MOORPARK SHOT-PUTTER SET FOR FINALS, COLLEGE.Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. shot-putter Marwin Willard will compete in the Western State Conference track and field finals Saturday at Bakersfield College BC was founded in 1913 and initially housed on the campus of Bakersfield High School (then Kern County Union High School) before moving in 1956 to its current location "on the hill" in northeast Bakersfield. for the second year in a row. Willard was one of eight recipients of the California Community College Academic Adviser Association scholar-athlete award honored at a luncheon in Sacramento on April 18. The organization recognizes student-athletes who have overcome hardships to demonstrate excellence in academics and athletics. Willard, who maintains a 3.85 grade-point average, is the first member of his family to attend college. An aspiring lawyer or teacher, Willard plans to attend UC Berkeley in the fall where he will major in history. ``I was excited when I found out I was selected,'' Willard said. ``It was good to meet people from other backgrounds who were in the same situation as me.'' Willard, a 1994 graduate of Alemany High, was the Mission League shot put champion as a junior and placed third in the Southern Section Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. finals as a senior, recording a best of 53 feet 2 inches. Despite a 2.7 grade-point average in high school, Willard had no plans to attend college until deciding to go to Moorpark to compete in track. ``If it were not for Moorpark, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. where I would be,'' Willard said. ``I would probably be working somewhere for $4.25 an hour. I needed a change of pace, a new scene. The coaches here have been so supportive. It's inspired me to go on to a university.'' Willard commutes daily from his parents' Sunland home to Moorpark, balancing his studies with a part-time job on campus as a grounds worker. Despite the hectic schedule, neither his studies nor track performances have seemed to suffer. The 5-5, 220-pound Willard has thrown 47-2 with the college 16-pound shot - 4 pounds heavier than a high school implement - and finished eighth in the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, championships as a freshman. Moorpark is undefeated entering Saturday's WSC WSC Winter Symposium on Chemometrics WSC Winter Simulation Conference WSC Wayne State College WSC Westfield State College (Westfield, MA) WSC Western State College (Colorado) finals. Willard will compete in the hammer throw hammer throw Athletic event in which a hammer is thrown for distance. The hammer consists of a 16-lb (7.26-kg) metal ball attached to a spring steel wire handle that measures not more than 4 ft (1.2 m) in length. as well as the shot put in the Raiders' quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the their third conference title in five years. Willard, who was also accepted to UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX and San Diego State, isn't sure whether he will participate in track at Berkeley next season, preferring to concentrate on his studies. ``My parents made a sacrifice so I could go to school, working day to day at different jobs.'' Willard said. ``At Alemany, I coasted, I just did enough to graduate. I never reached my potential. Going to Moorpark has opened my eyes. I wish I had started about six years earlier.'' Moorpark coach Manny Manny may refer to: In nobility:
``He is the best nominee our school had,'' Trevino said. ``He's hard-working in school and is out there every day at track practice. He's the kind of person we want to be associated with our program.'' In Sacramento, Willard received a plaque and participated in a panel discussion that included the other award winners, academic advisers from community colleges throughout the state and USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. athletic director Mike Garrett, on ways to improve academic assistance programs. ``I went to a junior college because of sports,'' Willard said. ``Because of sports, I got a better education and now I have an opportunity for a better life for me and my family.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Moorpark College's Marwin Willard will compete in Ba kersfield. Myung J. Chun/Daily News |
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