Woodcock steals the show

Both teams finish in fifth at NWAC track and field championships

 

Woodcock earns All-American

Saints freshman speedster Danelle Woodcock stole the show during the NWAC Track and Field championship meet held at Mt. Hood Community College’s home track on Monday and Tuesday.

The Barlow High School graduate set the tone for the meet and won three events in the 100-meters (12.0), 200-meters (25.10), and long jump (18-05.75). Had the Saints team not been disqualified in the 4×100-meter dash, she may have had four medals on the podium.

For her dominating performance, Woodcock was named the Outstanding Track Athlete of the meet and earned NWAC All-American honors.

Turner’s focus leads to success

She wasn’t the only Saint to shine, as both Mt. Hood men and women squared off against their league rivals on their home turf.

Joshua Turner had an outstanding meet in his last time competing for MHCC.

He blew away the field in the 110-meter hurdles, running in 14 seconds flat to shatter a 30-year-old championship meet record by knocking off .15 seconds to win the title.

Turner also won the triple jump, and finished sixth place in the long jump.

The sophomore credits his success to sharp focus.

“When I’m racing, I think about my form. I think about what I’ve been taught, and what I’ve spent countless hours practicing,” Turner said. “I am confident in the technique that I have formed, and I don’t think about fatigue.” This week, his coaching and hard practice paid off.

Turner has been talking to several four-year schools, but is still up in the air about his decision.

“I believe that many athletes here at Hood are capable of competing at the next level. At this moment, several athletes are already there,” he said.

Though the Saints didn’t have outstanding finishes as a team in terms of points, they still had a lot of good showings in a lot of events. Mt. Hood’s women’s and men’s teams each placed 5th out of  the 10 teams competing.

Lane’s men’s team won the title, while Spokane won on the womens side. The Titans tallied 275 points. Spokane’s women finished with 215 points.

Rispler takes first in Javelin

Saints Taylor Rispler won the women’s javelin with a hurl of 131’11’’, while teammate Leah Norquist finished third in the 800-meters, though she was the leader after Monday. She finished with a time of 2:19.10. “I was nervous, but the whole reason I run is for God,” said Norquist. “I want to honor Him. It’s a form of worshiping him. I raced as hard as I could and feel at peace. I’m obviously disappointed I didn’t win.”

It’s been great back-to-back years for Woodcock, the standout sprinter.

Just last year while a senior for the Bruins, Woodcock won her third straight 100-meter 6A state title at historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. The Oregonian newspaper named her the state’s female track and field athlete of the year.

“It feels great to keep the flow of championships going,” said Woodcock following her NWAC triumphs. “These wins felt bigger than the high school state championships in Eugene last year. I had set some goals a couple weeks ago coming into this meet with my coach to PR and to hit those times and marks in the long jump.

“I didn’t PR, but that’s fine,” she said. Originally, Woodcock was committed to compete for the Oregon State University Beavers this year, but had a change in heart and decided to stay close to home and attend Mt. Hood.

The freshman phenomenon is being sought after by a handful of four-year universities, but said she plans to continue as a Saint.

“I’ll be back next year and compete for another year and hopefully go to OSU after that,” said Woodcock. “I had some colleges watching me during the championships. But I’m going to come back and continue to get better.”

Coming into the NWAC meet, Woodcock was the heavy favorite and she proved just that. “That was the goal coming into the meet… I wanted to win all of my events,” she said.

According to head coach, Doug Bowman, hosting a tournament at home is strenuous but worth it in many aspects. Athletes get to sleep in their own beds, eat their own meals, and take a short travel to the stadium, as well as showcase MHCC’s newly remolded Track and Field.  Bowman said he received some good feedback from officials, fans, and parents alike that the meet was great.

“I need a vacation. I need a break and so do they, “ says Bowman, who appears to be physically exhausted yet overall content. “We will get started here probably with individual kids in the next couple of weeks. They will have workouts (strength training” he said.

Mt. Hood’s Men and Women track team finished fifth overall in the NWAQ tournaments, which was held at the Klapstein Stadium at MHCC for the first time in  about 10 years. According to Bowman, they’re not too shabby considering some hurdles they’ve had to overcome.

“We’re right here where we should be based on what we have,” said Bowman.

It’s impossible to keep up with the Lane’s and Clark, considering they have a lot of hens in the coop. MHCC is “better and bigger than last year” but the athletics department is working to gain more athletes. It takes a spot-full eye; from both Bowman and assistant coach Jim Satterfield keeping their eye on prospective students who may possess some talent. This is done through communicating with high-school teachers and others who may encourage students to step out.

“We can help you run, jump and throw farther, faster higher and you just never know what’s going to happen.”

Though the finals come to a close, the story doesn’t end here.

“Since we’ve been doing this, Jim and I, We’ve had about 52 percent of our athletes who have all been offered, you know, scholarships to go to four year colleges,” he said. Whether they were offered a scholarship or invitation or they show up to try out, MHCC students have all made an impact around the country.

“Oppurtunities are out there for the work you put in here,” he said.

In regards to the students who get inquires from state colleges, they have a lot of choices to make according to Bowman. Grades, lifestyles, weather and habitation preferences, and other factors influence where an athlete ultimately chooses to compete for and MHCC coaches often help guide their athletes in that process.

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