March 2, 2010

RedStorm trio to compete at Nationals

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande will have three representatives at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Johnson City, TN later this week. Seniors Chris Woodfork and Kyle Hively will represent the men's squad while junior Cassie Mattia will be the lone women's participant.

Woodfork, a native of Chillicothe, OH, will compete in the men's 200-meter dash. He won the 200-meter event at Mt. Union back on February 6 and hit the qualifying "B" standard for the NAIA Indoor National Meet with a time of 22.51. Woodfork is currently ranked 19^th (out of 44 competitors) heading into the event. Woodfork will run in the 200-meter semifinals at 6:25 p.m. on Friday (March 5) and if he advances to the finals would then compete at 2:40 p.m. on Saturday (March 6). 

"I'm currently ranked 19^th, but I haven't been beat head up in the 200 this year so I'm hoping that that helps me push myself to do better," Woodfork said. "My goal is like everybody here, to be in the top six for All-American." 

"That's been my goal since I've been in college," he added. 

Woodfork is aware that he will have to produce an outstanding performance to reach his goal. "I know that these are the guys to be pushing me. I know in the past I always had (former Rio standout) Josh Perry pushing me at every meet so I figure if he was able to compete with these guys and I was able to compete with him, in the past, then this will be the perfect time to show that I can compete with these guys as well." 

Hively, a native of Vinton, OH, returns to the national meet for a second straight year in the 3,000-meter race walk and is on track to claim All-American honors. He is currently ranks 5^th overall (out of 13). His initial qualifying time was 15:26.83 at the Mike Hout Invitational at Cedarville in mid-January. He bettered that effort at the University of Findlay in late January at 15:05.30. 

Hively feels more confident heading into the meet this year. "Yeah, I do feel more confident," he said. "I've been down there, I've experienced the track, experienced the atmosphere, I'm in a little better standing than I was last year - hopefully I can stay in the top six and become an All-American, that's the goal." 

Hively finished 10^th in the NAIA indoor meet last year with a time of 14:23.27. He will walk at 12:25 p.m. Friday afternoon (March 5). 

Hively has progressed a long way in two years, last season was his first full year competing in the race walk and now he is in position to be among the best in this event. "I really want to go down there and make some noise, just go after it," he said. 

Mattia, a native of West Chester, OH, qualified in both the 600-meters and 800-meters but will only compete in the 600 at nationals. She set a new school record in the 600 at Findlay, January 30 with a time of 1:41.92. Two weeks later she topped her school best mark at DePauw with a time of 1:38.98. Mattia is ranked 33^rd (out of 45) in the 600 heading into the meet. The women's 600-meter semifinals will take place at 3:25 p.m. on Friday (March 5). The finals of the women's 600 will start at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday (March 6). 

"I'm extremely excited because I've had this opportunity a couple of times and something has happened each time. For cross country, I was one spot away from nationals and then with hurdles I was tenths of a second away from it, so I'm so happy that finally I got in and that I'm going to be able to compete with everybody," Mattia said. 

Despite the fact that Mattia nearly broke the school record in the 800 at the Kent State Tune-Up with a time of 2:20.91 she has elected not to compete in the 800 at the national meet. "Honestly with the 800 I didn't feel as confident in that as I do in the six just for certain reasons," she said. "I know there are a lot of girls in the six, but I honestly think that I can go up and compete, because I always compete with the people that are in the race, the fastest girls, I will make sure that I will stay up there with them."

"I know there are a lot of girls, but I know that I'm going to be able to compete with them," Mattia added. "I'm just excited to be able to be out there with the best." 

Rio Grande head coach Bob Willey is pleased for the trio as they compete against the nation's best and says that going to the national meet never gets old. "Every year, it's exciting, what we're looking for as always is what we tell people when they come into our program that our goal for you is to become an All-American," Willey said. "As we go down this weekend, our thoughts, our hopes are that each and every one of them can run as fast as they can or walk as fast as they can so they can be an All-American."

Each athlete will have to finish in the top six in their respective events to become an All-American. "It's not as easy as it sounds," Willey said. "We're always excited and Johnson City does a tremendous job hosting the meet, been down there a number of years and I'm always excited to go down and look forward to it again." 

The NAIA Indoor National Championships run from March 4-6 at the Mini Dome in Johnson City, TN.