Oakdale discus thrower prepares for Alabama

Hannah Chappell donned her Oakdale High red track uniform for the final time, a fact she didn’t need to be told.

In a few months, she’ll replace it with another kind of red – Alabama red. Big changes are ahead, but she won’t soon forget why she’s rolling toward the Crimson Tide.

“You don’t believe it goes by so fast,” she admitted, “until it actually happens.”

Chappell, in four fast years, has become one of the most decorated athletes in Oakdale history. Her four straight Sac-Joaquin Section Masters discus titles and four top-seven finishes at the CIF State Track Championships move her into elite status.

She closed with a hard-earned third earlier this month at Clovis, clinching her third straight Girls Track Athlete of the Year award. In order, she placed seventh, second, fifth and third at the pressurized season finale.

Chappell, one of only three athletes to sweep four section titles in the discus – the others were Downey’s Suzy Powell (1991-94) and Laguna Creek’s Chaniqua Ross (1995-98 ) – was focused in her farewell prep competition. She qualified with conviction for the finals and, despite 102-degree heat that wilted other opponents, she showcased her trademark consistency.

Her throw of 149 feet, 3 inches, for third place was her best-ever at state. Seeded fourth before the event, she never dropped below third in the competition.

“I was happy with that. The other two (favorites) would be hard to beat, so I was happy,” Chappell said.

Her final month, in fact, brought out her best. She tossed a lifetime best 156-6 at the Section Division II/III meet. That formed a solid foundation for her big finish.

Though winning four section titles was a major goal, she is most proud of her three state medals (for placing in the top six).

“I don’t think we’ll have another athlete that will win the section as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior,” said Dave Bacigalupi, the Oakdale track coach and athletic director. “She has to be one of the top athletes we’ve ever had.”

The 5-foot-4 Chappell covered for strength and size with skill, speed in the ring and competitive genes. Her father Brett served as her coach, a setup potentially filled with minefields. For this father and daughter, it worked.

“She improved every year,” Brett said. “In the final month, she finally understood the value of using her lower body and moved out of the 140s into the 150s.”

Chappell agreed.

“He taught me how to compete and how to throw,” she said, “and all the stuff dads do.”

That said, Chappell looks forward to competition at the NCAA level. Doug Reynolds, the Alabama throws coach, routinely churns out athletes who reach the nationals.

“I don’t think she’s tapped out,” Brett said. “There’s a lot of technique (improvement) left on the table.”

Chappell eventually chose Alabama over Cal. She can only hope her next stop will bring as much joy as Oakdale.

“The atmosphere at Oakdale has really been one that I’ll remember forever,” she said. “This last year was fun. I didn’t have any injuries except for one, but nothing that stopped me too much. By the end of the season, I was where I wanted to be.”

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Oakdale discus thrower prepares for Alabama."