W.F. West grad Hoff grateful for time in TrackTown

The location is sublime. The available connections to Olympic athletes are top-tier. Even the coaching staff boasts resumes rarely seen at the junior college level.

Lane Community College is right in the heart of TrackTown USA, also known as Eugene, Oregon. And Lucas Hoff is leaving the program with nothing but positive memories and accomplishments.

"There isn't a better spot that would have fit me," Hoff said.

The graduate from W.F. West High School became a two-time NWAC Decathlon champion by piling up 6,654 points at Whitworth University back in April. He won eight of the 10 events and set a personal best in the 110 hurdles at 16.31 seconds.

It was the final high mark for Hoff's junior college career. He eclipsed 6,000 points at the 2025 NWAC Championships and won the overall title with only two event victories.

"I trusted the process and the results came (with it)," Hoff said. "My coaches told me it is pretty rare to win the decathlon both years in a row. It is pretty awesome. My freshman year, I was like a chicken with my head cut off. This year, I had more strategy."

After Hoff ended his prep career for the Bearcats with three state medals in the javelin, pole vault and high jump, the dots were connecting to him potentially doing the decathlon. Those three plus shot put, discus and long jump make up the six field events. The 100 and 400-meter dashes plus the 1,500-meter run and the 110 hurdles are the four running events.

Still, Hoff views himself as a pole vaulter first, decathlete second. He admitted he spent 50 percent of his time training in the pole vault this spring and didn't train much for the hurdles, shot put or long jump.

A shoulder injury kept him from doing javelin in practice.

"My coaches were protecting my longevity and she wasn't selfish about getting my training in," Hoff said.

Unlike a traditional track and field program, the decathlon is a different beast. Five events on day one, five events on day two and for the field events, the max number of attempts is three.

Being at the top is not for the faint of heart. One mess up or one no-height/no-mark in a field event throws the whole meet in flux.

It requires a precision unlike any other.

"It is about surviving all 10 events," Hoff said. "You are investing your year into hoping the two chances you get, all of your events will line up in that two-day span. Anything can happen."

There was noticeable growth from Hoff in nearly every event this season. Only the pole vault, javelin and 1,500 didn't feature a PR in 2026. Hoff's coach, Kelly Blair, has a laundry list of accolades at every level she competed in.

Blair was a three-time All-American at Oregon and won the NCAA heptathlon in 1993 plus the Pac-10 heptathlon in 1993 and 1994. Oh, and she was a two-time Olympian (1996 and 2000).

She got the best out of Hoff and he sung her praises.

"I'm blessed to have her and have the guidance she provided," Hoff said. "I would trust her to coach me after college."

There was ample research done to figure out where Hoff would continue his track and field career at. He wanted to stay in the PNW region, he likes the rain, and wanted to find a program with a good coaching staff.

Montana fits the bill.

"I wanted to go somewhere where I would have coaches that would be there all year and wouldn't be cutthroat if you don't perform," Hoff said. "They are an up-and-coming Big Sky school."

What remains a question is once Hoff's college career is complete, whether he'll focus strictly on pole vault or continue his craft at the decathlon.

"I love the dec, it made me more athletic, well-rounded and getting better at other events can make you better in a different event, too," Hoff said. "If I were to pursue just pole vault, it'd be more challenging, mentally, to invest everything."

For now, he'll have two years for the Grizzlies and attempt to continue on the trajectory Lane Community College set him up for. Which he believes is the primary reason why he has the opportunity to keep doing the sport he loves at the Division I level.

"It is a good reputation to be at Lane, they have a history of success," Hoff said. "They're just a great program and they care about who you are as a person."

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