Battle Creek's Antonio Postell proving doubters wrong as a standout on MSU track team
Antonio Postell II always believed he could make it.
Even when he faced doubters, the Battle Creek Central graduate never quit.
Now, as a standout on the Michigan State University men's track team, Postell is showing he can run stride for stride with the best athletes in the Big Ten.
"A lot of people want to believe it is impossible to become a Division I track athlete, coming out of Battle Creek," Postell said. "But if you sit down and grind, work at it, I believe anything is possible.
"In this journey, I have had to do it all myself. But I put my head down and got it done and now I'm here."
Postell, a sophomore eligible on the MSU team, is one of the top sprinters for the Spartans and getting ready to compete in the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, taking place Friday through Sunday at the University of Minnesota.
Postell has the top time on the team in the 100-meter dash at 10.59 and the second fastest time in the 200 at 21.45. He will compete in the 100, 200 and the 400 relay this weekend. MSU's 400 relay team recently finished second in the Indiana Invitational in 40.92.
The Spartan speedster thinks his relay team has a chance at a possible Big Ten title and he is looking for a top-five individual finish in the 100 and the 200. Postell was eighth in the 100 last year as a freshman.
"I think we can score high. Just have to really focus on my start to help the team," Postell said.
After an injury during the indoor season, Postell had a slow start to the outdoor campaign. However, he is back to 100 percent now.
"About two weeks ago, I got my confidence back from where I was with the injury," Postell said. "My speed is there. At this point, it is just 90 percent mental and my coach has gotten me to perform like I am capable of."
Already in his third year in East Lansing, Postell is on schedule to graduate next December. He will still have eligibility left, so he will compete again next year as he enrolls into a masters program.
Postell was a mulitple-sport athlete at Battle Creek Central, graduating in 2018. The former Bearcat was named Enquirer Male Athlete of the Year after an All-City run in football, advancing to regionals in wrestling and being named Most Outstanding Performer at the annual All-City Track Meet.
The doubts Postell faced came from the uneven start to his college career. Not recruited highly out of high school, Postell tried to make the MSU team as a walk-on as a freshman. However, he didn't meet some of the requirements to be on the team and he was cut prior to the season.
"I wasn't going to quit. Came back my sophomore year and made the team," Postell said. "It was hard, though. I went from not doing anything to jumping into a Division I sport.
"I was competing against guys who have been training since they were six or seven, and I never really was able to do that. So those guys didn't think I could really do it. But I just wanted to show that people from my hometown could compete at this level. I eventually got the hang of things and the team accepted me."
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: BCC's Postell proving doubters wrong as a standout on MSU track team
