Local Sports

By HAROLD WILSON
Staff Writer

For more than a year, University of Texas at San Antonio standout sprinter Teddy Williams dreamed of dropping one letter off his UTSA track uniform.

Decked in a red, white and blue track suit fitted with the letters "USA" on the front, the Tyler native's wishes turned into reality. Competing on a select USA national team, Williams recently ran a leg on the gold-medal winning 400-meter relay at the North American, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 Track and Field Championships in Toluca, Mexico.

Team USA consisted of Florida's Jeremy Hall, Williams, Texas A&M's Christopher Dykes and J-Mee Samuels of Arkansas. The quartet, which ran in the aforementioned order, rounded the circle in 38.39 seconds, establishing a new 23-under championship record while posting the world's best time of the Olympic year up to that point.

Not bad for a foursome who missed the chance to qualify for the 2008 Summer Games, days away from starting in Beijing, China. After battling each other all season, the collegiate rivals relished the feat. The time failed to last long, however, with five quartets since running lower times in a seven-day span after Williams and Co. posted their mark on July 19.

"I never experienced a relay that ended that fast," said Williams, who advanced to the quarterfinals in the 100 at the U.S. Olympic trails just weeks after earning All-America honors in the same event by virtue of a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor championships. "We knew all we had to do was get the stick around and it would be something nice. It was exciting to be able to run that fast and represent your country like that."

The United States led the way with 62 total medals at the NACAC Games, which are held every two years in one of the 32 member nations, and is one of six regional athletics associations affiliated with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Williams, headed into his junior year at UTSA, turns his attention on a national title next. He hopes to follow reigning champion Richard Thompson of LSU - whom he beat in the semifinals at nationals - by going from seventh-to-first in a one-year span.

"Next year I'm going after it," the former John Tyler sprinter said. "I'm going to be on my grind for 2K9."

GOLDEN MOMENT: Tyler native Teddy Williams joined with his teammates in winning the gold medal in the 400-meter relay at the North American, Central America and Caribbean Under-23 Track & Field Championships in Toluca, Mexico. On the relay were (from left) Chris Dykes, Jeremy Hall, Williams and J-Mee Samuels.
((Courtesy Photo Provided By Teddy Williams))