Tracking the post UL career of Lawrence Willis

<b>2005</b> <i>Ex-Cajun standout Lawrence Willis sweeps through long, triple jump.</i><blockquote><p align=justify>The University of Louisiana's track and field squads had waited over two seasons to perform in front of their home fans, so Saturday's Louisiana Classics meet was more celebration than home opener.

The opening of the new track facility, in fact, was enough to draw the Ragin' Cajuns' top performer from the past two seasons back for an encore appearance.

Flat jump standout Lawrence Willis, who earned All-America honors in both his junior and senior seasons, swept the men's long and triple jump titles as one of several prominent unattached entries in action Saturday at Cajun Track.

Willis posted a 23-10 mark in his first long-jump effort in nearly a year, and added a winning 51-11 3/4 effort in his triple jump specialty.

"I really haven't been practicing a lot," said Willis. "I haven't long jumped since last year's conference meet. I've been so busy finishing up graduation this spring, that's about all I've been working on."

Willis had a best of 55-1 in the triple jump last season and finished third in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, and said he's eyeing some summer meets after his finishes his degree.

"The marks were all right for early in the year," he said. "It's mostly just to keep the feel going. I'll see how it goes the rest of the spring."

Several members of the current Cajun squad have already seen success in the spring, with Scott Lowry and Clarissa Johnson each making it two-for-two in the outdoor season. Lowry followed his winning 16-0 effort last week at the UNO Invitational by capturing the Louisiana Classics men's pole vault at 15-0.

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<i>Louisiana's Clarissa Johnson finished first in the triple jump and second in the long jump during Louisiana Classics action this weekend. <!--

Johnson, who pulled off a double by winning the women's long jump (19-1 1/4) and triple jump (41-0 1/4) at UNO last weekend, added the Classics title in the triple jump at 40-1 1/2. She also finished second in the long jump at 19-0 1/2, trailing Drake's Regina Hill (19-5 1/4).

In all, the Cajun men's and women's squads finished with five firsts and 10 runner-up finishes in a non-scoring meet that attracted nine collegiate teams along with the unattached entries.

In addition to Lowry, Justin Lemaire turned in a 12:40.24 time to win the 10,000-meter title for UL's other men's victory. Teammate Chad Campbell was second in 32:52.47.

Andree Bonvillain joined Johnson as a women's field event winner for the Cajuns, taking the pole vault in 11-0, while Kim Octave won the women's 100-meter hurdles in 14.31.

Octave also finished fifth in the 100 in 12.69 and joined Johnson on the 4x100 relay team that finished fifth in 48.76.

The Cajun men did even better in its two relay events, taking a second in the 4x100 (40.91) and the 4x400 (3:13.91). Jarvis Murchison ran a leg on both relays and also finished third in the 100 in 10.70, while Derek Richardson was third in the 200 (21
.82) and the long jump (23-7 1/4) and ran a leg on the short relay.
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&nbsp; For two years, Lawrence Willis didn't set foot on a track runway.

This weekend, the Iota native and ex-UL track and field standout hopes to continue an unlikely comeback when he participates in the nation's most prestigious track event.

Willis will be one of the competitors in the triple jump at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and he'll bear watching after surprising everyone - including himself - back on April 21.

That day, competing unattached at the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rouge, Willis sailed to a 54-1 mark in the triple jump on his final attempt of the day. It was good enough for second place behind Leonville native, Beau Chene High product and ex-LSU standout Walter Davis.

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That 54-1 mark was two inches past his all-time collegiate best, one he posted as a Ragin' Cajun junior in 2003, and ranks as the sixth-best jump among all U.S. athletes this season.

"It was like I never left," said Willis, who will join Davis and the country's other top 20 jumpers in the USA meet for Sunday's 12:30 p.m. triple jump final. "When I went 54 feet, it made me realize that I still had it. That's when I entered the USA meet."

Willis won four Sun Belt Conference triple jump titles and was a 2003 All-American outdoors for the Cajuns, wrapping up his collegiate career in the spring of 2004 and taking part in the Olympic Trials that year. However, a nagging knee injury held him back his senior year and the Trails turned into a disappointment, leaving him doing only limited unattached jumping while finishing his degree requirements in 2005.

