Salute to Seniors: Nick Williams
After taking a two-year hiatus from the track team after competing as a ninth-grader, Hendricken's Nick Williams decided to finish up his high school career back where he started. The Hawk senior, who will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy this fall, manufactured a strong final campaign on the indoor and outdoor surfaces. He was third in the 600m at the indoor state meet and helped the Hawks to their state title two weeks ago by placing second in the 400m.
Q. What was your most memorable performance?
A. My most memorable performance was competing in my second varsity state meet. Along with all of my teammates, we won Hendricken's first outdoor track and field championship since 2010. This was also my first time winning a state championship.
Q. What was your most difficult obstacle to overcome?
A. My most difficult obstacle was trying to manage all of
my school work, extra-curricular activities, part time job, and still getting a
good nights rest. Between some pretty tough senior classes and track I found
myself missing out on the sleep aspect quite a few nights this year.
A. If you start to run early as a freshman or sophomore, stick with it. I stopped doing track after my freshman indoor season, and it's something I wish I had a chance to redo. I never thought I would enjoy running as much as I do now.
A. I'll miss the friendships and relationships I made with
my teammates and coaches. I've met a really great group of guys this last year,
and I'm looking forward to coming back and visiting in the future.
A. Next year I will be attending the United States Naval
Academy where I will continue my running career. I hope to major in mechanical
engineering, but I am still open to a wide variety of majors. (Everyone picks
their major at the end of freshman at the USNA.) From there, I will choose a
part of the Navy that I will serve as an officer.
A. Coming into my senior year, collegiate soccer was my
goal. This was something that I had always wanted to do, but this was not a
reality for me at a top program like Navy. After some convincing from my little
brother, I joined the track team. The coaches at Hendricken welcomed me onto
the team and helped me reach my fullest potential for my first real year of
track. Thanks to my coaches and the training regiment they put me on, I was
able to reach out to the Navy running coach who said there will be a spot for
me on the team next year.
A. I would like to say thank you to my teammates,
especially Harry Antone and Rob Merlino, for helping me get though all of the
tough workouts and be the best athlete that I can be. I would also like to
thank all of my coaches, Coach Doyle, Lourenco, Manning, and Brennan, for
welcoming me onto the team and helping me improve as much as I have this year.
Finally, I want to say thank you to my mom for coming out to my meets, even
with her busy schedule.