DSR E-E SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Lady Bruin multi-sport athlete gives her all
Bartlesville High School’s Ragen Hodge is not an easy out.
Despite the adversity in her path, she’ll continue to scrap and battle to produce the best she can be at a given moment in the battle.
At present, she is competing with the Lady Bruin basketball team as part of a gritty post rotation.
But, Hodge has made her most significant athletic expression in track and field competition.
As a freshman in 2019, she soared to third place (5-foot-2) at state. Chances were she would climb higher in 2020, perhaps even adding a gold medal to her jewelry.
But, the virus-related widespread spring sports shutdown in March 2020 cancelled the track season.
Last year, Hodge battled valiantly through a sore knee, giving the top effort she could.
So far in her senior year, Hodge appears on course to finally display her potential in the high jump.
Meanwhile, she’s part of a reconstruction effort with Lady Bruin basketball to try to build a new foundation.
Hodge began as young child to play basketball and continued when she moved as a second grader to Bartlesville.
She has continued to be a determined stalwart, plugging up part of the paint on defense and scrapping for loose balls, both in the air and on the floor.
She perceives her strength as a team member in pushing, not giving up and working together with her teammates, “and staying positive.”
Her favorite aspect on the court is defense.
“I hope my teammates would say I’m encouraging, positive and I try to help lift spirits whenever we’re down,” Hodge said. “I give it my all. I really like to jump.”
Hodge didn’t discover the high jump right away as a trackster.
“In middle school I ran cross country and I thought I would never like track,” he said. “I always made fun of track about running in circles.”
But, Hodge did give it a try.
As part of the process, athletes are asked to try the field events.
Hodge also gave the hurdles a try, in a nod to her father, a former hurdler.
But, when Hodge first did the high jump she discovered where she fit in.
Last year she persisted through knee pain. But, she’s back to full health and anxious to test herself.
As far as the basketball season. Hodge’s favorite game so far was the win last month against Jenks.
In order to continue to get better, the team needs to remain upbeat, unified and keep pushing, Hodge said.
In addition to sports, Hodge finds fulfillment in Future Farmers of America (FFA) competition.
She has served as vice-president and currently is pursuing her FFA state degree, the highest honor available on the state level.
Hodge also remains active in her church group.
A main motivating force behind all she does is her family.
“I know they’re going to encourage me no matter how it goes,” she said, adding the family also has livestock that it takes care of together.
In not too many months, Hodge will move on from this phase of her life. But, she’ll have left behind a legacy of involvement and move forward with a reservoir of memories.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Spotlight: Focus on Lady Bruin hoopster
