Darien Williams has eyes on prize for Wissahickon

LOWER GWYNEDD >> If you blink, you might miss him.

That’s Wissahickon senior Darien Williams.

Williams did what he’s been doing all season in Tuesday’s 104-46 dual meet win over Upper Dublin at Wissahickon High School, and that is win. He competed in three events and won all of them — 100m in 10.9 seconds, 4×1 in 43.4 and 200m in 22.4. He ran the second leg of the relay and quickly took his team from behind to the lead. He did all of that after his coach, Don Betterly, told him to just get in the lead and relax rather than push for a better time.

He has not lost yet this season and perhaps his biggest win came last week at the Penn Relays in the 4×4.

“That was a lot of fun,” Williams said. “I’m really proud of those guys. After a rough start by our first leg … and then Rasheed (Wright) bringing it back to first place from fourth and then Cam (Christopher) holding on it was amazing and really fun to watch.”

Williams left out his role in the race as the anchor. He had to regain the lead down the stretch and split a personal best 49.02.

Betterly explained how Williams was neck-and-neck with the competition and, after the opponent made his move a little early, flew by and cruised to the finish line.

It was the third time Williams competed in the historic races at Franklin Field.

“I remember my sophomore year,” he said. “I was very, very nervous. This year I was more composed.”

Williams set PR’s this season for both the 100m and 200m with times of 10.81 and 21.80 and plans on breaking those before his high school career is over.

“I set those in the very beginning of the season,” he said. “I haven’t really run it yet at a big meet, so I’m just waiting for another opportunity.”

The big meets he pointed to coming up where he could set a new mark are the Trojan Track Classic Thursday, the league meet next Saturday and districts the Saturday after that.

Betterly doesn’t expect Williams to be challenged until districts and states come around. As a junior, Williams finished third in the 100m at states and his goal is gold this time around.

“He’s got a shot at gold this year if he stays on track,” Betterly said. “Third place (last year) and both those guys ahead of him graduated, but there’s other guys who have come up and are right where he is.”

After this year, Williams will be continuing his education and track career at Penn State.

“I was just looking for schools,” Williams, a third-year varsity runner, explained. “Penn State was a decent track school and I wanted to get into their business school. I contacted the coach and he let me on the team.

“The track program is excellent and the school aspect of it was also a big motivator to go there.”

He’s a striker on the Trojans soccer team and started running track when he was in eighth grade when the coach reached out and asked him about joining the team.

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Betterly was also very impressed by sophomore Rasheed Wright, who was part of the 4×4 team that won the Penn Relays.

Tuesday against Upper Dublin, Wright ran a 49.5 400 and 48.9 relay sprint as the anchor in the 4×4 to win what was the most entertaining and competitive race of the day.