LG’s Williams Stars for TLU Track Team

La Grange High School graduate Ja’Keia Williams was a valuable part of the Texas Lutheran University relay teams this track and field season.

The sophomore helped the 4-by-400-meter relay place third at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference outdoor championship. She earned her lone medal of the meet and all-conference third-team recognition.

She ran the lead leg of the relay, like she did when the relay won at the 2021 conference championship. “I do start very well,” she said. “I’m really comfortable there.”

She was the only runner from last year’s relay to be in the event at this championship. Brenna Iannelli, a teammate from La Grange, ran the second leg of the relay.

“It was exciting to be able to run with someone from my home,” she said.

The 4-by-400 lineup was changeable. For example, she ran the first leg when the relay team won at the D3 Challenge, but Iannelli was not a part of the foursome.

Williams ran the third leg of the 4-by-100 relay that finished third at the D3 meet and was in that spot when it scored at the next meet. She ran the anchor leg when the relay placed fourth at an early March event.

When she is in the latter legs of the 4-by-100, she said, “We’re usually trying to gain” position in the race.

She competed in the 55, 100, 200 and 400 races during the indoor and outdoor seasons. But she didn’t place as well as she did last year.

“I wasn’t as happy with the individual events. Before the season I did have a small hamstring injury. I did recover and was not as good as I wanted to be,” Williams said.

“Sometimes it can be a little hard when you don’t see the re sults you want to see,” she said.

During the summer she plans to train four days a week, mostly doing sprints “to maintain what I’ve done,” she said, yet is open to including longer distances to build strength.

“I may need to do that, try to do something different,” she said.

More outdoor track and field

Iannelli placed second in the 400 hurdles in a career-best time at the conference championship, earning all-conference secondteam recognition. She also scored by posting a career best in the pole vault to finish fifth.

Send updates about area athletes to Barbara Boxleitner at jdanddoc@gmail.com.