Interview with World Champs Qualifier and Elite Shot Putter, Jess Woodard (Cherokee Class of '13)
Cherokee Alum, Jess Woodard (‘13) was kind enough to sit down with Lisa Burkholder (‘06) recently to talk about how she got her start in the sport, her experiences at Cherokee and the University of Oklahoma, and what she is up to now both on the field and off. We hope you enjoy!
During her Track & Field career at Cherokee, Jess was a multi-time NJ Group IV State Champion and NJ Meet of Champions winner in the shot put and discus, and arguably one of the most talented athletes in Cherokee history, based on her achievements both in high school and the years since.
After graduating Cherokee, Jess attended the University of Oklahoma where she earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a focus in Sports Management in 2017, and her Master’s in Human Relations in 2019. She competed as a thrower for the Sooners through 2018, accumulating multiple Big 12 Conference and All-American Honors in the shot put, discus and hammer/weight throw.
After college, she turned pro, and in 2020, moved to Arizona to train with an elite group of fellow throwers at Arizona State University, under Coach Ryan Whiting, a formal professional thrower. At the 2022 USATF Outdoor National Championships held in Eugene, OR, Jess threw a PR of 19.40m (63’ 7 ¾”) in the shot put to place 3rd, which qualified her for the Track & Field World Championships, also held in Eugene, where she went on to place 8th in the world!!!
Currently, she is gearing up for another Olympic year in 2024, with her eyes set on the US Track and Field Olympic Trials, again held in Eugene, OR in June 2024, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for and representing the US at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Lisa: How did you first get into throwing or Track & Field in general?
Jess: I was really young, I want to say I started track when I was 8 or 9, with Marlton Rec Council. I did start out as a runner, and I ran all through high school as well. I believe they had the softball throw for the young kids who weren’t old enough for the shot put, and I was pretty good at that. When I was old enough, I started throwing shot put, and ran half the time as well. I’ve always been a kid that plays multiple sports. We grew up in a big sports family. I am not sure how exactly we got into Track & Field, but I am glad that we did!
Lisa: Your dad was a great athlete, I recall?
Jess: He was. So my dad [Marc Woodard], he grew up playing all the sports also, but he was in the NFL, from around 1992-1995, I want to say. He played linebacker for the Eagles. I think he did track and baseball growing up, but I don’t think he was a thrower, I think he was more on the running side of things. We just grew up in a big sports household from the very beginning. My parents have been nothing but supportive of all of us and all of our endeavors. Whatever we really wanted to do, they were very encouraging of that, which I am super thankful for.
Lisa: So I guess we can thank the Eagles for bringing you to the Marlton area?
Jess: Yeah, so my parents originally are from Mississippi. Well, they grew up in Mississippi. Otherwise, I don’t think we would have found our way to the East Coast. I’m thankful we did though, because we built a lot of great relationships through the years and have an abundance of friends and support there.
Lisa: What are some of your fondest memories from your time with Cherokee T&F?
Jess: So funny you ask. I was just looking back on some old photos with my boyfriend not too long ago. I think one of them was from Meet of Champions, probably, my senior year. It was bittersweet, because I threw well, but I wanted to break the state record and was just short of that I want to say. [She remembers correctly—she won the shot put in that meet with a throw of 47-1.25, just 4.25 inches off the state record at the time. She also won the discus by over 30 feet, also narrowly missing the state record, it appears!]. Also, just thinking back to my freshman year. There’s a photo my mom has of me and it's me with a thumbs up next to a 40-foot marker. And in that moment, I think I was probably just super excited to PR, but looking back, I think that moment is even more special to me now, because who would have thought? There’s the 60-foot marker in the background…I never would have thought that that would be what I do now, on the regular.
Lisa: How did you end up choosing Oklahoma for college?
Jess: I had a few schools that I took visits to. Oklahoma had just had two Olympians from the year prior, or two people that performed really well right before I came in, and they had a really great throwing squad. Not only that, you know when you just feel like you’re supposed to be somewhere? I feel like I got to campus and it just kind of felt right, out of all the schools that I went to visit. It was just one of those things. It seemed like a perfect fit, the coach was great, the program and the people I would be training with all the time were really great people. That’s kind of how I ended up there. There’s not much else in Oklahoma… well…. in Norman, Oklahoma.
Lisa: Well, there’s another Cherokee gal there now, too! I assume you know her or know of her? [Shout out: Nikki Clifford, Class of 2022!]
Jess: I met her, it may have been the year I made the world team, they were out there [in Eugene, Oregon] for [USATF] Juniors, so me, her, Jarvis, and my dad met up and had lunch, and it was really cool.
Lisa: So how did you land on shot put as your main event?
Jess: In college, I also did discus and a little bit of hammer just at conference time, but mostly shot put and discus, and I decided to stick just with shot put once I went pro. It was just one of those things that with shot put, there is a little bit more opportunity to make money, and I was just better at it at the time.
