Pacific Index

Ally Hammond talks about dominating the track season

   “I’m gonna be honest, running track is hard,” shares Pacific’s own track star, Ally Hammond. She continues, “I’ve played many sports, but I’ve never been as tired after a game as I am after a tough workout or race, even if it’s just 200 meters. This may sound crazy, but that feeling of pure exhaustion is somewhat addicting because you know you gave it everything.” 

   Hammond is a field sprinter and hurdler who displays her commitment and dedication to her craft every single time her shoes touch the track. Local to Forest Grove, Hammond explains that her parents and coaches really encouraged her growing up and are the reasons she started to run track in sixth grade. “My parents and coaches from my youth sports had always known how fast I was. My dad really pushed me to try it, and I’ve been running ever since,” Hammond says. 

   She goes on to talk about how impactful her dad has been for her athletic career, on and off the track. “He’s my biggest fan and my greatest supporter, always picking me up when I’m down. I went through a rough patch after Covid, and I wanted to be done with track due to my lack of progress, but my dad encouraged me to keep trying and continue my career in college. If he hadn’t pushed me like he had, I wouldn’t be doing this sport today,” Hammond admits.

   For the past three years, Hammond has been a staple for Pacific’s track team and an example of what it means to be dedicated to the sport. This dedication stems from her last years of high school when she played multiple sports before ultimately deciding to focus solely on track for her college career. “I played many sports when I was younger. Softball, volleyball, soccer for a long time, and I dabbled with cross country in high school, but my favorite sport growing up and through high school was basketball. It was my main sport for years, it was what I was most known for in high school. When I decided to continue playing college sports, the decision to drop basketball and focus on track was hard. But I figured I might as well put all my eggs in one basket, and it paid off. Training year round with one concentration has definitely elevated my performance. I wouldn’t have done it any differently‒ track has proven to be the most fun and most rewarding,” expresses Hammond.  

   This year, Hammond has been on fire, breaking multiple records and improving her personal records each week. Her great accomplishments so far can be attributed to the goals she set for herself. “I set very big goals for myself. Some may think they’re unrealistic, but I believe they’re what keeps me going,” Hammond comments. “Overall this year, I want to re-break all of my school records, which I think is even more rewarding than winning a race.” She continues, “For the indoor season, I wanted PRs in my 60m, 60m hurdles, and 200m, all of which I achieved. Although, the big goal was to qualify for indoor nationals. You have to be in the top 20 out of all of the Division III athletes competing in that event to be able to go. I’ve done that, my PR in the 60m hurdles has put me in a safe spot to go. Pacific University has only ever taken one athlete to indoor nationals, and I will be the first hurdler/sprinter in school history to go. As for outdoor season goals, I have many. Again, I want to re-break my records and PR in all my events. For the NWC conference meet, I hope to take first in the 100m hurdles, 100m, and 200m. But I have some good competition, and I’m up for the challenge. Lastly, I want to have fun and be proud of myself no matter what,” Hammond finishes, summing up a hefty amount of expectations for herself.

   Hammond’s experience has been great not only on the track, but off the track as well. She credits this to her teammates, who she describes as family. “I love everyone on my team. The amount of support I receive from various event groups is impeccable. They encourage and congratulate me, just like I do for them. The team culture truly makes the experience so much better, and I’m grateful to track for bringing me some of my best friends. But we also push one another. My hurdle training group is strong. We have a freshman, Mikell Adler, who is very speedy. I will say that my coach, Ryan Hunter-Simms, is who I contribute most of my success to. He turned me from a pretty good athlete, to a national level competing athlete. We have the perfect balance between working hard and having fun, which can be rare nowadays. A great coach makes a great athlete, and not everyone has been as lucky as me in that matter,” explains Hammond.

   Hammond will compete in the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships on March 14 and 15 in Rochester, NY. The top eight finishers are deemed All-American, which is where Hammond plans to put her name.