The success of the Wheeling Park sprint program reached unprecedented heights in 2021.
Recently graduated senior and incoming Virginia Tech freshman Torrence Walker set state meet records as well as eyes a-popping in completing a sprint sweep at the state meet.
Walker won the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter dashes. In two of those races, the closest, and only legitimate challenger, was his fellow teammate Jerrae Hawkins Jr.
The tandem finished 1st and 2nd in both the 100- and 200-meter races. Walker alone ran the 400, completing his trifecta in 48.45, nearly two seconds ahead of his closest competitor.
Hawkins anchored the winning 4×100 relay team and was part of the 4th place 4×200 team. Walker finished as the high-point winner with 30 points. Hawkins was fifth.
It was an impressive showing in the final race of the season. That is, the final high school race of the season.
Neither Walkers nor Hawkins were done racing after that successful day in Charleston.
Last week, both the reigning state sprint champion and his likely successor travel to Eugene Oregon to compete in the NASF Outdoor Nationals presented by Nike.
After competing against the best in West Virginia, the two tried their hat running against some of the nation’s best. Both runners more than held their own.
“It was an unreal experience,” Walker said. “I knew I was going to be pushed and challenged. Not many can say they went against the best of the best in a national championship race.”
Walker not only competed; he placed. His 10.61 during his preliminary heat pushed him through to the finals, where he came in sixth with a 10.47, a few hundreds of a second off his PR.
He also placed in the 200, coming in 8th after finished in 21.32. During the preliminary heat, Walker actually PR’d in the 200 at 21.14.
Passing the Torch
Hawkins didn’t advance to the finals, but his 10.92 was good enough for 26th out of 48 competitors. It was also the top time for a freshman at the event.
“It was a great experience,” Hawkins Jr. said. “But I would have liked to have run a little better.”
Finishing midway in the pack in a national race against a majority of 17- and 18-year-olds is nothing to scoff at. But Hawkins ran a 10.75 in the state finals in the 100, right after posting a 10.73 in the preliminary round.
Those times would have put him in the Top 15 range at Eugene.
Walker and Hawkins will have another chance to improve this season with the AAU Jr. Olympics in Houston in early August.
After that, Hawkins will focus on the upcoming football season whilst Walker heads off to Blacksburg and prep work for indoor and outdoor track in the ACC.
But come spring, Hawkins will be tasked with the defending the Patriots’ sprint crown for the next three seasons.
In Walker’s estimation, his protégé is primed to three-peat during the next three seasons.
“Park’s still going to have a top-tier sprint program the next few years,” Walker said. “And Jerrae? He’ll pass me up time wise probably by the time he’s a junior I bet.”
Hawkins is not shy about setting high standards for himself. When asked about his goals timewise for next season, he talked in the 10.40-10.5 range. He didn’t want to make a prediction for his PR by the time he’s a senior, but there’s a great chance that Walker won’t be the only former Patriots’ sprinter clocking low 10-second times collegiately in Division I.
Ready for the ACC
Walker will be running primarily the 100 and 200 at Va. Tech, though he’s more than willing to assist on a few relay races as well.
It’s quite a journey, from a state placer as a sophomore, to a three-time state champion and a Division-I signee by the end of your senior season.
Running, and better yet, placing in Oregon likely wasn’t on his radar during the COVID-lost season in 2020.
Sometimes Walker has to stop and catch his breath to be able to appreciate all he’s accomplished in such a short period of time.
“Everything has gone by so fast, I’m not really able to soak it all in,” Walker admitted. “I decided on Virginia Tech because it was one of the first Division I schools to reach out to me and when I visited, I really liked what I saw.
“I had a lot of good calls from the coach, and it made (the Hokies) stand out from the others.”
