Senior Salute: Robert Jared Williams Of St. Pius X


Robert Jared Williams is a Senior from St. Pius X Catholic High School and is a member is the 2018 & 2019 4A State Championship teams. He also was the 2018 200m 4A State Champ.

PR's
400m- 47.11
200m- 21.47
100m- 10.86

1) What were some of the highlights of your high school cross country and track careers?

There are so many great highlights from my high school career. I have anchored the 4x100 and 4x400 since freshman year. We broke the school 4x100 record (twice) and we also broke the school 4x200 record. We won back-to-back state titles (2018 & 2019) and I was an individual 200m state champion in 2018. I am a 2 time AlI American in the 400m and I was the 2019 Arcadia Invitational 400m champion (seeded division). I finished my season with a pr of 47.11 in the 400m, 21.47 in the 200m and 10.86 in the 100m.  



2) Did you encounter any struggles or adversity along the way that you had to overcome?

When I first started running the 400m, I had a difficult time coming up with a strategy that worked for me, so I was testing a lot of different strategies and I was not seeing the results that I wanted. By the end of my Junior season, I really felt like I had figured things out and I was looking forward to my outdoor senior season.  

3) Aside from the competition, what was the best thing about being a part of your school's program?  

The best thing about my high school program is the family atmosphere. No one was off in their own groups. We all supported each other and that was great.



4) Are there any coaches or teammates that you've worked with over the past four years that you'd like to thank?

I would like to thank Coach McClay, Coach Martin, Coach Fannin, Coach White and my club coach Eric Merriweather. They have all given me tremendous support and guidance in my journey as a high school track and field athlete.

5) How are you coping with COVID-19 and the looming possibility that your HS track career might very well be over?

I am trying to stay positive and I'm continuing to work out in case we can get some of our season back. If our season is over, then I can still be very proud of the things that I was able to accomplish during my high school career.  



6) What are your plans and goals for the future? Do you intend on continuing with the sport in college or in another capacity?

I plan on pursuing a degree in political science and eventually going to law school. I also plan to run track in college.  

7) What advice would you give to a younger athlete who's hoping to have a successful and enjoyable high school career?

I would tell young athletes to believe in yourself. If you want to do something go for it. You can achieve a lot with just having self-confidence.