Talk About Woodville: Lady Wildcats win Division III state title
Some weeks I scramble to find a topic to write about. Other weeks are easy and I know well in advance what I will write. But every once in a while something happens, something that hasn’t happened before, something that bumps the original topic to another week. This is one of those times.
This past Saturday, for the first time in school history, the Woodmore girls track team won the Division III State Championship outright. The last time that the Lady Wildcats were at the top was 1993, when they were co-champions with Middleton Fenwick.
Azure Travis, Emma Hammer, Olivia Vogelpohl, Rahzia Rios, Jordan Beam and Caydie Buchanan represented Woodmore at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus in the state competition. Woodmore scored 37 points, with three points over second place Norwayne and seven points over Minster. New school records were set this weekend.
Travis finished first in both the 100 and 300 hurdles and anchored the 1600 relay team. She is the first ever Woodmore hurdler to win a state title and the first state champion from Woodmore since 2011.
“Azure was leading the 300 hurdles during prelims and fell on the last hurdle,” said the team's distance coach, Lacy Seamans, “but got up to take the last qualifying spot and then won from the worst lane in the finals.”
Emma Hammer took fourth in the 800-meter race. Rhazia Rios finished ninth in the 400-meter dash, and Vogelphol took 10th in the 1600-meter finals. Woodmore’s 1600-meter relay team had an impressive finish as Division III state runner-up. The team consisted of Rios, Hammer, Vogelpohl and Travis. The 3200-meter relay team of Hammer, Buchanan, Vogelpohl and Beam took fifth. The Lady Cats were welcomed home with an escort by the Woodville and Elmore police and fire departments as well as the Woodmore community lining the streets and shouting congratulations.
To see photos and statistics from the 2023 season, visit the Woodmore Track and Field page on Facebook.
Mural unveiled
Woodville has a new mural featuring an eagle, soldiers and the American flag. The mural, a project contracted by Woodville’s American Legion, is on the south wall of the water treatment plant at Veterans Park on West First Street.
The mural was funded by local donations and was unveiled the Memorial Day program held at the park. The artist, Dean Davis, is a veteran and owner of Art Barn LLC in Whitehouse.
Grand openings
Two new businesses are opening in Woodville this week. NeNe’s Sweets, featuring baked goods and ice cream, had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday and is now open for business. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The shop is at 135 E. Main St.
Pierce Design Studio will have its grand opening at 11 a.m. Saturday and will feature handmade gifts, decor and more by local vendors. The studio is at 105 W. Main St.
There will be more about these new businesses in upcoming columns.
Solar Street Fair meeting
Woodville businesses are invited to attend a planning meeting for a possible Solar Street Fair to take place in April 2024. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. June 15 at Soul Sister Healing Arts Studio, 121 East Main St.
Camp Wildcats golf scramble
The third annual Camp Wildcats Golf Scramble will be a shotgun start at 8 a.m. June 17 at Hidden Hill Golf Course, 4900 County Road 16. The cost to participate is $300 per team or $75 per individual. Hole sponsorship is $100. There will be a 50/50 raffle and drawing prizes; lunch is included.
Camp Wildcats is a weeklong day camp offered to students in Pre-K through eighth grade in the Woodmore School District who qualify for special education services. The camp combines fun and learning along with recreational and educational activities for the students.
For information, contact Woodmore MIddle School Principal Kevin Ball, 419-862-1070, ext 2020; or email kball@woodmoreschools.com.
Contact Rene Dix at 419-307-0914 or email at rene.dix@email.com.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Talk About Woodville: Lady Wildcats win Division III state title
