Senior becomes first in program history to win states
By Kyle LoJacono
Faith Woodard faced nothing but pressure during the Class 4A state track and field meet May 4 at the University of North Florida.
The Freedom senior was the defending state high jump champion and entered as the only girl in Florida to have cleared 5-feet, 10-inches this season. Constant wind and rain during the meet added to the stress, but Woodard would not be denied.
The 6-foot-2 Riverview transfer did not scratch until all of her competitors had been eliminated and repeated as champion by clearing 5-06. She is the first in the program’s 11-year history to win a state title.
“Not a lot of people can say that they’re a state champion, so to come back and defend and win two in a row is really exciting,” Woodard said.
Woodard said the weather did prevent her from building up the kind of speed she needs to put up her best performance, but was happy with what she did considering the elements.
“With the wind and rain I just wanted to be able to say I did my best, and I did,” Woodard said. “I believe that nothing happens by chance. If it’s raining, it’s raining. Can’t do anything about it.”
The title gives Woodard four state high jump medals after tying for sixth and finishing runner-up as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, while at Riverview.
The two-time state champion started running track while in sixth grade at Rodgers Middle.
“I did just straight running events in middle school,” Woodard said. “No high jump at all.”
She started high jumping at the suggestion of her mother Lora.
“She actually did high jump back in her day, and she said one day that I should do high jump,” Woodard said. “I figured why not. … When I started as a freshman my form was not the best. I was just jumping over, and it was not really good. Each year it’s gotten better.”
She ends her high school career with four district titles along with three Hillsborough County and regional championships.
“I never thought I could do this,” Woodard said. “I just came out as a freshman thinking I did track in middle school, so I’ll just keep doing it.”
Woodard, a Georgetown University signee for basketball, said states is her last track meet.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to juggle basketball and track and Georgetown,” Woodard said.
She said she was thinking a lot about it being the end of her high school career on the drive to Jacksonville.
“I was crying coming up here because I could not believe that this was my last high school event, period, not just for track,” Woodard said. “Just to know that this is it, and it’s here, it was definitely kind of scary.”
Woodard also helped lead Freedom basketball to the first final four appearance in program history and was named The Laker/Lutz News Girls Basketball Player of the Year following the season. She said her senior campaign was more than she could have hoped for.
“I wasn’t expecting all of this to happen,” Woodard said. “It exceeded everything I thought it would be. Didn’t know what I was walking into, but this has been by far the best year out of all my high school years.”
Fellow Patriots senior Sandra Akachukwu finished as the state runner-up in the high jump (18-05.25), which is her best placing at states in any event.
The Western Kentucky University signee ends her high school career with five state medals.
