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A native son returns to the fields he once
owned
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An unlikely high jump queen |
Although standing only 5-foot 3 inches tall, Alison
(Hunkins) Wood flew as state champion |
| By Joe Petshow, Newberg
Graphic publisher |
Alison Wood may not use
her hops as much as she used to, but footspeed continues to play a
key role in her life.
The 1991 Newberg High School state champion high jumper has a
spring in her step for two good reasons: son, Caden, who is almost
3, and daughter, Kyra, born 16 days ago.
“I’m not moving too fast lately,” Wood, 31, said Monday, referring
to her recovery from childbirth.
The former Alison Hunkins has called Sublimity home for the past
three years. The small community 10 minutes east of Salem is an easy
commute to her job as a network management specialist for the state
of Oregon’s Department of Human Resources.
Her husband, Jeff, is a driver for United Parcel Service. They met
at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, where Alison was an
All-American high jumper and Jeff was a football standout.
Track and field continues to play a role in Wood’s life; the 2005
season will be her fifth year coaching high jumpers at Salem’s
Willamette University.
“I love coaching,” she said, partly because of the influence her
coaches had on her while at Newberg High.
“I am so grateful to Monte Bradley, Bruce Sinkbiel and Joe Boutin,”
she said. “Those three men were out there every single day; they
were the first to get on the track and they were the last to leave.
“They were there for you on weekends. They sacrificed so much for
their athletes.”
Bradley has fond memories of Wood, as well.
“Alison was one of my super ones, as far as being real close to her
as an athlete,” Bradley said.
One story serves as proof that coach and athlete were on the same
page early in Wood’s prep career.
“I remember (one summer), Alison was competing in a regional meet
in Eugene. I was going to meet her there,” Bradley said. “For some
reason I pulled off I-5 at Albany to stop. I drove over the overpass
and there was Alison — her car had broke down. So she hopped in and
we made it to the meet.
“I never stop in Albany for anything. For some reason that day I did.
Glad I did.”
Although Wood didn’t fit the tall, lanky prototype of most high
jumpers, Bradley knew he had someone special in the spunky 5-foot-3
honor student.
“She’s the only girl that I’ve ever had in my entire career, that
ever jumped over her head,” Bradley said.
Wood’s aggressive style enabled her to lead the state her senior
year, capped by a state championship at Hayward Field in Eugene.
“Winning state was far superior to being an All-American in
college,” she said. “Defining myself as a coach it’s really
important that I was an All-American, but winning state ...”
Her voice trailed off for a moment as she remembered her final high
school meet.
“It was awesome because there were so many Newberg people there in
1991,” Wood said.
The Tigers sent 12 athletes to the state finals, including a
nine-member boys team which went on to win Newberg’s only state
track team crown. (In fact, Newberg swept the high jump titles that
year, as Aaron Young won the boys crown with a 6-10 leap.)
Wood, whose parents live on Bald Peak outside of Newberg, said she
fed off her teammates to get herself ready for the high jump final.
She had other motivation, as well. Though she had the state’s best
jump of 5-7 that season, she wasn’t listed among the top contenders
heading into the Class 4A meet.
The fact that she had cleared just 5-2 the week before at the
district meet probably played into the lower ranking. She finished
second at the Metro League final to Lindsay Richter (who received
notoriety a few years ago as a contestant on the popular TV series
“Survivor”).
Wood had steadily raised her personal best throughout her high
school career: 5-2 as a freshman (when she also qualified for
state), 5-4 as a sophomore and 5-5 as a junior.
Although she showed improvement, Wood had a tendency to let her
nerves get the best of her in big meets. Wood said Bradley was a
calming voice in pressure situations.
“I needed Coach Bradley,” she said. “He really evened things out
for me. When you’re in high school you get a little emotional, a
little amped up.
“He was an incredible motivator, and he had an eye for things
technically that most people just don’t see.”
Bradley fondly remembers his talks with Wood, settling down his
young jumper.
“Alison was really high strung ... she was so hard on herself,” he
said. “I had to talk to her meet after meet and would have to settle
her down. ... Eventually she understood that this (high jumping)
isn’t the only thing in life.”
Wood took that approach into the 1991 state high jump final. She
and North Bend’s Sandy Kyllo each cleared 5-5 that day, but Wood won
on fewer misses.
“My greatest high school memory was of standing on that podium
after winning the high jump and being so proud to represent Newberg
High School and all of the Newberg champions that came out of that
meet,” Wood said.
Wood parlayed her state championship into a college track and field
career at Western Oregon, jumping for renowned coach Bernie Wagner.
She served as team captain one season and competed in five national
meets — two indoors, three outdoors — and traveled throughout the
country. Wood didn’t improve on her personal best in college, but
her 5-6 jump in 1994 remains No. 2 on WOU’s all-time indoor list.
Her 5-6 jump in 1995 is seventh best on the all-time outdoor list.
“I had a lot of fun at Western,” Wood said. “I got to travel a lot
and compete.”
Wood said her competitive nature continues to come out at
times during Willamette practices, but she’s content with passing
along her knowledge of the sport through coaching.
Part of that knowledge was gained wearing the blue and gold of
Newberg High. |
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From
Aug. 18,
2004, Newberg Graphic
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