Bodan Griffith earns lightweight championship, highlighting Tualatin’s impressive showing at Metro Area Lineman Challenge
By Dan Brood
Bodan Griffith just might have been underestimated a bit.
Heck, he might have even underestimated himself.
But the Tualatin senior-to-be proved everyone wrong, and he grabbed the gold.
Griffith claimed the individual lightweight championship at the Metro Area Lineman Challenge — a competition that featured such events as the 40-yard dash, shuttle run, vertical jump, standing broad jump, bench press, farmer’s carry, tractor tire flip, two-man sled relay and team tug of war — on Saturday, July 16, at Hare Field in Hillsboro.
“It’s really cool,” Griffith said with a smile following the awards ceremony at the end of the event. “I was telling my parents that I didn’t think I’d get top five. So, that felt really good.”
Power looked to be a big factor for the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Griffith at the competition. That definitely showed in the bench press, where he lifted 185 pounds 24 times, tying him with Hillsboro’s Sebastian Echeverria for the top spot among lightweight competitors in that event.
“I think it was the combination of performing really well throughout,” Griffith said. “I was really happy with my bench. I hit 24 (lifts) on that.”
Griffith also had strong performances in the tire flip, with 10, and farmer’s carry, with 64 yards. He had a time of 4.61 seconds in the shuttle run, tying him for the best mark on the team for that event.
“I think, overall, it was just a good combination and a good day,” Griffith said.
But he wasn’t satisfied with all of his performances.
“Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in my 40-yard dash,” Griffith said. “I ran a 5.2. I’m going to be working on that — yes, sir.”
Hard work and motivation — those appeared to be big factors for Griffith in winning the lightweight championship. And with that title, Griffith says he’ll be even more inspired now.
“This is motivation,” he said. “I think I was able to separate myself a little bit, and it feels good.”
Griffith also helped the Timberwolves take the runner-up spot in the team standings. Tualatin finished in second place with a score of 63 points, two points behind team champion Westview, with had a score of 65.
“I was really pleased,” Griffith said. “It was a really good showing for us. I think we’ve got a really good group of guys.”
Senior Will Wilson also had a big performance for Tualatin, finishing in second place in the heavyweight division individual standings. Westview’s Gunner Jorgensen claimed the top spot.
Wilson topped all competitors in the 40-yard dash with a time of 5.02. He had the best mark of heavyweight contestants in the vertical jump with a height of 31 inches. He also had the best distance for heavyweights in the standing broad jump with a mark of 109.5 inches.
Tualatin senior-to-be Richie Anderson finished in ninth place in the heavyweight individual standings. Anderson tied Wilson and senior-to-be Drew Corcoran for the team-best mark in the tire flip, each with 11.
Corcoran paced Tualatin in the farmer’s carry with a distance of 90 yards.
The Timberwolves also excelled in the team events, taking first place in the two-man sled relay (with a time of 59.28) and fourth place in the team tug of war.
Hoping to build on his victory in the Metro Area Lineman Challenge, Griffith is looking forward to the upcoming high school football season — no matter where he’ll be playing on the field for the Timberwolves.
“I play at defensive end,” he said. “On offense, there’s talk of moving me to guard, but I’m hoping to stay at running back.”
Tualatin will open its 2022 season Sept. 2 when it plays host to Summit in a nonleague game.
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