Alexa Williams Finishes Season Strong

Alexa Williams's historical ride finally concluded on June 18 when she placed 10^th overall at the Nationals.

But being a perfectionist, she still felt as if there was much to be desired.   

"I got 10^th in Nationals, which is pretty good, I guess," said Williams, who just concluded her junior year. "But it could've been better. It [her slump] happened when it shouldn't have happened and had I been at my best I probably could've placed second or third. It didn't go my way as planned but colleges did see my PRs [personal records] this season."     

Leave it to someone so competitive that she has a hard time seeing the glass as half-full but Williams felt she left room for improvement on the UNC-A&T campus.   

"I'm not back on my game as I was earlier in the season, so I'm not really happy," she admitted. "It was frustrating because I don't think I'm out of the slump, considering I only [high] jumped 5'4". But I am more positive and having more fun with it than when I was in that really bad slump."    

Arguably the greatest track athlete in the history of Dayton High, Williams has worked extremely hard to snare that distinction. If you ask her, however, maybe too hard, as she said she's happy that her season is officially over.    

"I'm off all summer except for a two-day track camp at Lenape High, third weekend in July," she said. 

She allowed that it's time for a much-needed break, as she basically competed year-round.  

"I am looking forward to a break. Everyone needs one," she said. "This is the first time I'll have a break since winter jumps in November."     

Although she was grateful for being invited to Nationals, and in the long-run said she'll reflect back on her top-10 finish as an achievement, Williams said it's going to bug her that she couldn't summon just a little more to get over the hump.  

"I'm happy I went to Nationals but I only jumped 5'4 ½" and the winning height was 5'8 ¾"," she said, noting that an even higher prestige was also within reach. "And All-American was 5'6 ½". But it was a good experience all around because there were a lot of good athletes and all the top schools [colleges] were there."    

She said her goals for next season are certainly attainable and it should only increase her sudden national exposure.  

"Ideally I want to regularly hit 5'8" but I think I can even hit 5'10 in high-jump," she said. "I also want to PR in long-jump because I didn't do it this year. I missed it by ¼ of an inch. In triple-jump I can get a 36 or 37 feet and that should impress coaches even more."     

Although the coaches and school representatives weren't technically allowed to approach the athletes, Williams still got her fair share of "bumps" at Nationals.  

"[M]y mom ran into the Penn State coach. And the coach at Clemson will be visiting me in August," she said. "Also, the coach in Maryland shared an elevator with me and my mom."   

She doesn't have a "dream school" but the Nationals certainly helped her pare down her list from the dozens of suitors. Thanks to her parents, Williams said things have been made easier.   

"He's definitely very involved even though he didn't go to college," she said of her dad, Peter, a 6'6" former pro basketball player. "He went straight to Israel to play professional basketball but he knows what it's like to be a top athlete."     

When asked if she inherited any physical attributes from her mom's side, Janet Williams quickly dispelled that.     

"She didn't get any of that from me," quipped Janet.      

The striking blonde gave sole credit to dad Peter for Alexa's athletic prowess but said Alexa inherited the feistiness from her, being that mom was born and raised in Paterson.  

Janet may not have had a large role on the track and field itself but if wasn't for her prodding, the Nationals may not have even happened because Alexa admitted her late-season swoon almost made her forego the meet.    

 "She wasn't even sure at first that she even wanted to go to Nationals," said Janet. "But I was like, 'You absolutely have to go. Just to experience it and meet people and different schools.'"       

And thanks to that sage advice, both mother and daughter might've found a frontrunner.    

"It's funny because they [coaches and reps] ran into us all the time down there," said Janet. "Once we got on an elevator with a guy who I thought was a father of one of the athletes. But then he told us he was a coach at Maryland and I started thinking, 'Hmmm, I love Maryland and I love crab cakes. But is red really her color?'"    

Alexa said she, too, saw a vision of herself at Maryland and was taken aback at the brief conversation she had with the Terrapin.  

"When he saw I was wearing a [University of] Miami jacket he thought I ran for them," said Alexa, who was wearing gear that her brother, a Miami student, gave her. "The Maryland guy asked me my PRs and when I told him he was like, 'Well, you can run for our team.' I smiled and then started thinking."    

For both, this past calendar year has been a great experience.  

"This is all brand new to me because I never played sports," said Janet. "But it's been fun. Really cool."     

Alexa has been overwhelmed at times but said she wouldn't trade this for anything.   

"I can basically pick the school and have them send me the criteria of what I need to meet," she marveled. "It's pretty weird that I'm getting all this attention. And coaches are even requesting me on Facebook."     

One coach that made a major imprint on her is her own coach at JDHS, Jackie Zika.  

The sixth-year coach accompanied Alexa and her family down to Nationals and is also helping her sort through all this fanfare.   

"Coach has been great. Just awesome," gushed Williams. "She's been there every step of the way, too. People questioned why she went down there but how often is she going to have an athlete go to the Nationals and have a chance to place? That doesn't happen that much."     

Williams credited Zika with prepping her for the big meet and said thanks to Zika, she's now being mentioned in the pantheon of JDHS athletics.   

"When I first started I was only jumping 4'10" but coach changed everything because I didn't really know what I was doing," she said. "But now it's really cool and exciting to hear my name associated with Dayton track as 'the one.' I think I've broken almost all the records, so I think my name belongs [in the discussion of all-time JDHS athletes]."     

Her intensity during meets is famous but Williams said the intensity of some universities is even too much for her.   

"I've heard Penn State is really intense. I want to go to a D-I school and I know it's going to be intense no matter where I go but [going to] a school that's really intense…," she said before tapering off, as if to say Happy Valley may be a long shot.     

She said another school that has been staying on top of her is Clemson University. The South Carolina school is picturesque and a big-time program but one thing may hold her back.    

"I heard it's beautiful down there but I'll have to see because I really don't see myself wearing purple and orange," she joked of the school's colors.   

Whichever school she picks, Williams said her current school had a lot to do with getting her to this point. She added her success isn't just singular, as JDHS has managed to churn out stellar athletes as of late.  

"We weren't really recognized as a sports school until last fall when we were really good at football. Dayton sports was nothing until the 2010 class got good," she said. "But this [2011] class is also really loaded with talent in all sports."  

She added that Dayton isn't just a sports factory, as some of the brightest students happen to be in her class.     

"Everyone is so smart in my grade. People like [softball pitcher] Gabby [DeFronzo] who's like a genius," said Williams who herself sports a solid 3.3 GPA. "And there are so many good athletes in my grade. This is a talented class even though it's a small Group I school."   

She forewarned, however, that the well may run dry after 2011.    

"I think once our grade leaves, we're going to be back to being just ok but it'll hopefully pick itself back up eventually," she said.   

Whatever happens to the JDHS sports scene past 2011, the Bulldogs family should still be thankful that Alexa Williams was one of the pioneers.