With the Saints’ preparing for the NWAACC championships this week, all the work that they have put into this season is finally starting to show.

For some of the athletes it’s a culmination of hard work and dedication. But for others, such as Brittany Grizzard who notched a 12.71 time in the 100-meters to get in, things are basically getting started.

The NWAACC Track and Field Championships will be held at Mt. Hood Community College starting May 26. With returning champions Tyler Harsteen and Jessie Gallaher leading the charge, the Saints plan to make some noise this year. With a total of 11 participants in the championships (six women, five men) the representation is small. The women have the ability to cover up and down the track, giving other schools problems. As for the men, they have strong areas such as the hurdles, with Jordan Hamblen pulling his weight.

To prepare for next week’s championship, coach Tony Baracco said, “We have to sharpen ourselves, but I don’t want to work them too hard. It usually causes more damage. We’ve been training since the fall. That’s 40 weeks of work. We have gas left in the tank.”

This past weekend at the Southern Region Championships the Saints women showed that they are in contention to do some damage, placing fourth with 95.5 points. The men had a rough regional, finishing last with 67 points, but didn’t tell what success some of the individuals had. Runner Michel Wilson won the 1500-meters with a time of 4:53.26. Dede Sonis won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.32, and Jordan Hamblen won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.10. Coincidentally Sonis, Hamblen, and Jesse Gallaher (100-meter hurdles) achieved their qualifying times at the regional championship.

The Saints have had a tough track season that has really been up and down, but when it comes to the main stage they are more than ready for the challenge. Though the Saints may not win the NWAACC team championship, look for many MHCC athletes to be making a splash at the championships.