Former St.Elizabeth Technical High School runner Sherika Williams (left) grimaces as she crosses the line to win the senior women's 400m finals at last weekend's JAAA National Senior and Junior Trials at the National Stadium. The 19-year-old Williams ran a personal best 50.97 seconds to beat many-time national champion Lorraine Fenton (right) into second place. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
UNTIL SHE separated herself from the other seven runners with 50 metres to go in the senior women's 400m finals at the JAAA Supreme Ventures National Junior and Senior Trials at the National Stadium on Sunday, Sherika Williams was a relative unknown to the casual track fan.
Even the most informed fan would expect national record holder Lorraine Fenton, Ronetta Smith and others to battle it out for the top spots.
The 19-year-old former St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) and present University of Technology (UTech) runner, known to her friends as 'Wire-wire', however, had her own plans and despite not eating all day and suffering from the flu, ran a personal best 50.97 seconds to land the title and make her first national team.
No one was more surprised than she at the result, which will change her life and take her from the ranks of the unknown to one from which there will be expectations later this summer. She was calm about it, however, saying her former high school coach and family members were more excited than she was when she spoke to them on Monday.
There was one notable exception. Her mother who resides in the United States and who she says does not really understand track and field.
One year has made a big difference for the pencil-thin runner from White Hall, near Newmarket, who prefers the shorter 200m race. She has lowered her personal best in the one-lap event from just over 53 seconds to a sub 51.00 seconds under the guidance of top local coach Stephen Francis of UTech and MVP Club.
One on One caught up with Sherika between a myriad of things she had to do on Monday as she prepared to leave the island with the MVP team for Rome where they will continue preparations for the World Championships and several meets leading up to it.
Q: Were you surprised at how well you did on the weekend?
Sherika Williams: Yes, I was a little bit surprised because I did not expect to do so well as I had a bit of the flu and all that so I was not expecting to do so well and I did not feel like I was going to run so fast.
Q: What time were you expecting to run?
SW: More realistically, I was expecting to run about a 51.2 seconds.
Q: What was the plan between you and coach Stephen Francis, what were you aiming for?
SW: The plan was basically to run a 51.00 in the semis and go for a sub-50 seconds time in the finals.
Q: With the flu and all, were you expecting to actually win the event?
SW: No, no not exactly. Coach said I should just go out there and do what I could as he knew I had the flu, he was not expecting me to run 50-point right there.
Q: We who have watched you race over the years at STETHS know you don't really like the 400m and would much rather run the 200m, why did you choose to run the 400m at Trials?
SW: It was not really my decision, I was entered for both events but the coach thought I should run the 400m as that was the one he was more confident I would do well in.
Q: Given a choice which race would you have run?
SW: The 200m obviously.
Q: Looking at the meet calendar this year and coming into the Trials, which of the teams did you think you could realistically make?
SW: I was not looking at the World Championship team at all, not even as a reserve for the 4x400m team but now that I have a guaranteed place in the flat 400m, I am now really looking forward to it and it is going to be an experience for me.
Q: So you really exceeded all your personal expectations then?
SW: Definitely.
Q: Previous to this, what
was the biggest meet you had participated in?
SW: (VMBS) National Champs, Penn Relays, the Jamaica International Invitational Meet and an international meet in Dominican Republic earlier this year.
Q: Coming into the finals and seeing all the big-name athletes lined up, were you nervous?
SW: Yes, very nervous, as I had not eaten anything all day. I tried eating but nothing would stay down, from both flu and being nervous.
Q: Take us through the race.
SW: The plan was to stay with the front-runners and once we came off the curve (into the home stretch) it was up to the strongest runner. I tried to keep my form and not to panic and it paid off.
Q: What was your reaction to your time after the race?
SW: It was like wow! I really did it.
Q: Who are the people who have really worked with you?
SW: I really must thank Mr Smith for the groundwork he did and Mr Francis for taking me a step further. I also want to thank the entire MVP family Bridgitte, Asafa and Sherone for their support, especially Gregory Little who is like my babysitter. He makes certain that I eat my three meals every day and served me breakfast in bed on Monday morning.
- P.A.R.