After that, track took a back seat to the real world.

Willis worked for Acadian Ambulance for a year and took a job with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department in November of 2005. He also attended the Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy last year, and began supervising a work crew for the Sheriff's Department last October.

That shift runs 6 a.m. until 2 p.m., and Willis saw an opportunity for training.

"Through all that time, I missed it so much," Willis said. "I wanted to get back to the track. I knew that was my love. At that point, when I started on that shift, I started practicing again."

He went 52-7 on a familiar runway at UL's Louisiana Classics meet, and improved to 52-11 in winning the LSU Relays in late March. A month later, he turned in the 54-foot effort that most of America's jumpers will still be seeking at IUPUI's Carroll Track Stadium in Indianapolis this weekend.

"I knew I could do it," Willis said. "I just didn't think it would be that quick after being out for two years."

When I first started back practicing, I figured this year I'd just be getting myself back up to par, I'd work out hard through this summer and this fall and aim at the Olympic Trials next summer."

That timetable's moved up quickly. Now, he has a goal to finish in the top three this weekend to earn a trip to the World Championships Aug. 25-Sept. 2 in Osaka, Japan. High finishers on Sunday will also earn chances to represent the U.S. in the Pan American Games in July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and other international meets this summer.

"I'm going in with great expectations," Willis said. "I think this is going to be a great meet for me. I'm two years older, I don't have the knee problems I had in 2004, and the stuff I learned in college I can apply better now. I have to be more focused since I'm doing this myself, but it's all laid out for me."




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Though Boo Schexnayder was named in TDA today as a possible candidate, he's now got a nice, private coaching job making more than he was making at even LSU, so I highly doubt he's a realistic candidate.

There's Lon Badeaux who is the pole-vault coach at ASU right now. They've been able to win a few indoor and outdoor conference championships lately mostly due to the great pole-vault program he's developed there. I believe he's a former assistance to Coach Lancon.

And there's Steve Silvey, currently at Texas Tech. He used to coach with Coach Veazey at Blinn Ju-Co.

Who ever they hire will have a hell of a job infront of them. A great lack of support from the athletic program over the last 5-7 years has contributed to the current slide in the program.

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Originally Posted by Cajunrunner

_ Though Boo Schexnayder was named in TDA today as a possible candidate, he's now got a nice, private coaching job making more than he was making at even LSU, so I highly doubt he's a realistic candidate.

There's Lon Badeaux who is the pole-vault coach at ASU right now. They've been able to win a few indoor and outdoor conference championships lately mostly due to the great pole-vault program he's developed there. I believe he's a former assistance to Coach Lancon.

And there's Steve Silvey, currently at Texas Tech. He used to coach with Coach Veazey at Blinn Ju-Co.

Who ever they hire will have a hell of a job infront of them. A great lack of support from the athletic program over the last 5-7 years has contributed to the current slide in the program. _

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Lon Badeaux and/or Hollis Conway are two that come to mind for me and I would love to see either or both back in the Cajun Track and Field programs!!!

DaddyCajun

US Track and Field Championship

USA indoor men's triple jump champion Aarik Wilson added the outdoor title to his career highlights, jumping 17.06m/55-11.75 (+1.7mps). Lawrence Willis was second with 16.97m/55-8.25, and 2004 Olympian Kenta Bell was third with 16.87m/55-4.25. Defending world champion Walter Davis has a bye into the World Championships.

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&nbsp; The only person that expected Lawrence Willis to find success Sunday at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships was Lawrence Willis.

Training by himself, without the coaching and sponsorship assistance available to most of the other athletes at the national meet, the Iota product and former UL All-American trusted himself and his faith.

As it turned out, that was more than enough.

Willis shocked the rest of the field in the men's triple jump on Sunday's final day of competition, posting a career-best 55-8 1/4 jump to finish as runner-up in the national championships. His finish, coming after a layoff of almost two years from competition, puts him on the U.S. team for the upcoming Pan American Games and the World Championships.

"I'm still kind of in shock," Willis said Monday. "It hasn't really settled in that I'm going to Brazil and Japan in the next two months."

