Akachukwu and Woodard form Freedom’s dynamic duo
By Kyle LoJacono
Sandra Akachukwu and Faith Woodard viewed each other purely as rivals last season.
Akachukwu was Freedom’s top track and field athlete, as was Woodard for Riverview. They matched up in the high jump and 200 meters, with Woodard dominating the former and Akachukwu owning the latter.
Today they still view each other as challengers, but now the seniors also see inspiration, a teammate and a friend.
Woodard, the defending Class 4A state high jump champion, transferred to Freedom this season, and said the bond the duo has formed happened long before the track season.
“When I first got here she started sitting at my lunch table like the first week, and we got to know each other,” Woodard said. “It didn’t even start out about athletics. It was just a friendship.”
Akachukwu, who won state medals in the 100 and 200 and the long and high jumps last year, said there was no negative feelings about the person she once called an opponent.
“Before this year I thought of her as the competition, but when I heard that she was coming here, she was my teammate,” said Akachukwu, a Western Kentucky University signee. “When I started to get to know her, I found out that she’s a great person. … Now we’re like sisters.”
Woodard, who signed to play basketball at Georgetown University, said she also sees Akachukwu as leader on the track.
“She’s my captain, and I look up to her,” said the 6-foot-2 Woodard. “She tells me what I have to work on in the high jump. She’s going to school for track, so I listen to everything she says because she really is the expert. We’ve grown closer every single day, and our bond is just great.”
And along with their newfound friendship, coming together on the same team has allowed them to push each other on a daily basis.
“She’s really helped me a lot,” Akachukwu said. “She’s a great teammate and a great friend. She’s pushed me in the high jump with my technique, and she keeps me calm between jumps. She can see if I’m a little bit off. It takes away a lot of the pressures having someone like Faith to help me.”
Woodard said she’s amazed at the athleticism and speed of the 5-foot-6 Akachukwu.
“When you first see her you look at Sandra and she’s little, but she competes and she runs like she’s 6-9,” Woodard said. “That’s such a credit to her and speaks volumes about her willingness to fight and compete. … Even last year watching her in the 200 at regionals I remember seeing her win and thinking wow. She just explodes and blows people away like I’ve never seen.”
The duo finished first and second in the high jump during the Class 4A regional meet at Leto April 24. They both cleared 5-feet, 8-inches, with Woodard winning because she needed fewer attempts.
Taking the top two spots means they will compete at states this year as teammates in the same event.
“It’s great to have a teammate competing with me in states,” Woodard said. “Especially being the high jump. The amount of points we can get could do something big for the team. Plus we can have that support as we’re doing it because it takes awhile to do the high jump, and you’re sometimes having long stretches of just sitting and waiting.”
Akachukwu added, “It’s crazy to think that I’m going to have a teammate there with me competing in the same event. We’ve been one/two all season in it, so I’m happy we both get to go.”
Woodard also advanced to states in the 400 and with the 4×400 relay. Akachukwu qualified in four events, including winning regional titles in the long jump, 100 and 200.
The 4A state meet is May 4 at the University of North Florida.
—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker
