Arkansas cross country commit Williams wins state Gatorade award
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (BVM) — For four seasons, Jack Williams has been one of the most dominant runners in Arkansas. Named to the all-state team all four years, Williams was finally awarded Gatorade Arkansas Cross Country Player of the Year.
“Jack is tough,” Fayetteville cross country head coach Michelle Fyfe said. “He can ‘hurt’ and that’s something that is uncoachable. He can push himself in practice and in races to ‘hurt’ and to find that extra gear and dig deeper. He’s talented, but his work ethic is truly what makes him shine.”
The 5-foot-10, 130-pound senior captured the Class 6A state title with a winning time of 15 minutes and 38.44 seconds. It was nearly 10 seconds faster than the next runner. It was the first time Williams captured a state championship.
Congratulations to Jack Williams and Carson Wasemiller for winning the 6 A Cross Country meet!!
— FHS Track and Field (@FayBulldogsTF) November 6, 2020
“He put it all together at the state meet,” Fyfe said. “He [placed] in the top three in every race he ran this season. At the state meet, we talked about where he was going to make his move, where he was going to go, and he executed it perfectly. … He put the perfect race together on the perfect day.”
A student of the sport, Williams studies his past races and looks to Fyfe for continued mentorship. Along with the state title, Williams also placed second in the Arkansas vs. Oklahoma All-Star meet and finished 67th in the Nike Cross Virtual Championships.
Williams also has another mentor that helps him stay focused on his goals. That mentor is Camren Fischer. Fischer was a three-time Gatorade award winner and now he runs cross country for Princeton University. Fischer was an upperclassman when Williams was a freshman.
“Cam was great to have [around] because he was such a great mentor and a leader,” Fyfe said. “Cam’s still around because the Ivy League didn’t do any sports this year. It’s been really cool for Cam to be around Jack and training a bit with him and still setting that standard of excellence. Jack saw that and wanted to be that. He’s completely coachable; he’s a great kid.”
Along with his performances on the cross country course, Williams has done remarkable work when he’s not running. Williams maintained a 3.40 GPA in the classroom and has volunteered with local projects, including the Special Olympics. Williams is also part of his school’s student council.
As the spring sports season winds down, Williams will be eyeing to continue his cross country career at the collegiate level. Earlier this year, Williams signed a letter of intent to attend his home school, the University of Arkansas.
Proud of @jackwilliams_3 for signing his NLI to run for @RazorbackTF! Been cheering for this guy since Woodland to FHS and now to U of A. #WPS pic.twitter.com/1z5Pcu7UX9
— Andrew Young, CJE (@sayoung001) February 3, 2021
Extremely excited to announce my commitment to the University of Arkansas to continue my athletic and academic career next fall. Special thanks to all my friends, family, and coaches who have helped me through this decision. Woo Pig❗️🐗🐗🐗 pic.twitter.com/pfEbt0qRFo
— Jack Williams (@jackwilliams_3) January 31, 2021
“He could’ve gone to a lot of other schools where he would have been the big fish in the small pond,” Fyfe said. “It’s going to be really cool to be able to watch him in the backyard. … Jack is tough, and he hasn’t been plagued with injury, which is amazing. He’s strong mentally and he’ll rise to the occasion.”