Lisa: What would you say your biggest career successes have been?
Jess: I would say making that world team. Magical things happen in Eugene for a lot of people. I was like, ‘how ironic that my first World Championships were in the United States?’ It was just a really special moment. There were so many people there who had helped me get to where I was at. My original college coach that recruited me was there, my family was there, it was just a really awesome moment. Also just competing on the world stage afforded me so many other opportunities, just traveling… there are places I don’t think I would have ever had the opportunity to go to otherwise. Are you familiar with the Diamond League Circuit at all?
Lisa: Yes, I am kind of a track nerd!
Jess: So I had my first Diamond League meet this past year, and I think that was one of my all-time highlights. It was in Rabat, Morocco. I had never been on that circuit before, which was a highlight, but then I got to go to Africa! That was definitely one of the highlights of the past couple of years, along with qualifying for that world team.
Lisa: Remind me how you placed at Worlds…really well from what I recall?!
Jess: So I got 8th. They have the qualifying rounds, and they have the finals. Qualifying was just three throws, and I had just had two not-so-great throws. We were on one of the early days of the whole competition. I remember sitting on the bench in between throws thinking, ‘I am going to be so upset’--I had booked my travel to be there the whole time. It’s my first worlds I want to see all the cool stuff—'I’m going to be so miserable for the rest of this trip if I do not make this final.’ I knew I was capable of doing so, it was just like, ‘I have to pony up.’ It worked out and I made that final. I threw okay in the final.
Lisa: So you still wanted better than 8th?
Jess: Absolutely. I think that we always do, but that season is one of the seasons that I’m most proud of. I think a lot of growth had happened for me to get to that point. And although this season [2023] wasn’t the best follow-up season, it was still my 2nd best season ever. You’re disappointed obviously when you don’t make the team, because that’s the big goal. But also, a lot of great things happened, a lot of great traveling, I got to see a bunch of places this year that I wouldn’t have. I think track is just one of those things I’m super grateful for because it has brought me so many great relationships and so many great memories.
Lisa: So I assume now you are gearing up for another Olympic Year. Can you share a little bit about what’s coming up on your agenda, competition-wise, training-wise?
Jess: Obviously, the goal is that Olympic team. And there’s also an indoor world team to make. So, the goal is to do a short indoor season, and just sort of work through it, kind of use it as a gauge to see where training is at, go to indoor USAs, and then just get back to work for outdoor season. I’ll compete next weekend, I haven’t quite decided on the destination yet. Either Michigan or Penn State. I’m not quite sure where yet. I was actually looking at flights right before we hopped on this call. [Since we first spoke, she has decided to compete at the Nittany Lion Challenge at Penn State this weekend, Janaury 13th]. And then, I’ll probably do one other meet before USAs. I think in Alburquerque probably end of January, early February.
Lisa: And how are you feeling about this upcoming year?
Jess: Pretty good about it. I think that training is going really well. I’ve been on the East Coast for a while, just because obviously my family is out here, and my boyfriend actually just got a job at the University of Delaware, this past fall, so I’ve been training at the University for a little bit. Training is going pretty well, I feel like I’m in pretty decent shape. We moved things back a little bit. I stayed in a fitness phase a little longer in the fall. We are taking our time to make sure everything is in order going into outdoors so we can build that peak up properly for trials when the time comes.
Lisa: So, we’ve talked about some of the successes. What about some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career?
Jess: I think that there are always moments in season that are really tough. I want to say it gets easier, but I feel like that would be a lie. I will say, in track and field, there are definitely lows, whether it be when you’re not performing well and mentally, you’re just not in the best space, or we have the tendency to put too much pressure on ourselves and so…there’s ebbs and flows when it comes to mental health and I’ve definitely had some lows. In 2022, I was throwing really well and felt on the verge of a breakthrough and that breakthrough happened. Going into this past year I just had higher expectations for myself, and when things didn’t necessarily fall into place the way I would have loved for them too, there were just some challenges mentally to overcome. Overall, there have been some really, really, high moments, but I feel like a lot of the behind the scenes is dealing with those lower moments and staying healthy. On the days where you just don’t want to do things, you know, everybody has those days, where it’s like ‘I don’t feel like doing anything’ and you have to kind of force yourself to get up get out of bed and get to practice. It’s one thing if you just have to do everyday stuff. But I’m going to lift heavy things and throw a metal ball, so sometimes you just don’t feel like doing it. I do think the mental challenges are the toughest part, but then they also make those sweet moments so much sweeter. I would say the mental health aspect of sport in general, and just dealing with that…it’s never a straight line, I guess. Even in those high moments where you have the best seasons of your life, there were moments that season where you are just over it, basically. I think that our sport…the people at the top are well off and making good money, they don’t have the same struggles…a world class sprinter may not have the same struggles as a word class thrower, or a thrower in general. Obviously, before worlds there were financial battles. I have a job currently, still. It’s more about staying consistent and having consistency in finances, consistency in mental health and consistency in training.
