"Do No Harm" - The weekend story of a child track prodigy - Lauren "Rain" Williams.
"Do No Harm" is an axiom in life that should be a guide post for those who are in leadership or authoritarian positions. "Doing no harm" to those who are under one's tutelage or supervision should be foremost in a leader's mind when determining policy and procedure. On the weekend of June 10, 2011 USA Track & Field Southern California Association (SO CAL - USATF) failed to live up to the "do no harm" creed in conducting the SCA Junior Olympic Championships from 6/10/2011 to 6/12/2011 at Cerritos College.
Lauren "Rain" Williams is a 11 year old, soon to be 12 on July 25th, track prodigy who is the best female sprinter in the USA in USATF's Midget division (born 1999 - 2000.) One can make a strong case that she is also the most versatile and the fastest sprinter in the world in her age group, male or female. Lauren's PRs (Personal Records) are off the chart. Best times this year in the sprints are 55.31 400M, 24.04 200M, and 11.94 100M. Wrap your mind around those times. As a 6th grader, she would have finished in the top 5 in all 3 sprint events at the 2011 CIF State High School Championship Meet in Clovis, CA if she ran her best times. Having seen Lauren compete and run, I wouldn't put it pass her to surpass her best times against older kids. For those who are reading this who don't know much about track and field, California is historically the top state in the country for youth and high school track and field. She's a special talent and everybody involved in youth track and field knows it.
This is the second blog post I've written on a young prodigy that I've had the pleasure of seeing in person. "CG's view of KG (Kevin Garnett) when he was in High School" was the first. For 11 years of my life I was a scout and front office executive with the Chicago Bulls. My main responsibility was to evaluate talent. I've seen some great athletes and players when they were very young. Besides Garnett, I also saw LeBron James play in high school and Michael Jordan when he was a freshman at UNC. Lauren Williams has the same type of eye-popping talent.
I became aware of Lauren's exploits in 2009. 2009 was the first year my son (Garrett) participated in track & field. Chris Daughters, who is one of our coaches in the Brotherhood Crusade Track program, mentioned "Track Mom" to me, which is a great youth site for track and field. I perused the site and came across a picture of a young girl with near perfect form.
I marveled at the picture and quickly found out that it was the picture of the daughter of the site's architect, Lorraine Williams. Weeks later, I saw Lauren run for the first time and I've been following her career and tracking her development since 2009.
Lauren started the 2011 track season off with a bang at the Phoenix Invitational Track Meet in April with INTERNATIONAL AGE GROUP WORLD RECORD times of 12.18 in the 100M and 24.73 in the 200M. Both times eclipsed the female 11 year old age group records of 12.31 & 25.14 in the 100M & 200M dashes, but were not officially recognized, because the Phoenix Invitational Meet did not have a wind gauge. Both times were also close to breaking Angela Williams' 1992 100M (12.1) & 200M (24.47) Midget Girls American Youth Outdoor Track & Field Records.
Lauren's Phoenix Invitational times in the 100M & 200M dashes stood as her PRs throughout April and May; but in late May, she gave youth track & field fans an inkling of what might occur in youth track's championship season (June/July) with a breathtaking 400m anchor leg in the 4 x 400M Relay at the Pasadena Running Roses meet on May 22 that is recounted in a Track Mom post entitled "Release The Beast." The other 400M that caused one to raise eyebrows was an open 400M (55.31) that she ran on May 28 at the LA Jets Invitational Meet. The International 11 year old age group record is 55.01 & Midget Girls record is 54.73. With these performances occurring in late May, anyone who understands track and field could tell that Lauren has been masterfully coached by her father, Henry, to peak at the most important time of the year in track and field, the Championship Season.
Peak she did at Southern California Association's (USATF) 2011 Track and Field Championships held on June 10 through June 12th at Cerritos College. This meet is sanctioned by SCA - USATF and is the first hurdle that an athlete must conquer to qualify for the 2011 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships that will be held in Wichita, Kansas in July. As a member of the Quiet Fire Track Club, Lauren entered two individual events (100M & 200M) and one relay event (4 x 100M) in Cerritos. On Saturday, she qualified for the finals on Sunday by running 12.3 & 25.25 in the 100M & 200M dashes. No wind gauge was used for any races on Saturday.
