Jared Wooten

Jared Wooten
Sex	M
Birth name	Jared Lancaster
Birth date	June 1995
Birth place	California
Father	Joel Lancaster
Mother	Rachel Clark

Jared Wooten was the son of Rachel and Joel Lancaster. Until he was nine, he lived with his parents in the San Francisco Bay area.

In 2004 his mother, Rachel, left her husband, and she and and Jared moved to Spearfish Lake. His Clark relatives helped with Rachel and Jared's integration there, including facilitating her divorce from Joel. Randy Clark in particular played a role as a substitute father, regularly attending Jared's Little League and other games.^HC29

Later on Rachel falls in love with and marries Jim Wooten. She has at least two additional children with him.^WL21

With a formal adoption Jared had the choice of surname and chose Wooten.^RFW2

His first school sport was wrestling. He had also taken up martial arts with his Uncle Randy at teh House of Mayhem. Both these sports were to prepare him so he could deal with his birth father if it became necessary.^RFW2 In his sophomore year he qualified for the state indiviual final wrestling meet where he lost a close final on points.^RFW17 In his junior year he won the state championship. The same evening Joel Lancaster broke into their house and Jared easily subdued him ensuring Joel understood Jared was no longer the child he could beat at will.{{Cite|RFW|34

He joined the football team as a running back in his sophomore year when the majority of seniors and juniors were expelled from the team after being arrested for illegal drinking.^RFW13

He became part of a study group with Howie Erikson, Autumn Trevetheck and Bree Gravengood. Bree pretended to be his girlfriend as protection against Misty's tricks.^RFW11 Over a couple of years the pretence faded and they became real boyfriend and girlfriend.^RFW26

Following the best season the Marlins football team had in a dozen years Jared joined the track team in spring concentrating on sprints, hurdles and throwing.^{RFW18 RFW35} Knowing the team needed a kicker for next year Jared practiced with the help of his friends.^{RFW18 RFW24} He was successful as kicker for two years, missing very few field goals or extra points kicks.^RFW38

Before their Junior year, Jared and his three friends organised a legal party on the city beach as an alternative to the illegal beer bust some seniors organised.^RFW24 They repeated it the following year and didn't hear anything about an illegal beer party.^RFW37

He studied structural engineering at Purdue^RFW41 and had a bridge engineering job at Midwest Bridge in Chicago after graduation.^RFW42

He joined Bree's family and friends at her graduation ceremony from the Air Force Academy.^RFW42