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Competition Drives Cross Country
and Track Superstar Williams
By Michael Bowden
Ink Staff Writer
“In order to be good, you must
be willing to train everyday. It
lurts but I love the competition. I
live for the competition.”
So, says UNC Cross Country
and track standout Andre Williams
3S he discusses his fun but rigorous
irack training schedule at Carolina.
Andre Williams is a native of
Richmond, Virginia who began
running track in his sophomore
/ear in high school. He enjoyed
claying basketball for the school
3ut soon he took another path- one
:hat took him through woods and
3ver hill and dale--when his basket-
)all coaches suggested that he run
TOSS country in order to get in shape
for the basketball season. That path
led Andre to become one of the top
lunners in the United States. Re-
:ently. Track South Magazine
anked him as the second fastest
■unner in the south.
On NovembCT 2, 1991, he fin
ished second in the Atlantic Coast
onference Cross Country Meet
leld at UNC.
n
holos courtesy of I'he Daily Tar Heel
One magazine ranked Williams the second fastest distance runner in the South. Flere he is striding to two more
victories.
Other achievements include
being a member of the Boys Club
in Virginia for 14 years, Hardees
Athlete of the year. Team Captain
The ViroinillilSiMtoa
\ t0 rim professipa)ly aftejr coUege.
of the UNC Track team. All
American in his senior year of high
school, winner of three state cham
pionships, and the list goes on and
on.
Williams
doesn’t credit all of
his achievements to
himself. He values
the relationship
with all of his fam
ily members with a
special emphasis on
his aunt who was a
very strict role
model in his life.
He says, “My fam
ily just wouldn’t let
me sit back” and 1. t
sunve to accomplish j
any goals. Further |
credit goes to his |
fellow members of |
the uack team and '
an outstanding I
coach.
“Back in high !
school, I just ran I
off a lot of talent,”
Williams said. “It ’
wasn’t until collcgc :
that I learned a lot :
of training techniques from the
coaches.
“Also, I really never had a team
until 1 got to UNC. They (team
mates) pushed me more and made
me better. My coach is a good
motivator who probably knows
more about how my body functions
than I do.”
Williams has been running ever
since he was 15. He is very thankful
to his family, coaches, and team
mates for iheir motivation and guid
ance.
Meanwhile, Williams feels pain
for his friends back in Virginia who
didn’t receive as much guidance
and motivation as he did. Some
didn’t do anything productive with
their lives and probably resulted to
selling drugs or just plain hanging
out on the street, he said.
When talking about his neigh
borhood, he said, “you either try to
get out or just stay there.”
He made a move and was
recruited by about 50 colleges and
universities such as UNC, Mary
land, East Tcnne.ssee State, Geor
getown, and LSU just to name a
few. He received a lot of attention
as an inner city suburban kid not
only because he was fast but because
he was black and fast in cross coun
try which is a rare occasion in the
sport of uack and field.
Williams did well in his aca
demics as he balanced sports with
his school work as well. This led to
a full scholarship to Carolina in
which he was very happy to accept.
After college, he plans to
continue to run professionally with
endorsements and later have a
career in history. He describes
himself as a patient and unique
person who says he just tries not to
worry about things and goes with
theflow. Williams planstocompcte
in the Olympic uials and hopes to
end up in the 1996 Olympic games
in Atlanta.
When he is not practicing, or
jogging ten-miles (which he docs
on his own outside of practice) he is
likely doing something productive
that makes him a role model for
many men and women to admire.