Junior emerging for Pirate boys
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
After what he described as a sophomore slump, Sam Williams is back contributing as one of the top runners for the West Windsor-Plainsboro High South boys cross country team.
As he has been all season, Williams was the Pirates’ steady third finisher at the Group IV state championships last week. He ran an all-time best for a 5-kilometer cross country race of 16:35 and took 22nd place overall.
”I felt really good,” Williams said. “I was really happy. It was my best performance in a while.
”A lot of it is the training that (Coach Kurt) Wayton has been putting us through. I just happened to come out of a slump that I was stuck in since sophomore year. I’m happy with what’s come out of this season and how I’ve changed.”
Williams had shown flashes as a freshman. He ran in the top seven for the varsity at the Mercer County Championships and at Northeast Regionals that year, but he had wanted to progress more as a sophomore than he did.
”I got injured,” Williams recalled, “and then after that, mentally I just broke down in races.”
By most team’s standards, Williams was fine last year. He placed 20th in the county and ran 16:53. But after finishing 39th at sectionals, he didn’t run the group meet and finished with a 17:06 clocking at Holmdel in the Meet of Champions before running 17:33 at regionals.
”Last year, going into Meet of Champs, I was really disappointed with myself,” Williams said. “I wasn’t racing well. This year, I’ve come more to terms with having bad races, not letting that affect my other races. If I had a bad race the week before last year, I’d have another bad race.
”I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “I learned more what I should be doing mentally.”
It has shown in a season that has reflected his growth as a runner. He placed 17th at the county meet, and in the sectionals he was 15th. He was even more impressive in 22nd at groups.
”The sectionals race, myself, Zach (Crossey) and Zahib (Kotecha), we didn’t have our best races,” Williams said. “It showed in the results. We didn’t do that well.”
”Honestly, I tried to forget about it. I thought of this as another race and another opportunity to do better.”
Williams showed his maturity at the group meet after rebounding in groups. That group race has Williams is in a far different place now this year as the Pirates eye the Meet of Champions Saturday at Holmdel Park.
”Sam has emerged as one of the area’s top runners,” Wayton said. “He has done so by taking stock in the time honored virtues that all successful people heed in order to achieve in the game of life.
”He has continued forth when others have faltered, he has labored when others have allowed themselves to lie fallow. Sam Williams has become stock and standard to what sports can offer those who otherwise would have their lives untested and undeveloped. He has consistently chosen the harder path but now is reaping the greatest reward.”
Williams has been training well with a group that includes county, sectional and group champion Nikhil Pulimood as well as Tim Bason. Williams has locked into a strategy that has worked for him in races, and his group performance demonstrated that he is continuing to improve.
”I’ve been worrying about sticking on one guy and running for the team, not myself,” Williams said. “Based off what I’ve been doing, this is exactly what I wanted to do coming into groups. I wanted to hit 16:30 which I got close to, so I was happy with that.
”My strategy was mostly just to stay with the top three South Brunswick guys,” he added. “They beat us in sectionals. I knew if we had any shot of beating them, I had to stay with them or be ahead of them. I was going to run with two of my teammates, Zahib and Zach Crossey but they fell off when I started to run with the South Brunswick kids.”
Williams has always had potential, and he is starting to realize it. His development has kept the Pirates at the top of the county and a contender in groups and sectionals.
”Sam and Timmy, when they came in, they were basically right together,” Pulimood said. “Those two, it’s not surprising how well they’re doing. Sam was beating me in middle school when we were in middle school together. It’s not surprising how he’s done. He has a lot of ability. He’s learning how to translate that ability into the race.”
Williams started gaining experience as a freshman. It has helped him emerge into a runner who can react to any number of circumstances.
”I think it really helps making it in top seven for counties freshman year,” he said. “I got some experience. That race I did really badly. It was the first time I raced with fast people. It’s completely different. I did pretty poorly. I grew from that and it certainly helped.”
Fast forward two years and Williams is coming back to the MOC determined to go even faster than he did at the group meet. He’s not a big fan of hilly courses, but the Holmdel course is manageable. He comes in confident he can improve on it.
”My last mile, I should have picked it up more than I did,” Williams said. “I kind of stayed consistent. I would have liked to have gone with the people who ended up passing me in the last mile.
”Personally, I want to break 16:30 at MOCs,” he added. “As a team, I would like to be at least top five, which I think we can do.”
Sam Williams will have his say in where the Pirates end up. He is running with a new confidence and resolve this year that has him back on track.
”Of course, it would be nice to be faster than I am,” Williams said. “Overall, I’m happy where I am.”