TRACK-FIELD

McKeel's Chelsi Williams named 2A track athlete of the year

Roy Fuoco
The Ledger
McKeel's Chelsi Williams clears the last hurdle as she wins the girls 100 hurdles recently at the 2021 FHSAA Class 2A State Track and Field Finals at the University of North Florida.

McKeel eighth-grader Chelsi Williams was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 2A girls track athlete of the year and is one of four finalists for the 2021 Miss Track Athlete of the Year.

"I'm shocked and surprised," Williams said. "I never thought I'd get 2A athlete of the year. I'm very proud of myself."

The overall winner will be announced after a final round of voting.

More:Eighth-grader Williams mines 2 gold medals at 2A meet

Photos:Gallery: Polk athletes compete at FHSAA state track meet

More:She missed the state meet twice. Now Kathleen's I'Asia Wilson is hungry for redemption

Williams, who ranked nationally in her age group prior to competing last year for McKeel as a seventh-grader, won two gold medals in the Class 2A state meet last month. She won the 100 hurdles in 14.15 seconds and the triple jump with a mark of 37-10.25. She also added a fifth-place finish in the 300 hurdles.

Williams' time in the 100 hurdles is the second-best time in Polk County since at least 2000, and possibly the second-best time in county history. Auburndale's Tyra Thomas holds the record of 14.13.

Williams' performance at the state meet capped her first complete high school season in which she won district and regional titles in the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles and the triple jump. Her only regular-season losses in the hurdles came at the Bob English Classic, which was the second meet of the season, although she did set a personal-record of 45.04 in the 300 hurdles with her second-place finish.

The other four finalists for Miss Track Athlete of the Year are Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas' Eddiyah Frye (4A), Miami Southridge's Alyssa Jones (3A) and St. John Neumann's Leah Martin-Gonzalez (1A). 

Frye won state titles in the 100 hurdles (13.53) and long jump (19-3.75) and ran the anchor leg for the winning 4x100 team. She also finished fourth in the 300 hurdles. 

Jones, who was the 2019 state high jump champion, won the title again this season and added victories in the 100 and the long jump.

Martin-Gonzales won state titles in the 100 hurdles (14.58) and long jump (18-9.25).