Fleet freshman’s sprint to glory
Lincoln’s Wilkes takes NJSIAA Meet of Champions’ 55-meter title
It’s safe to say that there wasn’t a soul in the track and field spectrum who knew anything about Takara Wilkes before a few weeks ago. Sure, her coach at Lincoln High School, Neil Khalid, insists that people on the Hudson County track scene knew who Wilkes was.
"Everyone in Jersey City and Hudson County knew who she was," Khalid said. "But no one knew how far, how high, how fast she could go. But I think we all knew she could do something special."
In reality, to the rest of the free world, the 15-year-old youngster was a total unknown.
However, Wilkes started to raise some eyebrows when she sprinted home with the HCIAA indoors 55-meter crown two weeks ago, romping home in a breezy 7.0 seconds. That made a lot of people stand up and take notice.
But the very determined and confident Wilkes knew all along that she was going to become a track standout, ever since she started taking the sport seriously at age six, working out with her father, former Snyder, Penn State and New York Giants running back Troy Davis.
"Ever since I was a little kid, training with my father, I was running against kids older and bigger," Wilkes said. "I would race against high school students and win. My dad trained me for three years and then he let me race. I started realizing then that I could do well running."
So when the time came for the NJSIAA Group IV meet on Feb. 13, Wilkes wasn’t nervous at all.
"For some reason, I never get nervous," Wilkes said. "Something just sinks into my mind and tells me that I can do it."
Wilkes did it, winning the Group IV title.
A week later, while competing in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Jadwin Gym in Princeton, Wilkes did it again, winning the overall 55-meter title in 7.23 seconds. An overall state championship for a freshman, competing in her first few varsity meets. Almost unthinkable. Wilkes became the first Hudson County freshman to ever win an overall Meet of Champions state title.
For her efforts, Wilkes has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Khalid didn’t know what to think before the Meet of Champions.
"I looked at the rankings before the meet and she was second overall in time," Khalid said. "I knew that she had the 7.0 in the (168th Street) Armory (in New York for the HCIAA meet), so the time they had for her ranking was obsolete. I thought she had a shot, but honestly, Takara thought she had a better shot than I did."
Wilkes said that the novelty of being a state champion has already sunk in. She called her father, who now lives, teaches and coaches football and track in Raleigh, N.C., and told him the good news.
"He was real proud of me," Wilkes said. "People in school were calling me ‘State Champ.’ I’ve been getting a lot of attention and I’m having fun with it. But I don’t want people to think I have a big head or anything. I don’t go like that. I put a lot of hard work into running. I’m just enjoying the time while I can."
Khalid is impressed with Wilkes’ approach and demeanor.
"She’s very dedicated and works hard," Khalid said. "She’s becoming a role model already and she’s only a freshman. She’s shooting for the stars, and to have that much confidence at this age is great. And if you saw her on the street, you wouldn’t think she was a state champion. She’s regular people."
Added Khalid, "Her style of running is different, because she actually picks up speed as she goes. She comes out of the blocks fair, but she turns it on during the last 10 meters or so. She just outsprints everyone. Takara has an extra gear, and I didn’t know it was there. It’s deceptive and effortless. You don’t know how fast she’s going until you look at the [stop] watch."
Wilkes a star who is, without question, on the rise.
"This is just the beginning for her," Khalid said. "If she continues to be disciplined and accept guidance, she’s only going to get better."
Wilkes, who will compete in the Eastern Invitationals next week in New York, is looking forward to the outdoor track season, where she will compete in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes.
"Those are my major events," Wilkes said. "And the 200 is my best event. I’ll really shock some people then."
Two weeks ago, she was basically an unknown. Now, she’s a state champion. Competitors will be coming from all over to knock her off the perch.
"I’m just going to have to run harder now," Wilkes said. "I enjoy competition. I’m not afraid of competition."
And she’s already thinking ahead, to possible Olympic berths and showdowns with the current sprint queen of the track and field world, Marion Jones.
"I hope to get up there and run against her before she retires," Wilkes said. "I look up to Marion Jones, but I’d love the chance to beat her."
Yes, this is coming from a 15-year-old freshman. Shooting for the moon? Not too early. That is, in the mind of Takara Wilkes, the current state sprint champion.