Gator Track & Field Team Ready with New Coach

By: Mustafe Abdulahi
Staff Writer

A person needs only to spend a few moments with sophomore thrower Ariel Otton and her contagiously radiant smile as well as a happy demeanor to find themselves grinning.

In fact, this perennially cheerful aspect of her personality is just one contributing factor to be the recipient of the Captain’s Award at last year’s Track & Field’s year-end banquet.

Her first venture into track and field was in her sophomore year during high school. “One of my teachers was a track and field coach and he encouraged me to come to try out and see if I liked it,” Otton said. But she explained that her first year was really rough for her as “I didn’t have any form whatsoever and could not throw at all. But there was something about it that I just could not let go and I just kept on improving and improving so I could pursue it at the collegiate level,” Otton said

Otton is originally from Coachella Valley, CA. So, what made her decide to come to a college in Washington, specifically Green River? “I didn’t really apply to any Cal States or UC schools because you needed to take the SATs and I wasn’t able to,” Otton said. She later decided to research schools in Washington State that offered track and field programs as she had family here and found Green River College. “I found this school and reached out to the coaches and the rest was history,” Otton explained.

Otton is also the Vice President of the Student-Athlete Committee Leadership Group. She decided to run for the position when she saw it available. “Every month we have a meeting and it was put up on the door and it just seemed like a great opportunity to get involved on campus”, Otton said. Otton had to write a speech and present in front of the Student-Athlete Committee members to win the position.

As of right now, her goal is to complete an AA degree in business and wants to get noticed by four-year colleges “because it’s my sophomore year, I want to get noticed other colleges so I could transfer and continue to be competing at a collegiate level,” Otton said. She also explained that it is her will to hit new personal records for the upcoming track and field season and place at the NWACS (Northwest Athletic Conference).

Coach Derek Slaughter, who is the Head Track and Field Coach at GRC, talked about how Otton is on and off the field. “Ariel is the best kind of athlete a coach could hope to have. She is committed to the program, she listens extremely well, she is supportive of her teammates, and I don’t think I’ve hardly ever heard her complain,” Slaughter said.

As for her level of commitment during practice when they are preparing “She’s usually pretty calm and collected during practice… getting to meets there are always some nerves. She’s not one to get too much into her head. She goes out and tries to perform to the best of her ability that day. Sometimes she has a good day and sometimes she doesn’t. It’s all about keeping her (as well as her peers) in a positive mindset. Find the little wins even in failure,” Slaughter said.

Slaughter added how much the team is going to miss her next year when she transfers. “We’re both California kids and I’m going to be sad to lose her after this year since she is a sophomore. But one thing I can say for sure is that wherever she goes next they will be getting a smart, dedicated, high character teammate,” Slaughter said.

At the 2019 Saint Martin’s Jay Hammer Open, she hit a personal record of 31.90 yards in the discus throw and hit a personal record of 9.71 yards in shotput. “Last season was really tough for me,” Otton said. “It was my first time throwing the hammer and that was really different for me because they don’t have it in high school. So I didn’t do well early in the season last year because of it. But it was a learning experience. My first year, in general, was really tough because as a freshman, you’re coming into a higher level and that means you have higher standards,” Otton said.

Otton also does a pre-ritual before every hammer throw. “When I step into the ring, I have to always start on my left side and just take a deep breath and move to my right side and then back over again. For Discus throws, I like to take a second to just release it right out of my hands just so I can get the feeling of it leaving my hands,” Otton said.

Photo Cred: Green River College