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He'll figure that out in time, probably quicker than the competition figured out who he was on Sunday after he turned in his best mark on his first trip down the runway. That stood as the competition's best distance until Aarik Wilson of the Nike club went 55-11 3/4 on his fourth of six jumps.

"I thought that jump would get me one of the top spots," Willis said. "I was so caught up trying to jump 56 feet after that and reach the world 'A' standard (56-1 1/4) that my mind kind of drifted away from being in second place."

Willis, who prepped at Iota before winning four Sun Belt Conference triple jump titles for the Ragin' Cajuns, finished four inches ahead of former Northwestern State standout, 2003 national champion and 2004 U.S. Olympian Kenta Bell (55-4 1/4) in the race for the runner-up slot.

Wilson, Willis and Bell will make up the U.S. team for the Pan American Games, scheduled July 22-29 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the World Track and Field Championships Aug. 25-Sept. 2 in Osaka, Japan. Leonville native and former LSU standout Walter Davis, the defending world champion, did not jump in the USA meet but is automatically qualified for the World Championships as defending champion.

"Walter was really the only person that knew about me," Willis said, "and he didn't even know I was back jumping until I jumped at an LSU meet this year. I think I surprised the field. Everybody was focusing on Walter, Wilson, Bell and Rafeeq Curry ... those were the guys listed as the key people in the triple jump."

Willis was under the national radar because of his absence from competition since finishing his degree requirements at UL in 2005. Work requirements with Acadian Ambulance and now with the Lafayette Sheriff's Office took up most of his time until he began training last October.

Willis, working out mostly alone at UL's Cajun Track, went 52-7 in UL's Louisiana Classics and had a 54-1 effort at the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rouge in April that qualified him for the national meet. He had gone 55-7 in the 2004 Olympic Trials after a collegiate best of 53-11 while a Cajun.

"Going into the meet, I knew I was jumping as well as I did in 2004," Willis said. "I had kept my faith and kept working out, using what I learned in college. I was excited and determined to put out a good mark on my first jump. Walter wasn't jumping, so someone had to put a mark out there."

Willis' success made him the first UL product to reach the World Championships level since two-time U.S. Olympian Hollis Conway won the last of his six national high jump titles in 1994.

"All the work's starting to pay off," Willis said. "But hopefully this is just a step, just the beginning. I've made it here and it's time to go on from here."




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Lawrence Willis--2005 UL grad and UL Track and Field alum--is competing at the World Track and Field Championships In Osaka, Japan this weekend. Next to the Olympics, this is the most important competition in elite track and field.

For those who don't know, Lawrence is a triple-jumper. He is making a comeback after taking about 1.5 years off working as an EMT at Acadian Ambulance, and his current job as a sheriff's deputy with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department. USAT&F now has his official bio on their website: http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Willis_Lawrence.asp

Lawrence just started back training last fall and qualified for the USATF National Championships. He came into that event ranked about 7th in the nation. His 2nd place finish at the USATF Nationals placed him on the USA World Team. It was also a personal best jump of 16.97m (55'8.25"). Lawrence is is ranked 37th in the world going into Osaka, and has the 4th longest US jump in 2007.

Remarkably, Lawrence has achieved all this in less than a year, while coaching himself and working full-time. He has had very few competition opportunities, because of the cost of travel.

Lawrence has been emailing me from Japan. He is enjoying this incredible experience! Lawrence describes the Osaka track and field stadium as enormous. "You could put the CajunDome inside this one and the CajunDome will still look small. It is like 3 or 4 CajunDomes."

Here's his competition schedule:
Saturday, August 25--qualification jumps for the finals
Monday, August 27--Finals

The Osaka website is: http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/index.html

There will also be daily TV coverage on the Versus Sports Channel. The TV schedule is listed here: http://www.versus.com/nw/article/vie...=true&catID=76

On a personal note, Lawrence is one of the finest young men I know. He has tremendous integrity, an amazing work ethic, and is a very poised and kind fellow. In addition, he has an enormous faith in God and he is very humble about his achievements. And a great smile! If you can't root for Lawrence, who can you root for?!! Go Lawrence!!

