All-Decade Team: Women's Track

Williamsburg, KY – With 12 NAIA All-Americans and a pair of Mid-South Conference titles the women’s track & field team has been competitive on both the conference and national levels over the past decade. The Patriots have recorded one MSC Athlete of the Year and two MSC Champion of Character award and two MSC Coaches of the Year accolades. Also, the program has set five MSC meet records, 16 outdoor school records, and 16 indoor school records over the past decade.  With all of these accolades and honors, Danielle Hoop-O’Dell has transcended the women’s track program becoming the most decorated runner in program history, which helped land her a spot on UC’S All-Decade Team.

Hoop-O’Dell is one of the most decorated runners in program history as she as earned a program’s best six NAIA All-American honors, the programs best individual finish at an NAIA Championship, and currently holds four school records and one stadium record. Hoop-O’Dell’s stellar career that spanned from 2011-2014 including four indoor NAIA All-American honors, two outdoor NAIA All-American honors, and qualifying for both the Indoor and Outdoor NAIA National Championships in each of her four years, was a five-time MSC First Team All-Conference selection and earning the MSC Champion of Character award in 2013. She is the only track and cross country athlete, male or female, to automatically qualify for nationals 12 times.

Hoop-O’Dell came into her freshman track season after qualifying for cross country nationals the previous fall. She competed at DePauw University in back-to-back weekends, running the 800 meters, 1,000 meters, and 4x400 relay. The freshman crossed the line in 3:01.75 for the 1,000 to qualify for the NAIA Indoor National Championship, where she ran 2:59.43 to place 11th.  She followed that up with a strong spring season focusing on the 800 and 1500. In April 2012, Hoop-O’Dell ran 4:42.62 to finish runner-up in the 1,500 at the Centre Invite, before notching her first collegiate win a week later as she crossed the line in 2:21.72 for the 800 and was part of UC 4x400 relay at the UC Invite. At the MSC Championship, Hoop-O’Dell scored in four events, including placing third in both the 1,500 (4:52.83) and the 4x800 relay (9:40.64). The Owenton, KY native followed that up by running a season-best time of 4:41.43 at the Louisville Twilight, before crossing the line in 4:44.26 to place 12th at the NAIA National Championship.

The 2013 track season was a breakout year for Hoop-O’Dell as she posted career-best times in four different events during the season.  After opening the season with strong races at Cedarville and the Hoosier Hills Invite, the Patriots competed at the DePauw Invite where Hoop-O’Dell was part of the Distance Medley Relay that ran a winning time of 12:35.04 to qualify for nationals. She also qualified in the 1,000 after going 2:55.64 at the Virginia Tech Challenge.  At the Indoor National Championship, the Patriots set a program record with six All-Americans, including Hoop-O’Dell, Sam Profitt, Natasha Sydnor, and Darcy Mascotti-Whyte teaming up for a fourth-place finish in the DMR.  They became Cumberlands' second relay team and the first since 2006 to earn NAIA All-American honors as they ran a program-record 12:03.36.  Hoop-O’Dell followed that up by running a career-best time of 2:53.56 to place fifth in the 1,000 for her first individual track All-American honor.  The sophomore opened the outdoor season with career-best times of 2:17.85 and 4:39.70 in the 800 and 1,500, respectfully, at the Charlotte 49ers Classic.  The UC Invite brought a new challenge for Hoop-O’Dell as it marked the first time she competed in the 3,000 steeplechase at the collegiate level, which eventually transformed her season.  The sophomore won her firs three steeplechase races (UC Invite, Centre Twilight, and MSC Championship) and qualified for nationals after going 10:56.99 at the Louisville Cardinal Twilight.  Hoop-O’Dell capped off her season finishing as the NAIA National Runner-Up with a school-record time of 10:40.38.  Her runner-up finish was the best finish by a Patriot at nationals in program history.

Hoop-O’Dell’s strong career continued into her junior year as she posted career-best times in the mile (5:03.83) and 3k (10:06.27) during the indoor season.  At the DePauw Invite, the Owenton, KY native crossed the line in 2:58.85 to place second and qualify for her third straight indoor championships. A week later Hoop-O’Dell set the school record running a winning time of 17:39.88 in the 5k at the DePauw Challenge. Hoop-O’Dell closed out the indoor season by running 2:54.57 and finishing third at nationals becoming the second Patriot to repeat as All-American in consecutive seasons.  Outdoor season saw Hoop-O’Dell notch seven wins, including winning the 3k steeplechase in five straight attempts.  Hoop-O’Dell closed out the season with a season-best time of 11:01.08 to place eighth and tally her fifth NAIA All-American Track & Field accolade.  

Already the program leader in All-Americans, Hoop-O’Dell looked to top off her impressive resume during the 2015 season. The indoor season saw the senior post two wins, including winning the 1,000 with a national qualifying time of 2:58.30.  At the NAIA Championships, Hoop-O’Dell recorded the second-fastest qualifying time in the prelims (2:55.16) to advance to the championship, where she ran 2:56.43 to place sixth and become UC’s lone three-time All-American in a single event. The senior wasn’t finished yet as she etched her name in the record one more time after she went 17:39.06 for a 5k at the Centre Twilight.  The MSC Championship saw Hoop-O’Dell score in five different events, including a pair of conference titles to help Cumberlands capture their fourth MSC team title in program history and there first since 2008. Hoop-O’Dell closed out her Patriot career competing at the NAIA National Championship, where she went 11:32.53 and finished 12th in the 3k steeplechase.

Hoop-O’Dell graduated from UC in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.  Upon graduation, Hoop stayed at Cumberlands where she graduated in 2018 with her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies. Hoop-O’Dell is currently a Physician Assistant at Shelby Pediatrics while being married to UC alum Travis O’Dell and they have a dog named Wrigley and two cats named Zorro and Oliver. 

The UC All-Decade Team was determined based on stats, awards & honors received, and significance to the program in addition to input for members of the UC Athletic Department. It will include one representative from every sport and be comprised of 29 student-athletes. The all-decade team looked at everything from the 2010-2011 season through the 2019-2020 season.