Winning An Intense Relay Race

WILLIAMS SETS SCHOOL RECORDS AT HENDRIX

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Josh Williams, a 2016 Farmington graduate, is a sprinter for the Hendrix College track and field team. He set a number of school records during his freshman year of 2016-2017.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Josh Williams, a 2016 Farmington graduate, is a sprinter for the Hendrix College track and field team. He set a number of school records during his freshman year of 2016-2017.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

FARMINGTON -- Successful athletes set aside distractions, concentrate on the task at hand, and propel themselves to victory even if they must create a physical barrier with their body.

The scene resembled organized chaos during the Southern Athletic Association track and field championships hosted by Berry College, of Mount Berry, Ga. on April 21-22. Josh Williams, 19, a Hendrix College freshman had never experienced anything remotely comparable to the scenario. He was on the 'hot seat' while preparing to run the last leg of the men's 4x400 as part of the Hendrix relay team.

Hendrix Track And Field School Records

INDOOR

200 meters - Josh Williams, 22.89, Dec. 2, 2016

400 meters - Josh Williams, 52.16, Dec. 3, 2016

4x400 meter relay - Josh Williams, Michael Spainhour, Sam Byrd, Zech Montgomery, 3:35.94, Feb. 11

OUTDOOR

200 meters - Josh Williams, 22.61, March 10*

200 meters - Josh Williams, 22.50, March 31*

200 meters - Michael Spainhour, 22.34, April 22*

400 meters - Josh Williams, 49.67, April 7**

400 meters - Zech Montgomery, 49.35, April 22**

4x100 meter relay - Shaquille Grant, Michael Spainhour, Wes Hance, Josh Williams, 42.29, April 8

*School record in 200 meters set thrice in same year.

** School record in 400 meters set twice in same year.

Bio Information

Name: Josh Williams

School: Hendrix

Hometown: Farmington

Age: 19

Parents: Paul and Melisa McKnight-Williams, of Farmington

Siblings: Caleb, 17; Rebekah, 12

Height: 5-feet-10

Weight: 180 pounds

Personal hi-lights: Owns or shares Farmington High School records in the 4x400 meter relay, 4x100 meter relay, 4x800 meter relay, and the 400 meter dash. State qualifier in track and field all 4 years at Farmington.

Favorite music genre: Country and Western

Role Models: “My parents (Paul and Melisa Williams) taught me a work ethic. I started working as a freshman and really nailed that in my brain, ‘You got to work for what you get.’ They taught me the one thing that matters most is your faith in the Lord. If things start going bad, turn to him.”

"The conference meet wasn't what I expected," Williams said, explaining, "There were a lot more people there than I expected."

The infield was crowded as scores of athletes and coaches scrambled to get a look at the women's final event, paying scant attention to male athletes, such as teammates, freshman Zech Montgomery, of Fort Smith; sophomore Michael Spainhour, of Greenbrier; sophomore Tucker Pratt, of Hot Springs; and Williams, who were warming up for their relay final.

"It was the last race, the 4x400, the one that everyone wants to watch, it was hectic," Williams said. "Once the baton was handed off in the first straightaway, then they ran to the other side to cheer their team on in both straightaways. I almost got ran over twice while I was warming up."

Once the men's 4x400 began, the Hendrix team led the race in front of the Oglethorpe University, of Atlanta, Ga. team anchored by senior Malik Willis, who had won the 400 meter in the 2016 SAA championships. Just before Pratt handed off the baton to Williams, he heard then Hendrix head track and field coach Patrick McDonald yelling, "This is your time, go, finish it for us."

Williams took off with Willis bearing down, keeping the pressure on for the entire leg.

"When I got the baton, there was a guy right on my butt," Williams said. "He was on my butt all the way around."

At one point, Willis tried to pass Williams, but the 5-feet-10, 180 pound 2016 Farmington graduate exaggerated his position to maintain the lead.

"When he tried to pass me, I kind of stepped out in his lane," Williams said. "It was the most intense race I've ever been in and I've been in a lot of races."

Williams stayed in front and Hendrix (3:23.62) won the the event less than a second ahead of Oglethorpe (3:24.12). The win helped Hendrix finish third out of eight schools at the SAA championships with at total of 130.5 points.

There's nothing like a competitive teammate motivating an athlete to excel, and Williams appreciates their input.

"There's a lot of cool people on the track and field team," Williams said.

Williams and Spainhour took turns breaking the school record in the 200 meter races this past season. During the indoor track and field season, Williams set a school record of 22.89 in the 200 meters on Dec. 2.

In the spring with competition moved outdoors, Williams blazed through 200 meters in 22.61 on March 10 at the Central Arkansas Spring Opener; only to have Spainhour break the record with a time of 22.34 on March 31 at the Trinity Invitational. Williams ran a 22.50 at the Trinity Invitational. Spainhour replicated his fastest time (22.34) on April 22 during the SAA championships.

"Every time I broke the record, he'd break it the next week," Williams said. "I played against him my junior year in football. There's a little in-team rivalry, me and him have going on."

As members of the 5A West, Farmington and Greenbrier are conference opponents in football, which has led Williams and Spainhour to taunt one another, calling the other "slowpoke" in practice.

Williams also exchanges good-natured ribbing with Montgomery, whom Williams credits with helping give him an edge for the 400 meters with the same type of rivalry in play.

"He does that for me in the 400 meter," Williams said.

Williams set a Hendrix indoor mark of 52.16 in the 400 meters on Dec. 3; then ran a 49.67 April 7 at the Little Rock Open. Montgomery bested that by running a school-best 49.35 on April 22 during the SAA championships.

Williams has no intention of backing away from these rivalries, yet, he remembers these guys are his teammates and allows the bantering to serve a purpose -- driving him to succeed.

Sports on 06/07/2017