From Dec. 23 - Jan. 1, Kevin Hadsell, the director of track & field and cross country, shares with utrockets.com his list of the Top-10 cross country and track memories of the last 10 years. Hadsell is in his 12th year as the head men's and women's cross country coach and has guided the women's track team since 2004.
Over the course of her career, April Williams
established herself as one of the top women's long and triple jumpers
in Toledo and Mid-American Conference history. She is one of only four
Toledo women (joining Shantel Ransom, Candice Campbell and Briana
Shook) to earn All-American status more than once. In her final year, she
battled back from a broken leg to set the all-time MAC record in the
triple jump and earn her second All-American certificate.
As a junior, Williams dominated the MAC Indoor
Championships in the jumps. She set the MAC Indoor Championships meet
record in the long jump with a leap of 20-9 and won the triple jump
with a mark of 42-5.5. For her performances, April was named the MAC
Indoor Most Valuable Performer by the leagues coaches. Her long jump
of 20-9 is also the No. 2 all-time long jump in Mid-American Conference
indoor history.
Williams went on to win the Notre Dame Last Chance
Meet in the triple jump with an indoor PR and school-record leap of
42-07.5, which is the fifth-best jump in Mid-American Conference history.
At the 2006 Indoor NCAA Championships, Williams
jumped 20-3.75 and finished ninth, which earned her All-American status
for the first time.
During the 2006 outdoor season, Williams was the
Texas Relays Runner-up in the triple jump with a then-school record of
42-5.25. She then won the Central Collegiate Championships in both the
long jump and triple jump with jumps of 20-3 and 43-1, respectively, and
earned a trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in both.
At the 2006 NCAA Regional Track and Field
Championships, Williams competed in both the long jump and triple
jump. She finished fourth in the triple jump (42-7) and seventh in the long
jump (20-7). She went on to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field
Championships and finished 18th in the long jump and 22nd in the triple
jump.
At the 2007 Toledo Invitational, Williams set her
lifetime-best in the long jump with a leap of 20-9.5. It ranks her second
all-time in Toledo history (behind two-time All-American Candy
Campbell) and No. 8 all-time in MAC history.
In 2007, Williams returned for her senior outdoor
season after having suffered a broken bone in her ankle during the
indoor season. She once again won the long jump and triple jumps. Her
long jump of 20-7 was nearly one foot farther than any other competitor, qualified her for the NCAA Championships, and was the sixth best
all-time in MAC Outdoor Championships meet history. Her triple jump
winning jump of 42-2 ranked her fourth in MAC meet history.
At the NCAA Regional Championships in 2007, Williams
was the NCAA Regional Runner-up in the triple jump with a lifetime-best
and all-time Toledo and Mid-American Conference record leap of
43-11.75. She would go on to compete in both the long jump and triple
jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and finish eighth
in the triple jump with a leap of 43-3, earning her second All-American
certificate in the process.
Williams was a 2007 US World Championships Trials
Qualifier and a 2008 US Olympic Trials Qualifier. She was also the
Mid-American Conference NCAA Woman of the Year.
“April's story is one I will never forget," Hadsell said. "One of
the hardest working athletes we have ever had and a true example of
what talent, hard work and desire can work together to achievel. She is one of the best all-around athletes I have ever met, male or female.”