Competitive drive brings out ‘Seattle’s’ best

If you don’t already know who Mt. Hood freshman track and field athlete Devon “Seattle” Larson is, you will soon enough.

In his first season with the Saints, Larson has made his impact with his impressive performance this season on the running track. With a PR (personal record) time of 15.62 seconds in the 110-meter high hurdles, achieved April 11 during the John Knight Twilight Meet at Western Oregon University, the 19-year-old from Seattle, Wash., is one of the top freshmen in the NWAACC for the event. Through Thursday, Larson’s PR is sixth best in the NWAACC, third among freshmen and fourth best, overall, in the South Region.

“Not too many people want to do hurdles. A hurdler has to be gutsy and fearless because you have to sprint and there’s an object in your way,” said Larson.

Larson has also competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, the 400-meter high hurdles, the long jump and the 4 x 100-meter relay with fellow freshmen Brock Otis, Colum Cusick and Janaree Porter. But, the 110-meter high hurdles and 4 x 100-meter relay are his main events.

His path to MHCC started when he first emailed former head coach and current assistant coach Matt Hart while still in high school, and from there it was all positive.

“Me and Hart clicked right away. He’s a Jedi master and I’m his apprentice,” said Larson. “He’s teaching me and coaching me up to be as good as him or even better. He’s my guy — I can ask him anything. He’s been a positive role model since I came to Mt. Hood.”

Hart says that Larson has made a habit of getting advice, any time he can.

“Devon has taken advantage of my open-door policy, as we have had numerous discussions about anything that is on his mind at the time,” said Hart. “He is a highly talented young man and is still working hard on trying to find more effective ways to succeed. I am honored that some of our men and women confide in me with so much trust.  Devon is one of those who seek advice or counsel from me.”

Larson said he has enjoyed the Saints program and his teammates and coaches.

“Overall, the team is supportive (both men’s and women’s squads). The coaches push you to be the best you can be,” he said.

Larson is focused on getting his two-year transfer degree. He is still undecided on a career, although he is interested in the medical field and perhaps physical therapy, because he loves sports and likes helping people. This spring, he is registered for 12 credits and said his favorite class is sociology.

“I’m learning to look at the world as a whole and not just individually,” he said.

He  enjoys the MHCC campus, saying “There’s good scenery and we just got a new track, so that’s always good.”

When he’s not grinding it out on the rubber-asphalt oval, Larson said he likes playing video games with friends, especially NBA 2K14 on the PS4. He also enjoys drawing and doing journal work, self-reflecting.

Anyone who knows Larson knows about his nickname “Seattle,” and how it started back in high school while he lived in California.

“People would say I dress like I’m from Seattle and one time when I had a birthday party, some friends took my phone and changed my Facebook name to Seattle,” he said. Ever since, he has kept the name. In fact, he is originally from Seattle and moved to California in the eighth grade. Then, after his sophomore year of high school, he moved back to Washington and graduated from Auburn Riverside High School last year.

Larson admitted at the beginning of this season his goal was just to make it to the season-ending NWAACC championship tournament – “the NWAACCs” – but because of how well he’s performed this season, he now says he’ll be devastated if he doesn’t make the top eight in the 110-meter high hurdles at the NWAACCs, come May 19-20 in Spokane, Wash.

Larson’s selfless passion goes towards putting it all out there for Mt. Hood.

“I compete for my team, it’s my goal to preform well. I love Coach Hart to death, so I want to perform well for him, too,” he said.

Before his meets, Larson likes to listen to RnB slow jam music.

“ It helps relax me and calms me down,” he said.

Larson grew up in a family with two sisters and one brother and said he’s close to them, especially with the younger siblings.

“I have a great relationship with my youngest sister (10 years old), and my youngest brother (10 years old), he misses me the most. He loves coming to my meets and cries when he has to leave,” he said.

Times were tougher for Larson when he was younger, starting around the age of 10 when his father got into criminal trouble.

“My dad got in trouble with the law. It made me upset that other people got to see both their mom and dad, and I didn’t,” said Larson.

Their relationship now is good, even though his father is still locked up. “He calls me two to three times a week, he writes me and I send him pictures to let him know how I’m doing and what I look like,” said Larson. “Because I didn’t have my dad, it helped me come to the reality that I can’t go to jail like him and I can’t be like him, so (it is) kind of like an example of what not to do.

‘It helped me stay focused more not having my dad around.”

With his mom practically raising him and his siblings as a single mother, Larson says she is his everything.

“Without my mom I don’t know what I would do. She played both parent roles,” he said.

Larson said the tough circumstances made him work harder. “I knew I had to try harder and get good grades,” he said.

His ultimate goal is to provide for his family.

“My dream is to make it to a four-year college and get a good enough job that my mom and siblings don’t ever have to worry about money ever again,” he said.

Larson said that Hart has been a strong mentor at Mt. Hood.

“He tells me what I need to do, he doesn’t sugar coat at all,” he said. “Sometimes we butt heads because he’s hard on me, but he has been a father figure for me in my life.”

This off-season, Larson says he plans on hitting the weight room to build more strength.

“This year I slacked off. I need to hit the weights harder and train more on sprints; my body needs to get stronger, especially with endurance,” he said.

On Saturday, Larson will compete in the South Region championships, which will be held here at Mt. Hood’s own Earl Klapstein Stadium.

The men’s 4 x 100-meter relay begins at 1 p.m., and the men’s 110-meter high hurdles event starts at 1:50 p.m.

“I just want to go out and run my best and focus on me, and the clock placement doesn’t matter,” Larson said. “It’s all about improvement and focusing on me.”