May 21, 2010

RedStorm track adds Trimble's Six

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande women's track and field program is pleased to announce the signing of Rachel Six of Trimble High School to a national letter of intent to compete in track and field beginning in the 2010-11 academic year. 

Six, an accomplished thrower, is a four-time champion in the Tri-Valley Conference in the shot put. She has won the district championship in the event all four years, qualifying for the state as a freshman. Six also competed in Australia in the shot put during her junior year at Trimble.

Rio Grande head coach Bob Willey is well aware of her accomplishments in the shot put and feels very confident that she will be a great fit with the program and the university. "She's had some outstanding throws, basically in the shot and she is getting better in the discus," he said. "I've watched her several times this year; in fact she won the district at Oak Hill at over 39 feet."

"She's thrown farther (than 39 feet) and I feel she'll throw farther going into the regionals and the state," Willey added. "She's been down on our campus several times and just loved the campus and really fit in well with our athletes and they took her in and she felt right at home. We're obviously very excited to have her join the crowd, so to speak and join the team and we're thrilled to have her."

Willey could see the enthusiasm in Six's face about her desire to be at Rio Grande. "You could tell that she was really excited to be one of the team members for next year," he said. 

Six summed up her thoughts about the signing. "I'm very excited and very nervous," she said.

The key factor for her in signing with Rio Grande was feeling comfortable and Six explained that she fell in love with the university the moment that she set foot on campus. "I knew that it was a small school and I had heard great things. It was a matter of if I was comfortable in the environment," she said. "I knew as soon as I stepped foot on the campus that this was where I wanted to be."

Six described herself as a hard worker and a person that completes whatever task is in front of her. "I feel that I'm a loving person," she said. "I work hard and I get done what needs to be done. I am always there for others."

Despite her prowess at throwing the shot put, she did say that she needs to work a bit on her form to improve as she moves to the next level of competition. "My form needs a little work, but not much," she said.

Six plans to major in psychology.

Her goal while at Rio Grande is to continue to improve in her event and she believes that now that she has a throwing coach, in Rio assistant Burt Wood, that she can better what she has done at the high school level. "My ultimate goal is to get better than what I was in high school," she said. "Having a throwing coach will make me better."

Rachel is the daughter of Ray and Betty Six of Glouster, Ohio.

Six joins Amanda Neal from Point Pleasant High School and Vinton County High School's Scharlena Champion as the current members of the 2010-11 RedStorm women's track and field recruiting class.