On Friday, June 10, Lauren's mom, Lorraine Williams tweeted: "Will there be a wind instrument at the meet this weekend? Bigger question, why do I have to ?" to @scausatf. I guess SCA - USATF didn't get the message and couldn't even figure it out on their own after Saturday's meet that a wind gauge would be needed on Sunday. Shameful! Read Lorraine's blog on her Track Mom web site entitled "Gone With The Wind Gauge" to get her take on the SNAFUS conducted by SCA.
What happened on Sunday? Lauren obliterated the INTERNATIONAL AGE GROUP WORLD RECORDS and the Midget Girls American Youth Outdoor Track & Field Records in the 100M & 200M with blazing times of 11.94 & 24.04. Alas, her record times won't count in the record books because there was no wind gauge to measure if the wind was less than 2.0 MPH.
What did Lauren say to her mom after learning that her performances on this day would not put her in the record book, "my time wasn't real now, right mom?" and another query was in a low voice "well, it doesn't count". Adults, leaders of SCA-USATF & USATF, let's get it right and "do no harm" to Lauren and other young athletes who are competing in track & field. An 11 year old adolescent girl, who puts her heart and soul into being the best that she can possibly be, shouldn't have to ask her mother if the time everybody is telling her she accomplished is really real. DO NO HARM!
Sadly, this isn't the first time that Lauren has been let down by USATF. At the 2009 USATF Youth National Meet in Greensboro, NC she jumped 14'10.5" in the long jump and was initially given a second place medal because another athlete's jump was measured incorrectly. Lorraine blogged about the long jump controversy and the eventual outcome. Eventually a wrong was righted, but it took many months and letters to resolve the situation. DO NO HARM!
No track meet is perfect. Given the sheer number of participants, things are going to go awry and some people are going to have negative experiences. Last year, my son Garrett ran his first 1500M ever at the Cerritos Meet and was listed as a DNF, when he actually finished the race. What initially was a negative experience became my most memorable track experience in 2010 because my son said these words to me, "Don't worry about it dad, we know what I did and that's all that matters." DO NO HARM!
The 2011 SCA Junior Olympic Championships had other incidents besides the "wind gauge" controversy. Athletes being told they couldn't run because their birth dates hadn't been certified, when they actually had. False start rule being misapplied by an official. Lane assignments, per USATF rule 303, not being properly assigned to athletes who had earned the right to premium lanes based on their qualifying times. A new timing system that slowed the pace of the meet. DO NO HARM!
On Wednesday, June 15, Lorraine Williams attended a So Cal - USATF board meeting. The board members must have read Lorraine's blog,"Gone With the Wind Gauge." They apologized for not having a wind gauge, promised to remove the bogus 3.3 MPH wind measurement from the results, and assured her there will be a wind gauge at the regional meet in San Diego on June 24 & 25.
I wish Lauren the best as she chases championships and records in her age group. Here's hoping that USATF and AAU leaders are smart enough to have a wind gauge at future meets.
Unleash the Beast Lauren, we're rooting for you!
Will update Lauren's times after she competes in future track meets, including the USATF National JO, USATF Youth Outdoor, & AAU National Championships. Stay Tune in June/July!
UPDATE:
6/18 & 6/19 - AAU AREA 18 San Diego T&F JO Qualifier - Lauren qualified for AAU Nationals in 100M, 200M, & 400M in the Midget Group. First in all three events. Continued her dominant ways. On the path to accomplish her ultimate goals - to be USATF National "Midget" Champion in 100M, 200M, & 4 x 100M Relay, and AAU National "Midget" Champion in 100M, 200M, & 400M. No wind indicator used for any events.
RESULTS:
100M - 12.24
200M - 25.17
400M - 56.90
6/24-6/26 - 2011 USATF REGION 15 Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships
Lauren qualified for USATF National JO T&F Championships in all events she entered. First in two individual events & Quiet Fire team placed 1st in 4x100 relay with nation leading time of 49.59.
RESULTS:
100M - 12.23 - No Wind Indicator (NWI)
200M - 24.82 - Wind Indicator (.6)
4x100 Relay - 49.59
6/28-7/3 - 2011 USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Myrtle Beach, SC
Lauren won and dominated the three sprint events (100M, 200M, 400M) in the Midget Female category at the meet. Her best times in 100M & 200M finals were superior to the boys in the Midget Division and her qualifying 400M time was better than any boy ran in the finals or in the qualification round. National event and she blew her competition away. Two more national meets to go and she should face tougher competition in these meets. Lauren's Track Mom, Lorraine, gives you her account of the family's week in Myrtle Beach - TrackMom Diaries.
