By: Caitie Staff [Staff Writer]
Track season has had a great takeoff for Marion this year. Cornell College in Mt. Vernon hosted a large track meet featuring smaller Linn County high schools. These include Independence, West Delaware, Anamosa, Beckman, Vinton-Shellsburg, Indie, Centerpoint Urbana, and Marion. Though the competition was stiff and the talent pool was large, Marion came out on top with a near record-breaker.
Junior, Cedrick Williams, placed first and led Marion to notable records on the 4 x 200 relay. He was only 0.02 seconds from being the new track record! And, for Cedrick, victory wasn’t hard to reach at all.
Cedrick has brought new blood and talent to Marion. “[I’ve done track] two years, including this year. This would be my second year.” He said, grinning as he relived his win. Most track runners have the practice and expertise from running cross-country, but Cedrick doesn’t need long-distance to excel. “Football is way better,” He stated.
Contrary to popular belief, not all runners require healthy eating habits to succeed. “I eat everything,” Cedrick joked. But it’s not all fun and games. Track gets competitive when Cedrick trains with his pals. “My brother Derrick, who is the first leg of the race. He runs the fastest time. And my friend Andrew Davis, because he’s got long legs. That means a longer stride. He’s harder to keep up with. Isaac Frazier, for the same reason.”
Cedrick has a little pre-meet tradition to get him in gear. “I just clear my mind. I don’t think about anything else. I don’t even think about running.” He also listens to Rick Ross’s music to set the mood. After the run, Cedrick doesn’t drop out and goof off for the rest of the meet. “I cheer on my other teammates when they run. Everyone needs some support. It helps us do better.” He explained.
When asked if he’ll be running again next year, Cedrick immediately nodded and said, “Oh yeah!” He has strong sentiments about running that account for his remarkable scores. “Running is a great thing to do. It’s a great stress reliever. Everyone should run, I think. And if you’re good, you should go up for track.”
