Harrison Williams Wins National Championship
For those that need a reminder, Harrison Williams graduated from Memphis University School in 2014 and set (and still holds) four state records: Pole Vault, Decathlon, 300m Hurdles, and 4x400m Relay. As the 2021 Olympic Trials approached, we interviewed former MUS standout Harrison Williams ahead of that competition. Based on projections, he had a strong chance to make the US Team. Unfortunately, Williams suffered an injury during the second day of the Decathlon and finished 4th.
After a hip surgery in late 2021, Williams started competing again in summer of 2022 and by spring of this year was able to set a World Lead in the Decathlon with a score of 8492 at Mt. Sac. The mark would make him eligible to qualify for the World Championships in Budapest surpassing the championship standard of 8460 but likely still needed a top three finish at the USATF Championships to officially secure his spot on the team (based on my understanding).
As the events started to unfold on Thursday, Williams never fell out of top three position in the point table as he secured top three finishes in four of the five day one events.
- 100m - 10.65 (3rd, 940 Points)
- Long Jump - 24-6.5 (2nd, 930 Points)
- Shot Put - 50-3.5 (3rd, 810 Points)
- High Jump - 6-6.25 (9th, 794 Points)
- 400m - 46.35 (2nd, 991 Points)
He ended the first day of the decathlon with a 35 point advantage over second and on day two, the margin would only grow as Williams never fell out of first place finishing with 8630 total points, a national championship, and a World Championship berth.
Congratulations to Harrison Williams. Good luck in Budapest
