Jordan Karnes
Staff Writer
Gabby Gaudreault
Gabby Gaudreault, a senior from Leominster, Mass., has had a successful four years as a runner at Springfield College, with her best results coming recently when she broke two school records in two separate events. Gaudreault broke the 800-meter school record at the 2014 Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational. Running in her first 800 race of the season, she finished 10th in a field of 160 runners with a time of 2:09.57. This Saturday, Gaudreault ran a winning time of 2:55.37 in the 1000-meter run, shattering the old record of 2:58.80, held by Marisa Clapp since 2002. Gaudreault easily won the field of 26 runners, with her nearest competitor finishing more than four seconds behind her record-setting pace.
Q. In the past two weeks you have broken two school records in both the 800-meter and 1,000-meter. How does it feel?
A. I am really excited about these new records! To work so hard towards a goal, and then finally achieve it is a great feeling.
Q.How has your work ethic changed over your four years at Springfield?
A. I have always been focused and diligent, so I would have to say that my work ethic has not really changed much.
Q. Who/what do you credit the most besides yourself for your success here?
A. There are so many people that I could pick for this question, but I feel as though Coach [Jim] Pennington takes this one. He is one of the most supportive coaches that I have ever had, and has done an outstanding job transitioning me from a sprinter to mid-distance runner in the matter of a year-and-a-half. He truly is a great coach.
Q. If you had to change something about your four years as a runner here, what would it be?
A. I wouldn’t change anything! I have had such a positive experience running at SC and have created so many memories with my team that I will remember forever.
Greg Woods
Greg Woods, a native of Middletown, Conn., has proven to be a secret weapon for the Pride volleyball team so far this season. A sophomore outside hitter, Woods has totaled 85 kills this season with a combined 26 kills this weekend, including 14 against Johnson & Wales and 12 against Rivier. Woods also had an outstanding performance on Friday against Bard, with eight kills on 12 total attacks at a .667 hitting percentage to lead the Pride. Woods compiled a .444 hitting percentage against Johnson & Wales as the Pride took the Wildcats in three sets. In a tough five-set loss against rival Rivier, Woods put the team on his back in the fifth set as he pounded out three consecutive kills to give the Pride a 9-6 lead, although they eventually succumbed 19-17 in the final set. Woods’ late-match success has helped the Pride dramatically so far this season.
Q. How have you improved over time?
A. I learned from the seniors last year, got as much knowledge as I could about the game, how it’s played and what it takes to be a Springfield College volleyball player.”
Q. How has your performance impacted the team?
A. Coach [Charlie Sullivan] talks a lot about playing roles on the team and I feel like I’ve stepped up and done my part to help my team’s success.”
Q. What do you hope to improve on as the season progresses?
A. I hope to improve on being more aggressive, being a positive role model for my teammates. I also hope to improve on all-around team cohesion.
Q. How do you feel the team has done overall this season?
A. I feel like we’ve played well but still have not reached the level of play that we can. We have had a lot of learning experiences this season, including a few losses to top-ranked teams that will serve as a lesson for what need to do to play at a championship level.”