“Runners take your marks… set,” the race starter said prior to pulling the trigger at the Texas Tech Open and Multis event on Jan. 27.
This track race commonality was the signal that sent Oregon star sprinter Micah Williams out of the blocks and across the finish line.
Williams posted a 6.49 second 60 meter dash time to secure the victory. His time tied for the best in the nation at the time until it fell a couple weeks later.
In Williams’ next race, the 200 meter, he reached for his hamstring as he pulled up before the line. As a result, Williams was sidelined for the 2023 NCAA D-I Men’s 60M Indoor Championships, two weeks later.
This obstacle marks the second season in a row where Williams is favored for the 60M crown but was unable to compete in the championship race. Last indoor season, Williams false started in the final race for supremacy in Spokane, Washington, at the 2022 NCAA indoors. It’s been two years since Williams was an NCAA champion when he won the event as a true freshman.
Texas Tech junior Terrence Jones took the 2023 indoor 60M crown, with Williams unfit to compete. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Williams and his supporters as Jones won with a time of 6.46 seconds. Just .03 thousandths faster than Williams, a sign that this event could’ve gone in either’s favor.
With the indoor season in the rear view, Williams shifts his focus to tearing up the outdoor track.
Last outdoor season, Williams ran blazing times of 9.83, 9.86 and 9.90 at the USATF Golden Games, Pac-12 Championship semifinals and the Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships to conclude the season. After he ran a 9.93 to capture the 100M crown in the Pac-12 Championships, Williams looked primed to be the NCAA men’s 100M champion.
On June 8, Williams won his semifinal heat with a time of 10.03 seconds. However when he got to the finals, he underperformed with a time of 10.19 and placed in seventh.
While he didn’t end 2022 with the individual goals he had in mind, Williams still qualified for the Team USA men’s 4x100M relay team, albeit as a reserve.
Williams talked about the guidance he received from the USATF veterans.
“I had Fred Kerley, Noah [Lyles], Grant Holloway and all of them were all great mentors,” Williams said. “They were telling me certain tips about the game and what to expect. Even Fred will comment on my stuff today and help me, that’s the biggest thing.”
When he was asked if losing the Pac-12 and NCAA Championships last season are a driving force for this season, he gave a candid response.
“I just like running, so ultimately I just want to get better,” Williams said. “If I get better and that includes winning then that’s the biggest thing for me. I don’t like looking back… because everyone takes losses.”
With redemption on his mind, watch out for Williams to be a burner this season and bring home hardware.
“I’m just trying to leave my mark… be a person that people look up to, especially in Oregon,” Williams said. “Not too many sprinters in Oregon come out and do what I’m doing.”
Williams discussed how he doesn’t like to focus on the field of sprinters in the U.S.
“I try to just focus on myself,” Williams said. “I’ve proven to myself multiple times this year that I can compete with the best.”
Williams’ highest world rankings are No. 13 in the men’s 100M, No. 65 in the 200M and No. 234 overall. He currently ranks No. 21 in the 100M and No. 287 overall, per World Athletics.
Tune in to see if Williams, the “Quad God” – a name given by fans – can improve his world ranking as he takes the blocks next at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational in Berkeley, California, on April 6-7.