RESULTS:
100M: 12.59 - Wind Indicator (-1.2) Qualified: 12.66 Best Competitor Time - Female: 13.58 Male: 12.96
200M: 24.82 - Wind Indicator (.9) Qualified: 24.89 Best Competitor Time - Female: 26.94 Male: 25.85
400M: 57.88 Qualified: 56.92 Best Competitor Time - Female: 1:00.76 Male: 57.02
* Lauren is not competing against males, but I listed the best male times at the event to show one how dominant a sprinter she is in her age group, whether you're comparing her against male or female athletes. Congrats to Lauren on another stellar performance. She's done a lot of high performance running in a 9 day period (2 Meets - 11 races) for a young athlete. On Sunday she won the 100M & 400M dashes with a tight left hamstring. Henry, Lauren's dad & coach, told her to take it easy. How many 11/12 year old kids can take it easy and run a 57.88 400M. Great competitor who is nearly always at her best when her best is needed. Get some much needed rest Lauren, stay healthy and I look forward to hearing about your exploits in Late July and early August.
Along with the AAU Junior Olympics, this meet is the premier youth meet in the country. Lauren won two individual national titles in the 100 meter & 200 meter dashes. She and her Quiet Fire teammates (Lauryn Anderson, Sydney Ned, Shante Robinson) won the 4 x 100 meter relay by .95 second. Lauren dominated her individual events - margin of victory in 100M (.49 seconds) - margin of victory in 200M (1.01 seconds). 6 national championships in 2011. Will be competing in New Orleans at the AAU JO to be national AAU champion in 100m, 200m, & 400m. Stay tune to see if she accomplishes her goal of being national champion in 9 events.
RESULTS:
100M: 12.21 - Wind Indicator (-.1) Qualified: 12.42 Best Competitor Time - Female: 12.7 Male: 11.71 - Lauren would have placed 3rd vs. boys.
200M: 24.56 - Wind Indicator (2.1) Qualified: 25.05 Best Competitor Time - Female: 25.57 Male:
23.66 Lauren would have placed 3rd vs. boys.
4 x 100M: 50.26 Qualified: 50.55 Best Competitor Time - Female: 51.21 Male: 49.6 Quiet Fire girls would have placed 3rd. vs. boys.
Lauren barely missed breaking Angela Williams' USATF National Midget Girl records set in 1992 in the 100 meters (12.1) & 200 meters (24.47).
Lorraine's TrackMom Diaries from Day 3 & Day 4.
8/1-8/6, 2011 AAU Junior Olympics Track & Field Championships - New Orleans, LA
Lauren accomplished her goal of 9 national championships in 2011 by winning the 100m, 200m, & 400m dashes at the AAU's. In facing her toughest competition of the year, she continued her dominating ways.
RESULTS
100M: 12.37 - Wind Indicator (-1.1) Qualified: 12.67/12.77 Best Competitor Time - Female: 12.58 Male: 11.80 - Lauren would have placed 5th vs. boys.
200M: 24.94 - Wind Indicator (.1) Qualified: 25.58/25.46 Best Competitor Time - Female: 25.58 Male: 23.93 Lauren would have placed 8th vs. boys.
400M: 56.72 Best Competitor Time - Female: 58.19 Male: 55.38 Lauren would have place 5th vs. boys.
Lauren did not come close to breaking AAU National Midget Girl records in the 100 meters (12.1), 200 meters (24.63), & 400M (55.11)
Lorraine's TrackMom Diaries from New Orleans - Day 1 & 2; Day 3 & 4
Lorraine's Final TrackMom Diary of 2011 - Lauren Rain Williams “Mission So Very Possible” Season 2011
6/12/11 - Lauren runs the fastest 200M ever for a midget & 11 year old girl - 24.04.
6/12/11 - Lauren runs the fastest 100M ever for a midget & 11 year old girl-11.94 
SCA-USATF is an all-volunteer organization (not necessarily professional). I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in improving the sport to run for office in the local association.
ReplyDeleteLauren Williams has been nominated for a Youthee in the Track Athlete of the Year category.
ReplyDelete