Minnetonka senior Tobias Williams is on his way to becoming one of the elite athletes in the history of Lake Conference boys track and field.
That’s no one’s opinion, but simply a statement of fact.
Skipper teammates would agree that Williams was the key to Minnetonka’s victory over Wayzata in the Section 7AAA True Team Meet May 8 at Hopkins High Stadium. The day began with Williams winning the 100-meter dash in 10.94 seconds. Later in the meet he breezed to victory at 200 meters in 21.63. Then there was the 4x100 relay and another victory. And, oh by the way, that was Williams that fans saw over at the long jump pit. He flew 21 feet, 5.75 inches in a close battle for first place with Hopkins senior Kahuan Harris, who topped out with 21-6.
No one who watched a Minnetonka football game last fall with disagree with the premise that Williams is an all-around athlete. As one of the state’s premier corner backs, he was often assigned to cover the other team’s No. 1 receiver man-to-man.
Williams’ background in football helps him to see track and field as a team sport. He was not only competing in four events in the section True Team meet, he was also making the rounds cheering for other Skipper athletes.
“A True Team meet is all about placing,” Williams said during a break in the action. “I have run faster in the 100 than I did today. We have a lot of dudes on our team who can run, so we score a lot of points in a meet like this.”
Only one thing has bothered Williams this season, and that’s the weather.
“It seems like it has been raining all the time,” he said.
On one such rainy day, Williams competed in the Hamline Elite Meet, which features Minnesota’s best track athletes from all three enrollment classes. He wasn’t sprinting that day, which was just as well. Even in the rainy conditions, he jumped 21 feet, 10.5 inches for fourth place.
As he gets ready for the postseason, Williams is confident in himself, confident in his team. Yet he maintains his humility and character as a leader.
There are going to be challengers lined up ready to challenge Williams for the 100-meter dash, which he won at the Minnesota State High School League Class AAA Championships last spring. Among the contenders are senior Muhiz Bada of St. Michael-Albertville, Juriad Hughes Jr. of Irondale, Cooper Drake of Edina and Dwayne Smith Jr. of Apple Valley.
The 100-meter dash is a tricky event because so much depends on how fast a runner gets out of the blocks. Williams is usually an explosive starter, but even when he’s a couple meters behind, he has the kick to overtake just about anyone.
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