Meet "Turbo": Huffman's Williams set to compete in trio of events at UIL State Track & Field Meet
HOUSTON - Jade Wiliams has always had the tendency to do everything quick.
When she was in middle school, a basketball evaluator said that her first step had a little bit of "turbo" in it. Since then, the nickname has stuck.
That quickness has now landed the Huffman sophomore at the 2022 UIL State Track & Field Meet in Austin on Thursday morning. Not just in one event but in three - the 4x200-meter relay, 300-meter hurdles and the long jump. Williams is the first girl in Huffman history to qualify for State in three different events.
"I feel excited and blessed to successfully execute what I’ve worked so hard for," Williams said. "I didn’t know I was the first, I just wanted to make it as far as I could in every event."
At the Regional Meet, Williams actually made it in four events (100-hurdles, 300-hurdles, long jump and 4x200) but was only going to compete in three.
The day started with the long jump.
Williams raced down the runway and launched herself through the air. Once she hit the sand she got up, they measured and called out her distance - 18 feet-6 1/2-inches. A new personal best by a whole foot.
The leap sent Williams to the Regional Championship and smashed a 40-year-old school record of 17-feet-11-inches.
"I had no clue I had jumped 18’-6 1/2”. When they called out the distance, my coaches reactions said it all," Williams said. "I prayed right before that jump and God carried me to where I needed to be."
Then it was time to hit the track for her running events.
At the Area Meet, she ran the 4x200 and felt exhausted for her 300-meter hurdle race making her "apprehensive about running the 4x200 at Regionals".
The sophomore decided to run.
"After long contemplation and prayer, I decided I didn’t want my teammates to miss out on the experience because of me," Williams said. "I knew it would be difficult, but if I really wanted to win the 300 hurdles, I’d make it happen, and I did. I’m glad I made that decision."
Williams ran the 4x200-meter relay along with Lexi Rousseau, Adyson Booth, and Lilly Sarbeck and finished as the Regional Champion (1:44.52).
She then went on to win the 300-meter hurdles (46.445) to punch her ticket to State in three different events. With her performance along with her teammates, Huffman girls track and field finished with 85 points and as the Region III-4A Champions at the end of April. The first-ever team Regional Championship in program history.
"It was totally unexpected and amazing to experience and share this accomplishment with my teammates," Williams said.
"Turbo" also plays basketball at Huffman and this past season she reached 1,000 career points already for the Falcons. Now, she will try and add some State gold to her accomplishments on Thursday.
"I still have a lot of work to do," Williams said. "I’m going work even harder these next two weeks. By [State], when the time comes, I’ll be more than ready!"