Injury Plagued Soccer Player Surges to Track Stardom
March 27, 2019
Senior Maddy Doane has overcome injury and inexperience to become one of the most recent Campolindo athletic success stories.
Up until her sophomore year, Doane was a soccer player plagued by injuries.
In 8th grade, she tore her ACL for the 1st time while playing for California Magic. After undergoing surgery and a year of physical therapy, Doane returned to the soccer pitch only to suffer the same injury a 2nd time.
Once again, Doane had surgery and batted through rehabilitation in order to play for Campolindo’s soccer squad her sophomore year. During her 3rd game of that winter season Doane tore her ACL for the 3rd time.
At that point, Doane decided to end her soccer career. “I was devastated. I felt as if a part of my life was taken from me. I had no idea what to do with all this uncertainty,” said Doane.
While recovering that 3rd time, Doane was encouraged by doctors and patient alike to run track. In fact, Doane had also been approached several times over her 1st 2 years of high school by head track & field coach Chuck Woolridge about joining the Campolindo track squad.
With soccer no longer an option, Doane finally agreed to give sprinting a shot.
In her 1st season Doane broke the 200-meter school record and became the team’s top sprinter. While Woolridge might have suspected that she possessed potential, Doane herself was surprised by just how good she was at her new hobby.
“I mean, on the soccer field I knew I was pretty quick because I played forward, but I never thought I would be able to get to this point that I am at right now,” she said.
This year, in a dual meet against Las Lomas, Doane beat her own school record in the 200-meter. Then, last Wednesday against Miramonte, Doane broke the school record in the 100 meters.
While Doane continues to surprise herself, the consensus among her coaches is that she has yet to reach her potential.
“ I still think the 400m is her best event, but she has not quite moved into it yet within this season. Her speed is there and her speed endurance will get there. She will make the finals in NCS meet of champions in the 200m and the 400m. You never know who is going to win, and I like her chances,” said Co-head coach Tim Hunter.
Doane is now a model of excellence for a whole new generation of track and field athletes, many of them also soccer players. “It means I have to step up more than I thought I would because I always wanted to beat a record, but then when I saw Maddy beating all the records at the meet, I really have to step up and work a lot harder these next 3 years,” said freshman Emily Hatch.
Hatch, along with freshman varsity teammate Sara Tabibian, began the spring track season after competing for the junior varsity soccer squad in the winter.
Now Doane has her sights set on sprinting in college. “I knew I wanted to pursue it further in life. I reached out to a lot of colleges at the beginning of the year and I got a lot of mixed responses. as of right now, I am most likely going to attend UCSB and run track for the school. I am super excited to improve my technique and speed in college since I am still a little new to the sport of track itself,” said Doane.
