Courtney Van Haaften | Sports Co-Editor

Garrett Woodson, a member of the men’s track and field team at Buena Vista University (BVU) has high hopes for his senior campaign as a Beaver.

Woodson competes in many different events, both during the indoor and outdoor seasons, including the 200 and 400 meter sprints, and the 4×200 and 4×400 meter relays. His work ethic has proven to be successful so far this season as he has continually shown to be a leader on the team.

“I would say that I am a bit obsessed with working hard. I only know one way of training and that is as fast and as hard as I can,” Woodson said.

Woodson joined the team last year after transferring from Simpson College. He now joins his brother, Seth, on the team and comments on how that makes all of the training and hard work worthwhile.

“I like being able to compete against other teams with my brother. We are really close and have the same drive and passion for sports. It is a great experience to be able to share with him,” Woodson said.

Other teammates commend Garrett for being a great leader, very passionate, and mentally tough.

“I have been a teammate of Garrett’s for two years, and I am glad that he transferred to BVU. He is always encouraging and pushing his teammates to go beyond what they think they are capable of. He is a lot of fun to be around, but knows when it is time to work and he pushes himself to reach his full potential. That kind of attitude is contagious for the rest of the team,” teammate Ryan Eberly said.

Woodson’s goals for the rest of the indoor season are to help both teams reach top-five finishes at the conference meet, to meet his personal time goals he set for himself at the beginning of the year, and to be able to compete at nationals for the 4×400 meter relay and the open 800 meter sprint.

“It is really hard for me to take a practice easy or back off when I need to. I know what it takes to reach my goals. Yet, sometimes recovery and rest are just as important,” Woodson said.

“You can tell Garrett wants to excel on the track and pushes himself to become a better runner. This attitude is essential to have as a track athlete, and he is a great example to the rest of the team,” Eberly said.

Woodson and the rest of the Beavers compete again tonight and Saturday, Feb. 22 at the BVU Open. The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships are set to begin on February 28 at 10:00 a.m. in Decorah, IA.

Photo courtesy of Garrett Woodson