Lisa: I’m actually curious about the financial part, not your finances specifically, but more the differences in compensation between sprinters, distance runners, throwers, etc. Can you speak to that a little?
Jess: So there are a few. Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs and now Chase Ealey, and some of the other bigger names in our event in particular, they’re doing pretty well for themselves because they’ve afforded themselves those opportunities. So world champions, they’ll get paid appearance fees. A lot of the sprinters, for instance, they’ll have a contract with a company, like Nike, Asics, Adidas. And they’ll have a base contract with a base salary and then bonuses built into their contract. In throwing there are only a handful of people who have that same luxury. A handful get that base salary plus bonuses, a handful just get bonuses. I’m sure you see field event athletes that have a kit on for Nike or Adidas. Some of those people are just getting clothing, without any bonus structure or salary. Each level is different. Another thing I know that some throwers face, not so much shot putters, is opportunities. Obviously, we get paid prize money for performance. I know a lot of hammer throwers, finding opportunities outside of our US circuit can be a little difficult, so those people may not be making the same money off of competing well. So, I think in our sport there is more disparity than people think or know. And it’s not just throwers, but long jumpers and other field event athletes may struggle with the same thing. I just am not super in tune with them. I just know throwers are lower on the totem pole when it comes to the big picture of track and field.
Lisa: Yeah, I mean, I hate to say it, but that rings true to me and I hate that that’s the reality. It must be frustrating working as hard as you do for all these years and not getting the same rewards that others in your sport do.
Jess: Absolutely. One day I hope there are people that get more. The goal in our sport, and a lot of us advocate for this at our annual meeting, is not to take away from those who have it, but to give those who don’t more opportunities and more of everything. Hopefully our group of athletes can provide some sort of change for those that come after us.
Lisa: I hope so too! Everyone should be able to make a living without working a million hours a week! Speaking of…what do you do for work now? And how do you balance it all?!
Jess: I work in HR. I hire people, I do a lot of recruiting, I also am involved in some of those conversations that you don’t necessarily want to have but need to have. And I do work remotely. Being in Arizona benefits me a little bit. I do wake up early there. My job does everything on Central Standard Time so I do get bit of work done in the morning before I have to go to training. Then usually I’ll train. I'll have my laptop and my phone and stuff with me. But when I'm training, they're pretty good about understanding that I may not be able to respond. They've been awesome. And they're super understanding and supportive of what I do so long as I just get done what I need to.
Lisa: That's so impressive that you can do all that! Any hobbies or interests outside of Track & Field that you're into? I know you don't have a lot of time left in the day!
Jess: I feel like I go through phases. Sometimes I’m into reading. But right now, I’m into crocheting. But there's a fine line, right? ‘Cause I throw shot put so my hands and my wrists are what I use everyday! But I do like to make small things like hats and stuff like that. And I think that is my hobby of choice, and it has been for the past five or six months, so I think this one will stick. I'm not gonna lie. I feel like I picked it up after I didn't make the [2023 World Championship] team and I just needed something to like…I was kind of sad and mopey and I was like ‘I need to do something.’ And so I was like, ‘what can I do that kind of keeps your mind busy but doesn't cost a bunch of money and isn't super strenuous?’ and that's what I came up with.
Lisa: So last question… any advice for current T&F student-athletes at Cherokee?
Jess: Oh yes! I would say to put school first. I feel like that's always what I was kind of taught, was to make sure that you get good grades, and do all the school stuff before the athletic stuff. For anybody that is looking to go beyond and go somewhere for college, whether it be in sport or whatever it may be, having good grades makes the process 20 times easier. Also, you aren’t your sport. You aren’t just an athlete, you are so much more than an athlete, and I think that’s really important. In our society nowadays, with social media and everything like that, the younger generations tend to compare themselves all the time. And I think that it's really important to note that you are so much more than any performance that you put on the track, any performance good or bad that you may have. You're a person and you need to make sure that you're okay mentally and obviously okay physically to do whatever you want to do in sport, but mental health goes beyond sport and sport isn't forever.
Lisa: I needed somebody to tell me this when I was in high school! I struggled quite a bit with my mental health, and it’s important for kids, teens, everyone to hear and internalize that message, I think.
Jess: Absolutely. And I think that a lot of us even now, in the pro sector and a lot of my colleagues and friends have all been in a place where they weren't performing well, and their mental health wasn't great. And you sometimes have to just reevaluate, like, ‘Hey, listen. Sport is not forever.’ Obviously, this is what we're doing right now, and we want to be great at it. That's just our mentality. But at the end of the day, you're a person and you need to take care of yourself. And if you don't do that, nothing else will come together how you want it to if you don't take care of yourself.
Thank you so much, Jess, for your time, wonderful conversation, and amazing message for current and former student-athletes. You are a role model for all of us! We are wishing you lots of success, health and happiness in 2024 and will be cheering you on, both on and off the field! GO JESS!
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