HS TRACK: Relentless runner Williams eyes trip to states

May 17—FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — Justin Williams stood atop the podium at last week's Schuylkill League Track and Field Championships.

Twice, with gold medals hung around his neck.

It was quite an accomplishment for a sophomore who, before the season started earlier this spring, had never even competed in a high school track and field meet.

Like every other track and field athlete across the state, there was no 2020 season for Williams. The COVID-19 pandemic took care of that.

And, although he had participated in North Schuylkill's junior high program, he really wasn't sure where he'd fit in with the high school program.

Williams, however, loves to run. He loves to train. And, he has the stamina, drive and desire to do it for what most would consider long distances.

In cross country, Williams placed fifth in the District 11 Class AA Championships in 18:26, qualifying for states. He hopes to complete the double and make the state meet in track, too.

"He runs and runs and runs and runs," said Kevin Keating, Williams' head coach with the Spartans. "He has a switch that when he gets on the track, the light just goes on.

"He's really a competitive runner."

Williams' training is intense. His teammates, Keating said, take friendly jabs at him for all the roadwork he puts in. But, in the end, it pays dividends.

"Constantly, I'm always running every day, in the offseason as well," Williams said. "In the summer I sometimes do two practices a day. In the offseason, probably about 8-9 miles a day. With districts coming up, I probably run three or four miles a day."

At the league meet, Williams placed first in both the 800 meters and 3,200-meter run.

It was part of a strong showing by the North Schuylkill boys, who finished second in the team standings with 113 points, three points behind champion Blue Mountain. In all, the Spartans had five individuals account for six visits to the top of the podium. In addition to the two victories by Williams, senior Mike Reilley won the discus, senior Jack Flynn captured the 1,600, senior Tristan Bolinsky was tops in the discus and another sophomore, Terry Thomas placed first in the triple jump.

"It was kind of an unknown, not knowing what events I would be good at," said Williams of his approach to his first season of varsity competition. "I went into it as if it were my freshman year.

"Obviously, I had more time to prepare, and it ended up being pretty successful. I did the junior high program in seventh and eighth grade. Same events, but they don't have the 2-mile (3,200) at junior high. Ironically, that's my best event."

Williams also had a very successful dual-meet season, helping the North Schuylkill boys to a 5-1 record in Division I of the Schuylkill League, the only loss coming to division champion Blue Mountain.

Over the course of the dual-meet season, Williams won at least one event in each dual — the 3,200 run — winning two events twice, the 800 and 3,200, and three events once, the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 in a victory over Tamaqua.

"It was really good," Williams said. "Whole season I was moving around trying to find what I wanted to do."

Ironically, it wasn't his highly successful dual-meet season, nor the two golds at the Schuylkill League meet, that stand out in the sophomore's mind as his season highlight, at least so far.

That came in the highly competitive 94th annual Jack Roddick Invitational hosted by Shippensburg University.

In that event, Williams went into the 3,200 seeded 11th in what he called the "slow heat" and showed his mettle by exceeding all expectations.

"I was seeded at a 10:30 2-mile time and went into it never running under 10," Williams said. "I ran a 9:43.

"That was one of my favorite races this year. I finished first in my heat and seventh overall."

That was a seventh-place finish in an ultra-competitive field of 29 runners.

One of the people Williams' finish at the Roddick Invitational didn't surprise was his coach.

"He's a relentless competitor," Keating said. "He was a state qualifier in cross country this past fall, so I think we had some high hopes for him."

In this week's District 11 Class 3A boys' championships, set for Wednesday at Blue Mountain, Williams will limit himself to two events: the 3,200 run, which has become his favorite, and the 1,600 relay along with teammates Flynn, Brayden Boyer and Devin Greiner.

His ultimate goal for this season is to return to Shippensburg University, this time for the PIAA Track and Field Championships on Memorial Day Weekend.

Contact the writer: croth@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6025