that He loves me and helps me have success. Believing that He can give me strength has been a big motivator and the reason I really have persevered so long.”

Gabe said he would love the opportunity to run in college like his parents and is exploring his options. “I want a chance to see how I do on the college level and it would be great to have my running help pay my way through school,” he said. “One of the biggest influences in my life is running and it’s taught me how to push myself better than anything else. I’ve learned so much about not giving up or quitting when it gets hard. It’s also been a good time for me to reflect on what my purpose is and those are great lessons I will always be able to use in life.”