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Originally Posted by BlazingBayou

_ Lawrence Willis--2005 UL grad and UL Track and Field alum--is competing at the World Track and Field Championships In Osaka, Japan this weekend. Next to the Olympics, this is the most important competition in elite track and field.

For those who don't know, Lawrence is a triple-jumper. He is making a comeback after taking about 1.5 years off working as an EMT at Acadian Ambulance, and his current job as a sheriff's deputy with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department. USAT&F now has his official bio on their website: http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Willis_Lawrence.asp

Lawrence just started back training last fall and qualified for the USATF National Championships. He came into that event ranked about 7th in the nation. His 2nd place finish at the USATF Nationals placed him on the USA World Team. It was also a personal best jump of 16.97m (55'8.25"). Lawrence is is ranked 37th in the world going into Osaka, and has the 4th longest US jump in 2007.

Remarkably, Lawrence has achieved all this in less than a year, while coaching himself and working full-time. He has had very few competition opportunities, because of the cost of travel.

Lawrence has been emailing me from Japan. He is enjoying this incredible experience! Lawrence describes the Osaka track and field stadium as enormous. "You could put the CajunDome inside this one and the CajunDome will still look small. It is like 3 or 4 CajunDomes."

Here's his competition schedule:
Saturday, August 25--qualification jumps for the finals
Monday, August 27--Finals

The Osaka website is: http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/index.html

There will also be daily TV coverage on the Versus Sports Channel. The TV schedule is listed here: http://www.versus.com/nw/article/vie...=true&catID=76

On a personal note, Lawrence is one of the finest young men I know. He has tremendous integrity, an amazing work ethic, and is a very poised and kind fellow. In addition, he has an enormous faith in God and he is very humble about his achievements. And a great smile! If you can't root for Lawrence, who can you root for?!! Go Lawrence!! _

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this is awesome. thanks for the info and please keep us posted

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&nbsp; OSAKA, Japan-Former Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns track and field standout Lawrence Willis is set to compete in the 2007 World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan this weekend. The event is second only to the Olympics for the most important competition in elite track and field.

Willis started training last fall and qualified for the USATF National Championships. He came into that event ranked seventh in the nation. His second place finish at the USATF Nationals in the triple jump placed him on the USA World Team. It was also a personal best jump of 16.97m. Willis is ranked 37th in the world going into Osaka, and has the fourth longest US jump in 2007.

Willis, a 2005 UL graduate, competed in the triple jump and the long jump while at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2001 through 2005. He is making a comeback after taking a year and a half off to work as an EMT for Acadian Ambulance and his current job as a sheriff’s deputy with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department.

His recent success has all been achieved in less than a year, while coaching himself and working full-time. Willis has had limited competition opportunities, because of the cost of travel.

“You could put the Cajundome inside this one and the Cajundome will still look small,” Willis said of the Osaka track and field stadium. “It is like 3 or 4 Cajundomes.”

Lawrence Willis' competition schedule:

Saturday, August 25 -- qualification jumps for the finals

Monday, August 27 -- Finals

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&nbsp; Former UL All-American Lawrence Willis has made himself a world class triple jumper, almost on his own. But Willis needs financial help to complete his dream.

Willis is seeking funds to enable him to compete in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., seeking a spot on the American team for the Beijing Olympics in China set for Aug. 8-24.

"I am asking for any donation amount to help pay for my air fare and hotel cost," Willis said. "No donation is too small. The Olympic Trials is a 10-day event. I am expected to stay six days."

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Willis, who plans to leave July 2 for the Trials, was an All-American as well as the Sun Belt Conference indoor and outdoor triple jump champion in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He is making a comeback after taking a year and a half off, working as an EMT at Acadiana Ambulance, and his current job as a deputy with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff Department.

At the 2007 USA National Championships, Willis was the runner-up and earned a spot on the World and Pan-American team. He was fifth at the 2007 Pan American games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and 18th at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Remarkably, Willis achieved all this in less than a year, while coaching himself and training four hours a day and working full-time. He had very few competition opportunities, because of the cost of travel.

Checks to Lawrence Willis should be sent to Chief Albert Glaude of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department, 316 W. Main St., Lafayette, 70501. Or call Chief Glaude at 236-5613.



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